PARK CITY, Utah — Plans are moving forward to demolish a junior high school in Park City to build a new sports facility. The plans would focus on the site of Treasure Mountain Junior High and Dozier Football Field near Park City High School.
The new sports facilities would include baseball and soccer fields, batting cages, tennis courts, bleachers, and administrative buildings. The plans were approved by the school board before moving them to the City's Planning Commission for approval.
However, several people showed up at the planning commission meeting Wednesday night to discuss their concerns with the proposal. Their biggest issues are how the facilities would impact neighborhoods nearby and an increase in traffic to the area.
"What is being built is damaging our property values," stated one concerned citizen. "It is decreasing quality of life, and it does not need to be that way." Another person who didn't agree with the plan said, "We're just seeing an amazing amount of traffic, particularly at that intersection, which happens to be right where I live."
Others, though, including one high school softball player, are thrilled about the idea of a new sports field. "I think it's amazing what's to come and the possibilities it's bringing," Teagan Grady, a sophomore at Park City High School, said. That sentiment is echoed by Jess McCurdy who has 4 boys who are all athletes: "... our facilities aren't really on par with the rest of Utah. So to be able to see, especially in this community, an upgrade, not just with our education programs, but with our athletic programs, and we're looking at the whole child is huge!"
The school district says they are conducting a traffic study on the best way to mitigate increases in traffic from the project. And to ease concerns over light and noise, all lights on the field will be required to be off by 11:00 p.m.
The planning commission gave their approval for the project if the school board decides to move forward.
There is no proposed date for when Treasure Mountain Junior High would be demolished.
