I attended the Summit County public meeting regarding the Dakota Pacific project on Nov. 7.  This was the first public meeting since the County Council told Dakota Pacific in February 2023 they were unlikely to approve a project with over 500 residences.It appeared to me that around 200 county residents gave up their Thursday evening to once again protest this development. Of the approximately 75 persons who chose to address the council, only two spoke in favor of the project. This is very representative of the strong opposition to this project which has been evident for the last four years.After forming a subcommittee to essentially hide the negotiations from the public last April, the project has ballooned to as many as 1,005 residential units. Summit County residents were very clear in their opposition four years ago when Dakota Pacific proposed 1,100 residential units.The original proposal by Dakota Pacific, while being rejected by the county residents, at least required no public expenditure. However, the latest proposal calls for a $56 million investment of taxpayer funds.One of the primary rationales employed by Dakota Pacific is by adding this density the Utah Department of Transportation will be forced to prioritize a traffic solution for S.R. 224.  Of course, there is no promise from UDOT other than to revisit the situation in 2025.  Nonetheless, the council seems hellbent on voting to approve or deny the project before the end of 2024.What nobody seems to be considering is this development will draw cars and people from outside Park City and the Snyderville Basin. We’ve all seen the massive development along S.R. 248, Deer Valley’s East Village, and around the Jordanelle Reservoir. While Wasatch County approves project after project, they are providing no infrastructure to support the thousands of new homeowners. These new residents will have to travel to Kimball Junction for groceries, retail, dining and entertainment.It is clear the Summit County Council is ignoring the will of the people. All of the discussions and plan changes over the past four years have not convinced county residents to support this development at any point. Why is the Summit County Council still proceeding as if approval is even a possibility?At the end of the public meeting on Nov. 7, the attendees were again reminded the purpose of the meeting was solely to gauge public sentiment. Really? Hasn’t the public spoken with a unified voice for four years?It actually seems the council is just trying to wear down the opposition. They announced further negotiations will be conducted in public meetings and a vote will hopefully be taken soon. Do they actually expect the county residents to attend meetings in person or online to keep an eye on the proceedings? Isn’t it their job to represent the public?Truthfully, Dakota Pacific’s position has been clear all along. They don’t care about anything but profits. The public be damned. Sadly, the main reason to follow the proceedings is to police the County Council. It’s evident we can’t trust them to represent our clearly and repeatedly stated position on Dakota Pacific.Vincent A. “Van” NovackPark CityThe post Can’t hear us? appeared first on Park Record.