Park City to buy affordable-housing apartments to house transit workers, displacing current tenants

PARK CITY, Utah – People living in an affordable-housing complex in Park City may find themselves looking for a new home, so the city can house transit workers instead.

In March, the city council voted to buy the apartments at 2015 Prospector Avenue. During that meeting, one of the members said the Park City transit department had a shortage of employees due to a lack of housing. They said they plan to use transit money to buy the building and use the apartments to house transit workers.

Jeff Brueningsen said he works at Deer Valley has lived in the apartments since 2006.

“I don’t need 10 acres and a 6,000 square-foot house,” he said.

The apartments have been governed by employee/affordable housing restrictions since 2012 under an agreement signed by the city and Talisker Housing, LLC, the previous owner of the apartments. According to that agreement, people working full-time at Deer Valley Resort, and certain parts of Park City are to get priority in renting the units. The agreement goes on to say that it will be in effect for 40 years and would also apply to all subsequent owners of the units.

During a city council meeting in March, an attorney for Prospector said he did not believe the deed restrictions were valid or enforceable.

Brueningsen said he found a letter from the city on his door earlier this month saying current tenants need to be out by Nov. 1, 2018.

“It’s the first time I’m looking at homelessness in my whole lifetime,” he said.

He hopes to fight the process.

“None of this is right. It’s the most shameful black mark that I’ve seen on the worldwide good reputation of Park City, Utah,” Brueningsen said.

Brueningsen said he has been in communication with attorneys, but hopes to avoid legal action. He is holding out hope for some other resolution.

“Let it be done organically. Let it be done in a common-sense way, a more creative way than just kicking everybody out,” he said.