Huntsman weighs in on Summit hotel, studio

On the same day he signed a measure into law authorizing the military to have planning authority over private land in Summit County, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. also clarified he doesn't believe Quinn Junction is the appropriate site for a controversial military hotel planned there.

Huntsman concluded action on legislation from the 2009 session on Tuesday, a day before his deadline.

The letter, released Tuesday by Huntsman and Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, is addressed to Stuart Adams, chairman of the Military Installation Development Authority, which is seeking to put a military hotel and massive movie production studio in Snyderville Basin.

Critics say the measure takes away land-use authority from local entities such as Summit County, which has denied the Air Force's requests for a hotel for nearly a decade.

Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said the governor put his signature to the bill so the plans by the Military Installation Development Authority could move forward, but with his and Killpack's concerns outlined.

"He wanted to give some direct guidelines to the Military Installation Development Authority and this was done through the letter," she said, "but it outlines his concerns and desires regarding the eventual outcome for this project."

The letter notes that Summit County and Park City have a unique style and brand, going to on to emphasize that the gateway to the area should be protected.

"The infrastructure does not support a high density development of this magnitude," the letter says.

Huntsman and Killpack, who sponsored a companion measure granting the Air Force certain taxing and policing authority in a project area, wrote that they are fully supportive of such a resort, but stressed the need for the military development authority to mediate with local government to find a suitable location.

The governor's other final actions on 2009 legislation included vetoing a line item in an appropriations bill, SB3, for technical corrections that he said can wait until the 2010 Legislature meets.

That makes a total of three bills vetoed by the governor. The others are HB353, a controversial video game truth-in-advertising bill, and HB156, seen as having the potential to cause sewage and water problems on poorly subdivided agricultural lands.

And Huntsman didn't sign SCR4, a resolution supporting obesity awareness. Because it is a concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the governor, it will not take effect.

"It's essentially a veto," Roskelley said. The issue the governor had with the resolution, she said, is that it urged increased medical coverage for obesity treatments.

Huntsman opposes such mandates as "contrary to his efforts on health system reform," Roskelley said.

The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, also would have declared September as Obesity Awareness Month.

Roskelley said that was the only piece of legislation the governor did not sign. She said he signed a total of 408 bills and concurrent resolutions.

E-MAIL: amyjoi@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com