LDS building gets an OK from planners

PARK CITY — The LDS Church has moved one step closer to getting a controversial meetinghouse built in the Park City area.

The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission conditionally approved by a 5-2 vote the construction of a church on the outskirts of the city in Silver Summit.

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still have one big government hurdle to clear before ground can be broken on the 16,500-square-foot building that would house three wards on 6 acres by Trailside Park. The Summit County Commission will meet on May 26 for a possible seal-or-break-the-deal vote. A public hearing preceding that is scheduled at 5 p.m. at Carl Winters School in Park City.

Rusty McMicken, a Salt Lake City firefighter who'll be able to see the steeple from his nearby Aspen Glen home, is not thrilled about a meetinghouse going up in the neighborhood. But, he stressed, his problem isn't with the builders' religion — just the placement and size of the structure.

"It's not a church issue," he said. "If it was a Wal-Mart or a Sam's Club or any structure of that size, in my opinion, the neighborhood would be just as upset about that. We're not against people trying to worship. It's just going to be a massive structure in our neighborhood that we don't want there."

Opponents also fear it's going to bring massive traffic. But a study purports the "overall traffic impacts are very marginal," said county planner Shawn Hill. "With that, it's hard to make an argument that there will be traffic issues."

Some dispute that, especially since more cluster housing is being considered for the area. McMicken believes the study is outdated, having been done a couple of years ago — before many of the current residents moved in. Building on the east side of Highway 40 — by the industrial/business park that includes Home Depot — is a popular suggestion among those who dislike the idea of having two non-neighborhood wards traveling in. This would give the expected 300 church-bound vehicles easier freeway access while keeping Silver Summit traffic to a minimum. The church plans on building a parking lot with 193 stalls.

But Evans said the location east of Highway 40 wouldn't work for several reasons.

For one thing, the area is zoned for "adult use," he said. LDS attorneys advised that this means somebody else would be precluded from building an adult club there, which could ignite a whole new set of problems and controversy. The county would also stand to lose money from taxes, because the property is zoned for commercial use and churches are tax-exempt.