So I was in Park City, Utah, last week expecting to find a
green haven among the pristine white winter wonderland. As one of the
world’s most desirable ski areas with upscale communities and lodging to rival
Vail and Aspen, Park City is truly a special place. Imagine my surprise,
then, to discover that despite an abundance of natural and man-made beauty –
not to mention a population of educated, nature-loving outdoors enthusiasts –
Park City is seemingly behind the times in going green.
Some of the finest hiking in the world, great whitewater
rafting, and of course world class skiing. You’d think those pursuits
would transfer over to local policies that are fairly restrictive on
development, and an overall culture of green. Certainly everybody I met
on the hiking trails and at the river looked the part, and it seemed that they
were concerned about all things environmental. It wasn’t until I got to really
tour the area, which includes the ski mountain as well as Old Town, the main
drag filled with businesses and shopping, that some practices I observed began
to raise my eyebrows.
Most of the upscale lodges offer shuttle service from Empire
Pass and upper Deer Valley, particularly luxurious parts of Park City near the
top of the main ski mountain, down to Old Town. Even when the weather is
warmer, they all seem to leave their shuttle vehicles – mostly larger SUVs of
course – running, for hours if need be, burning fuel and emitting carbon all
the while. Recycling bins are often difficult to locate. Many of
the pricier homes in and around Park City are enormous, six to twelve thousand
square footers. These palaces often serve as third or fourth homes for
their well-to-do owners. We toured some empty ones and while beautiful, I
noticed many of the thermostats were set to a toasty 74 degrees despite being
empty most of the year (with the exception of peak ski season).
Perhaps most disturbing was hearing about a troubled
residential fourplex project that was built to state-of-the-art green
standards. According to reliable sources in the local real estate
community, it seems that buyers are avoiding it like the plague because they
immediately assume the green features add cost not value. The project is
very well designed, sets a standard for energy efficiency and thoughtful
construction, and it is priced commensurate with similar higher end properties
in the area. Yet its designation as a green design property has made it
more albatross than swan. Hard to figure that this would be the case in
Park City, Utah, an outdoorsman’s paradise?
Also surprising is to see the huge amount of residential
inventory available in the area, yet there are construction projects planned
for what seems like every empty lot. Hasn’t the housing crisis taught us
anything? Here’s hoping that a
revelation will occur and the developers of these coming projects will at least
design and build them using sustainable materials.
I am not trying to attack Park City, I actually love the
place. But it was a real surprise, and
disappointment, to find that this gorgeous resort community has a long way to
go before it can claim to be not only a white but green wonderland.
As always, my friends, please post your replies, thanks!