2025 Gondola-Related Legislative Highlights

The 2025 legislative session was a “do no harm” session from the standpoint of not furthering gondola action. However, some proposed amendments and language inserted into bills demonstrates how easily bills can be bent in favor of funding and building the gondola.

1. Additional $20 m funding for Cottonwoods Transportation Fund avoided: HB502 was amended to remove an additional appropriation of $20 million for the Cottonwood Canyons project. This funding would have added to the approximately $20M already being deposited in the Fund this year for the gondola.

2. UDOT must observe the order of its 3-phase approach in LCC: HB195 was amended to no longer mandate that the gondola MUST be built, as the original bill’s language specified. The language in the approved bill states that UDOT must follow the phases specified by the FEIS in order. It ‘s unclear what the effect of this bill is because the FEIS attached no sequencing or time frame to what it called “phases”.

3. HB229 allows UDOT to purchase land for gondola access: HB229 amended the Corridor Preservation Statutes so that UDOT can purchase land needed for the gondola legally using funds allocated to Corridor Preservation. This amendment appears to be some legislators’ attempt to retroactively legalize UDOT’s purchase of a restricted residential lot in the Granite Oaks subdivision last October for the purpose of building access roads to the gondola base station. Granite Oaks HOA has filed a lawsuit to contest this purchase.

4. Effort to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) unsuccessful: SB316 had language in it that would authorize a development zone (land development companies) to conduct its own environmental review for a project. The gondola project is subject to NEPA, so this could have allowed for gondola developers to skirt federal environmental laws and scrutiny. The language was deleted from the final bill, but if passed would bypass federal NEPA law and let gondola developers decide what developments are harmful.

5. Sales tax increase (again) partially funds the gondola: Salt Lake County increased sales taxes to fund additional jail facilities and transportation. Because the Cottonwood Transportation Fund is funded in part by local sales taxes, this increase accelerates the rate at which the Cottonwood Transportation gondola Fund grows.