Former Mayor Nann Worel’s retrospective, as reported by KPCW, details a predictable narrative: conservation easements and affordable housing initiatives. The 100 acres secured on Treasure Hill, and the considerably larger 330 acres at Clark Ranch, are, naturally, positive externalities—preserving views translates directly to sustained property valuations. The Engine House, yielding 99 affordable units, is a performative gesture, masking the inexorable drift towards a seasonal economy inaccessible to service personnel. Studio Crossing, with its projected 208 units, merely delays the inevitable. One notes the $1 million childcare allocation is a rounding error in the broader context of Deer Valley Resort’s capital expenditures.
The proposed senior center on the Mawhinney parking lot, a project estimated between $18 and $27 million, feels particularly indulgent. Prioritizing such amenities against Bonanza Park redevelopment and continued conservation funding represents a misallocation of resources. Aesthetics, frankly, are irrelevant; it is the underlying land play that matters. I observe a preponderance of glass and steel emerging in these new projects, lacking the warmth of native sandstone. A regrettable trend. Considering the relentless march of development and the increasingly limited inventory, one must cautiously… Buy.