Huntsville, UT – Snowbasin Resort is holding an Open House from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on July 15 at Earl’s Lodge, at the base of the Utah ski resort to allow the public the opportunity to view the proposed master plan for 3,800 acres located in Weber County. Members of the design team and Snowbasin Resort owner and manager representatives will be on hand to answer questions and explain the elements of the master plan.nSnowbasin Resort, located 35 miles north of Salt Lake City, applied in May to rezone approximately 3,800 acres located in Weber County, including the ski area base, under the newly adopted Ogden Valley Destination and Recreation Resort Ordinance. The master plan represents a three-year effort to create a new master plan for the 12,000-acre property located in Weber and Morgan Counties.
“We are proud of the proposed master plan and look forward to sharing it with the public,” states Wallace Huffman, Snowbasin’s Director of Resorts and Resort Development. “We have taken great care to work cooperatively with the stakeholders in the Valley to ensure that future plans for Snowbasin align with and compliment the vision and plans for the future of Ogden Valley.”
Becky Zimmermann, President of Design Workshop, the Snowbasin Resort planners, “This master plan represents extensive site analysis, research and collaboration with stakeholders to develop a master plan that creates a four-season resort that both enhances the resident and visitor experience at Snowbasin and protects the characteristics of the valley and the pristine beauty of the area.”
For the moment, Snowbasin, which along with Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort is owned by Sinclair Oil magnate Earl Holding, has no overnight accommodations. The Weber County plan includes a hotel, retail and residential properties near the existing lodge as well as clustered neighborhoods throughout Weber County and retail and commercial near the intersection of Trappers Loop Road and State Highway 39. The master plan encompasses Snowbasin property in both Weber and Morgan Counties and was planned as one project to ensure compatibility and continuity between the two counties. The plan for Weber County proposes to develop 20 percent of the 3,800 acres, preserving 80 percent as open space.
The plan for the resort’s property in Morgan County calls for a significant ski area expansion near the current Strawberry Gondola, with a second entrance to the ski area to be constructed along Trapper’s Loop Road in Morgan County south of the intersection with Snowbasin Road, which would shave about 10 minutes off the drive to the resort from the Salt Lake City metro area. The goal is for approximately 50 percent of the ski resort’s guests to use the new entrance. Snowbasin officials have yet to file a permit application in Morgan County.
“While this master plan could span up to 50 years and will be phased as market conditions allow, we are excited to start the process now in order to create a distinctive destination resort,” states Huffman.
The rezone application is currently being reviewed by Weber County, as well as other local, state and federal agencies. It is anticipated that meetings on the rezone request will begin in August with the Ogden Valley Planning Commission.