Snowbird Ski Resort’s plans to build a mountain coaster in Little Cottonwood Cany on have run off the

track. The Salt Lake County Board of Adjustment voted Monday to overrule the Planning Commission’s earlier decision to allow a Park City -like amusement ride at the foot of Mount Superior, calling the commission’s action “illegal.” Snowbird shouldn’t have received permission to build on slopes that steep, the board ruled 4-1 . Only member Phil Uipi upheld the earlier Planning Commission decision. Member Bob Frey chided the Planning Commission at one point for approving the request, say ing it should have put more time into research. “If I were the may or,” he said, “I would take them out to the woodshed for that.” The ruling represents a victory for the adv ocacy group Save Our Cany ons and cany on enthusiast Tom

Stephens, who have challenged the project as unsuitable for the cany on.

“We are very ex cited,” said Carl Fisher, ex ecutive director of Save Our Cany ons. “I don’t think the

issue is over at this point, but this was a good step.”

Snowbird officials did not comment directly on how the Board of Adjustment’s ruling might affect the

project. Instead, spokesman Jared Ishkanian maintained that the Planning Commission was correct.

The resort, he said, should be viewed as an all-season attraction.

“With a 40-y ear record of providing summer and winter recreation without adversely impacting the

watershed,” Ishkanian said, “summer recreation is a vital part of Snowbird’s business and ongoingmanaged recreation in the Wasatch Mountains.”

Since the mountain coaster was proposed, it has experienced its share of bumps.

Salt Lake City May or Ralph Becker wrote a letter criticizing the project as posing “a significant impact

to the natural character of Little Cottonwood Cany on and the Wasatch Mountains.”

Protesters staged a demonstration last month outside the Salt Lake County Government Center, urging

Snowbird to scrap the coaster. Some carried signs. Others chanted into megaphones. And still others

sported Mickey Mouse ears urging Snowbird not to “Disney -ize” the cany on.

And now, the Board of Adjustment has put the entire project at risk.

Snowbird’s vision is this: Build a fix ed-rail coaster at the foot of Mount Superior similar to the

mountain ride at Park City Mountain Resort. Riders would weave in toboggan-like cars through

intermittent woods from an old mine shaft on the hillside, across State Road 210 and into the resort

village.

Snowbird officials insist the ride can be built without degrading Little Cottonwood Cany on. Not only

would it be located more than 2,600 feet below Mount Superior’s peak, officials say , but it would have

little impact on slopes, vegetation or wildlife.

The Board of Adjustment will finalize its decision in May . The project will then return to the Planning

Commission for reconsideration

Jstettler@sltrib.com