Ed Parigian next week will complete his transition from an activist to an elected official on the Park City Council.
He is scheduled to take the oath of office on Wednesday alongside Ryan Dickey and Bill Ciraco. Parigian over the past decade has been involved in a series of high-profiles issues in Park City and was able to make his case to voters for a seat on the City Council.
“Anticipatory. I’m nervous. I’m excited. The whole range of emotions,” Parigian said.
Parigian, 66, lives in Old Town and has lived in Park City for 17 years. He is retired after a career in finance and accounting, including footwear development at Nike. He is a former member of the municipal Recreation Advisory Board, a City Hall panel that has influence on a range of projects and programs.
He became widely known as the leader of the successful effort to permanently protect the field outside the Park City Library from development after the idea was broached to develop part of the field with workforce or otherwise restricted housing. Parigian was unsuccessful in a 2019 campaign for the City Council.
Parigian since Election Day in November has spent time preparing to take office by meeting with City Hall officials, including department heads. He has covered topics such as housing, public utilities and traffic during the meetings. Parigian said surprise issues have not arisen during the meetings.
“It’s just getting it all in one big package,” he said.
Parigian, echoing his campaign platform, said his focus as a member of the City Council will be “representing the locals.”
“They’re the ones who elected me,” he said. “And the locals are the voice I support.”
Some of the issues he plans to address during the early part of the term:
- The partnership between City Hall and Deer Valley Resort regarding development at the Snow Park base. The sides reached the agreement in December, just weeks before Parigian’s swearing-in is scheduled, but he anticipates the City Council during his term will have an important role in upcoming talks between the municipal government and Deer Valley. He said he will attempt to make the agreement the “best partnership we can do.”
- The future of City Hall land off the intersection of Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard, where an arts district has been envisioned. Parigian said he wants the ground to ultimately become a place that is a “local-centric, artsy kitschy village” with a mix of income-restricted and market-rate housing. He described a desire for the land to become, in general terms, “something like East Village, New York.”
- The efforts to host a second Winter Olympics in the state, with Park City being crucial to the plans. Parigian said he is excited and concerned about the expected awarding of the Games of 2034 to Salt Lake City. He said Park City changed after the 2002 Winter Olympics with the proliferation of vacation properties, the increased popularity of the community as a tourism destination, worsening traffic and affordability issues. Parigian said he wants to attempt to ensure Park City maintains its sense of community in the post-2034 era.