Park City Seeks Residents to Fill Advisory Board and Commission Seats

Two seats on Park City's Planning Commission are waiting to be filled, and whoever sits in them will cast votes on some of the most consequential development decisions the city has seen in years. The application deadline is April 8.

The Planning Commission ranks second in influence among all of Park City's municipal bodies, trailing only the City Council itself. It holds authority to approve or reject development applications outright, and the panel's docket over the next several months is unusually loaded. Deer Valley Resort is seeking to remake Snow Park into a full-service base area. The city is advancing workforce and restricted housing at Clark Ranch near Quinn's Junction and at a Bonanza Park site. Lift upgrades at Park City Mountain are already before the commission. Whoever fills those two seats will not be watching those deliberations from the public gallery.

Mayor Ryan Dickey appointed attorney Adam Strachan to the commission in late March, filling the vacancy left by Commissioner Bill Johnson's resignation. Strachan previously served on the seven-member body from 2008 to 2018, a tenure that covered the Park City Heights and Utah Film Studio applications, the 2014 General Plan update, and the Treasure Hill review. With Strachan seated, two positions remain open. The commission meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building, with members serving four-year staggered terms.

The Planning Commission seats are the highest-stakes openings, but they are two of 19 vacancies the city is working to fill across eight boards and commissions. The Public Art Advisory Board has five openings; the Recreation Advisory Board has three. Two seats are open on the Board of Adjustment, which hears zoning-related appeals. Single openings exist on the Library Board, the Neighborhoods First Streets Committee, and additional bodies including the Nonprofit Services Advisory Committee and the Police Complaint Review Committee.

The city requires that applicants reside within Park City limits, but no prior government or board experience is necessary. "Service on a board or commission is one of the most meaningful ways residents can contribute to Park City," Dickey said in a city release. "When residents bring their voices, expertise and lived experience to the table, we make better decisions as a community." The city said it is actively seeking applicants from varied backgrounds, including business owners, planners, architects, and nonprofit leaders.

The Planning Commission has historically functioned as a launchpad for elected office: three Park City mayors and numerous City Council members since the 1990s served on the commission before winning their seats. The City Council reviews all applications after the April 8 deadline and makes appointments. Applications are available at parkcity.gov/government/boards-commissions.