The Park City Planning Commission on Wednesday focused on the Snow Park base at Deer Valley Resort.But one of the panelists also spoke about a mountain resort in another state.The Planning Commission continued its discussions about the prospects of a major development at Snow Park, delving into topics about transportation and traffic.In a brief but notable comment, Planning Commissioner Henry Sigg mentioned a gondola route in Telluride, Colorado, as he spoke about Snow Park. The gondola in Telluride, one of that community’s transportation options, has long been seen as possibly becoming a model for Park City if aerial transit is ever pursued.Deer Valley officials have crafted a concept involving a gondola route, and the comments by Sigg about Telluride were based on the possibility of aerial transit locally. Aerial transit via a gondola network is considered to be an option as Deer Valley and the wider community attempt to reduce traffic.The thinking is people headed to Park City could leave their vehicles on the outskirts and then take a gondola into the core. Aerial transit would include stops at key destinations like Deer Valley.Although Sigg did not speak in detail about a gondola system, the comments were more evidence of the concept of aerial transit winning support in some circles of Park City.“I think the gondola is a tremendous opportunity as a transportation strategy. And I’d like to see that pinned down to a more specific timeline, more specifically how that can accommodate, potentially, employee parking that’s coming from outside of the Park City limits, the hours of operation,” Sigg said.He briefly mentioned the system in Telluride by name in a comment about the hours the gondola operates.“I keep bringing up Telluride as the example, but their gondola system is open early and closes late,” he said. “So I would certainly like to see that function more sort of beyond hours of operation, or shortly after closure or shortly before. I’d like to see that as (a) true transportation initiative for the community.”The other members of the Planning Commission did not address the concept of a gondola in any depth, but Sigg’s comments were some of the highlights of the discussion on Wednesday.Deer Valley has described a potential route running from a point outside Snow Park Lodge to a midstation at Silver Lake Lodge. The line would then link to a location known as Park Peak, south of Bald Mountain. The route includes a stop at Big Dutch Peak before reaching a terminus at the Deer Valley East Village base off U.S. 40.Deer Valley has also said a gondola network within the resort boundaries would be designed to connect with a citywide aerial transit system, should one be developed.Sigg’s comments on Wednesday about the gondola in Telluride were the latest mention of that community’s transportation system, but figures in Park City have spoken about the route there since it debuted in the 1990s. Aerial transit in Park City has never advanced beyond conceptual studies, though. There appears to be a possibility of another round of discussions about aerial routes in the Park City area as the community prepares for the 2034 Winter Olympics and the likelihood of federal funding that could eventually be tapped for transportation projects.The gondola in Telluride’s primary stops are located in the historic town and in the slopeside Mountain Village.Although Deer Valley is pursuing a gondola system within the resort, it is not clear when other parties, such as City Hall and the County Courthouse, will make decisions about a wider network.The concept for development at the Snow Park base of Deer Valley Resort includes a gondola, shown close to Snow Park Lodge. The discussions about the future of the Snow Park base are continuing. Credit: Deer Valley ResortThe Planning Commission and Deer Valley are continuing talks about the future of the Snow Park base. There are development rights attached to the land where the Snow Park parking lots are located dating to a 1970s City Hall approval of what would be developed as Deer Valley.Deer Valley envisions transforming Snow Park into a full-service base area from one that offers limited amenities. The concept calls for residences, commercial space, a hotel and entertainment.The current talks are centered on a first phase of a development at Snow Park, which would involve the infrastructure, such as a parking structure, a transit hub and utilities, needed to support the project. The Planning Commission on Wednesday touched on topics like the plans for employee parking and the number of vehicles with just one person inside that will be headed to and from Deer Valley.The post Park City planning panelist points to Telluride gondola in comments about Deer Valley appeared first on Park Record.