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Echo Hills development delayed again
By Taylor Messick
Last Updated: August 25, 2017

There has been another bump in the road for the Echo Hills apartment and retail development

Faced with tax bills and specials, the developer received an extension by the Park City council Aug. 22 but not before getting an earful from council members.

Mike Loveland is the developer representing J.P. Weigand & Sons for the Echo Hills development. Loveland explained the recent roadblock. He said multiple studies were required by Housing and Urban Development before the project was to start. During the process of completing these studies, an environmental study turned up something unexpected.

“In the middle of January I got a letter," said Loveland. “It said that this property had been identified as a possible site of some Indian burials. … We were going to have to have an archaeological study done before we could move forward at all."

Loveland said he hired a firm that said it would complete the study by the end of March. The firm, Algonquin Consultants Inc., ended up not completing the study until the end of May and Loveland received it in early June. It turned up nothing, which should've allowed the project to move forward; except HUD expects all studies to be no more than four months old, which meant that all the other completed studies were obsolete.

Since then, Loveland has had to gather the funds to pay to have the rest of the studies re-done. The slow work from Algonquin essentially put the design, negotiation and construction of the project on hold and set everything back about six months. Council member Jim Schroeder said he believed this setback was out of the developers' hands.

“This is not an uncommon story when you're dealing with the department of HUD," said Schroeder. “There are almost always delays over things like this. I've seen this before and this is a legitimate delay in my opinion."

Loveland told the council he has now hired another developer to focus on the retail presence for the development. The firm is out of North Carolina and has experienced success on similar projects. Loveland even said the firm already has a very interested anchor store. But until something gets done, it all seems like more talk to the council. Many of the council members are tired of being fed promises about this project and they let Loveland hear about it.

“We've been promised a lot and that's my concern," said council member George Glover. “When we first started, the developer told us this and that person was going to come and establish a box store. Now we're back to square one with another developer. For me, it's time to show me the money. I'm tired of hearing about it. I want to see some action and I think the citizens of Park City want to see it as well. I'll be really blunt — it's time to put up."

Mayor Ray Mann stated that he would like the developers' focus to be on the 232-unit multifamily housing facility that is to be built on the property. He believes that will be a key factor to spurring the growth of the development. He called any retail development that comes from the building of the apartment complex “gravy on the biscuit." He spoke sternly when addressing the developer.

“I want you to feel what we feel," said Mann. “I don't want to be let down again on Feb. 22. Starting over is a bad deal and it sets us back further than where we are right now. Apartments in the city would be huge. It's something we need here. It's housing that we don't have in town that would benefit us greatly. I understand the hiccups you've had, but at this point, the responsibility of getting the apartments done falls directly on your back."

With a 7-1 vote, the council approved a conditional six-month extension for Loveland after grilling him for over an hour. The conditions are that all unpaid taxes and assessments will be brought current by Feb. 22, 2018, before any construction occurs. The other condition is that Loveland will appear before the council once a month until Feb. 22 to provide updates.

In other business Aug. 22, the council:

•Approved the sale of a lot to Bearhill HOA for the cost of specials plus realtor fees with a 6-0-2 vote.

•Accepted a bid of $204,636.85 from Cornejo & Sons for paving improvement to Village Estates, Phase 5 with a unanimous vote.

•Accepted a bid of $134,630 from Cornejo & Sons for the 2017 street reconstruction project with a unanimous vote.

•Accepted the donation of 80 acres of land with a unanimous vote.





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