Luxury site at Jordanelle wins early county nod

WASATCH COUNTY — There is a Tiger tale to be told in the midst of the Wasatch County Commission's granting concept approval to a tony 7,000-acre development at the Jordanelle Reservoir.

"Tiger Woods has been up here fishing. Mark O'Meara has been up here fishing," said Dale Berg, partner in Sowby & Berg, consultants to Robert Larsen of Park City, owner of the Victory Ranch development that has lured the best-known golfer on the planet, Woods, and O'Meara, one of his closest friends on the Professional Golfers Association Tour, for visits to Utah.

"Bob (Larsen) has a great fishing guide that takes them to the good places, so they do pretty well," said Berg, who saw four years of preparatory planning and work culminate in the commission's decision to give Victory Ranch a first-stage go-ahead.

Victory Ranch must jump through several more regulatory hoops before holes are dug for the 792 units, including a 50-room fishing lodge plus three 18-hole championship golf courses, along the Provo River on the east side of Jordanelle.

"They now must provide in greater detail the ways the project impacts everything from water quality to spotted frogs to the deer winter range to 'strutting area' for sage grouse," said Wasatch County planner Al Mickelsen.

In dotting those I's, Victory Ranch must pass muster with the Planning Commission and the County Commission through both preliminary and final phases. Before it can come back to the county, it must acquire a 404 Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"That demonstrates we won't adversely affect the environment beyond a reasonable doubt," Berg said. "That can take six months to six years, you just don't know."

But Larsen, a developer who owns Silver Creek Commerce Center east of Park City, is investing more than $200 million in infrastructure, impact fees and planning. And Wasatch County stands to gain approximately $18 million annually to its general fund at build-out, commonly estimated 10-15 years down the road.

So both builder and county are eager to see the project meet requirements.

"All the development at the Jordanelle can mean a tremendous boost to our county economically," said County Commissioner LaRen Provost.

"It's big for the educational system — 60 percent of every nickel goes to schools," Berg said.