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Utah trust lands administrators want to build a luxury destination on state-owned land at the doorstep of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Bullfrog Marina. But first they must find a developer with the capital, expertise and tolerance for risk needed to put up and operate vacation homes, a retail center, hotel and sundry amenities hundreds of miles from the nearest big city.
The spot, where the Burr Trail meets State Route 276 just outside the park boundary, is rich in desert scenery and views of the Henry Mountains and Lake Powell, while completely lacking in utilities and wastewater infrastructure.
The proposed Bullfrog Resort wouldn't replicate Ticaboo Resort, a master-planned community a dozen miles up the road, launched in the 1970s to house uranium miners. Bullfrog is being planned with an eye toward outdoor recreation and tourists' expectations, according to Alexa Wilson, a real-estate specialist with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, or SITLA. Under the agency's conceptual master plan for the project, Bullfrog would be an affordable version of Amangiri, the ultra high-end Utah resort just outside Page, Ariz.
"It's a bubble plan. It just shows what use can go where. We are hoping for a quality sustainable development," Wilson said. "We don't want to ruin the characteristics of the landscape that make people want to come here."
Last month, SITLA issued a request for qualifications, or RFQ, soliciting proposals from potential developers, who have until Jan. 27 to reply. SITLA's consultant, IBI Group Inc., crafted a master plan for the 700-acre project, laying out a high-end vision for turning this patch of sandstone into "an oasis of amenities for every type of outdoor adventurer and Lake Powell recreator."
The project envisions residential areas tucked around geological features along with equestrian areas, foot trails and a pool-enhanced resort. This "village" would join restaurants, retail and a hotel in ways that would leverage the site's visibility from the highway and convenience to "capture" the region's visitors — most of them drawn to Lake Powell for water-based recreation.
The agency aims to create an "accommodating destination and convenient gateway to outdoor recreation that entices visitors of all types to come more often and stay longer," reads the vision statement. Exemplifying this vision is the campground. Instead of pitching tents or hooking up an RV, guests would stay in well-furnished yurts and participate in an activity called "glamping," a neologism combining glamour and camping.
The National Park Service was not prepared to comment on the project because the proposal is so preliminary.
"We are also just learning about this project in our gateway community, and at this stage have not had involvement," wrote Christiana Admiral, Glen Canyon's chief of interpretation, in an email.
SITLA's apparent failure to consult with the federal officials before releasing the RFQ does not bode well, according to Cory MacNulty of the National Parks Conservation Association.
"There should be better coordination," MacNulty said. "We need to recognize what happens right next to the park affects what happens in the park, particularly with a project off this scale on land that is wholly undeveloped."
She believes the project would increase land-based recreation in the Bullfrog area, where the National Park Service is equipped to manage only water-oriented recreation, and would boost pressure to pave the Notom Road through Capitol Reef National Park to the west.
SITLA manages about 3 million acres, mostly scattered around the state in 1-square-mile sections, to generate revenue for a school endowment that now exceeds $2 billion. But critics contend the agency's legislative mandate shortchanges conservation values and the state's long-term interests.
Garfield County has its own concerns about the Bullfrog proposal. The eastern fringes of the county are zoned "multiple use" and officials would expect SITLA to secure a zoning change or conditional-use permit. The area is also saddled with acute development challenges, and officials are curious to see how would-be developers propose to address them, according to Justin Fischer, Garfield County's economic development director.
"The entire east end of the county is not connected to grid power at all," Fischer said. "Entities there have to generate their own power. They all use diesel generators."
Brian Maffly covers public lands for The Salt Lake Tribune. Brian Maffly can be reached at bmaffly@sltrib.com or 801-257-8713. Twitter: @brianmaffly