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It won't be downhill sledding for Snowbird as it tries to build a mountain coaster at the base of Mount Superior.
The world-class ski resort now faces a groundswell of opposition to a project that would allow summertime Snowbird-goers to zigzag down the mountainside on a raised-rail ride.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker penned an opposition letter this month criticizing both the project and the Salt Lake County Planning Commission for granting Snowbird preliminary approval.
"I do not object to reasonable development in our ski resorts," Becker wrote. "However, given the high visibility and nature of amusement park-style development at the base of Mount Superior, one of the most iconic mountains in the Wasatch, I do feel that this proposal poses a significant impact to the natural character of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the Wasatch Mountains."
The mayor then argued that the Planning Commission reached its decision without "appropriate technical analysis," potentially leading to the "incremental and cumulative degradation of our watersheds."
Rolen Yoshinaga, director of the county's planning division, doesn't dispute that the Planning Commission gave the project a preliminary nod before it had the technical analysis in hand. That's how the process revised last year is supposed to work.
The county now evaluates land use namely, whether the project can be built where it's proposed and then considers the more costly technical questions.
"We've created a process," Yoshinaga explained, "that allows property owners to know if they can get land use, making it worth their time to invest in technical compliance."
Although the mountain coaster isn't a done deal Yoshinaga said it could be derailed by unfavorable technical reviews from agencies such as the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities and the Utah Department of Transportation opponents say the project has gone too far already.
The Save Our Canyons coalition and avid canyongoer Tom Stephens have filed separate appeals to the Planning Commission's decision, arguing that the county misinterpreted and misapplied the rules governing canyon development. The Board of Adjustment will hear both appeals Wednesday.
"It is incomprehensible to us that the same ordinance created to protect the scenic beauty of our foothills and canyons is now being used to tarnish one of the most iconic and prominent peaks in the Wasatch," said Carl Fisher, executive director of Save Our Canyons. "Snowbird has lost sight of what brings thousands of people to their resort and Little Cottonwood Canyon each day."
Save Our Canyons will stage an anti-coaster protest Monday outside the Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State St.
But Snowbird General Manager Bob Bonar insists the proposed ride, located more than 2,600 feet below Mount Superior's peak, wouldn't have the detrimental impacts that foes fear. To the contrary, he said, the elevated coaster would cause little disturbance to the slope, to vegetation and to wildlife corridors.
"Consider the coaster in contrast with other types of development (condominiums, parking areas, lodging, etc.), which are already approved in Snowbird's master plan," Bonar wrote in a statement. "The coaster is a relatively benign land use."
Snowbird considers the ride an important part of remaining competitive, particularly for summertime business.
With toboggan-style cars on a fixed-rail track, the ride would resemble the Alpine Coaster at Park City Mountain Resort, which winds through white-bark woods for more than a mile at speeds reaching 30 mph.
Snowbird's track would run for more than 3,000 feet, starting at an old mine shaft near the base of Mount Superior. It would weave through intermittent woods, cross a bridge over State Road 210 and end in the village.
"The coaster has been a huge hit at resorts where it has been constructed because it provides a means for everyone, young and old, to experience scenic mountain vistas," Bonar wrote.
What's next
P Save Our Canyons will stage a protest Monday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State St.
P The Salt Lake County Board of Adjustment will hear two appeals to Snowbird's mountain-coaster proposal Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Government Center.