Watchdog group tests new tricks on Teton Meadows

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Last Thursday, Save Historic Jackson Hole, a local watchdog group that has charged itself with fighting for slow, smart growth, attracted a crowd of 80-plus to Colter Elementary School to discuss the 500-home Teton Meadows plan, proposed for the Seherr-Thoss property in South Park.

While the discussion suggested Teton Meadows faces a rough road ahead, it also suggested a new style, strategy and public presence for Save Historic Jackson Hole. The group for several years has operated more quietly from the sidelines, but this past summer hired its first executive director, Brian Grubb.

Teton Meadows Ranch, backed by former Chicago developer James Reinert and his assembled team of formidable planning and public relations personnel, is in the early stages of the county application process. It aims to build 500 homes on the 288-acre Seherr-Thoss property in Jackson’s South Park area. The owners are entitled to build up to 50 single-family home on the parcel under its current rural zoning. That land remains an un-built pastureland on which now only a gravel pit stands.

It is surrounded, however, by the Rafter J Ranch, Melody Ranch and South Park Ranches subdivisions.

The crux of Teton Meadows’ bid for a massive density bonus lies in what the developer is proposing as a dynamic, but yet unclear approach to providing housing for Teton County’s full-time, working class residents. Beyond the 125 units, or 25 percent traditional affordable housing – now the minimum allotment required under a recent emergency ordinance – Reinert and company are proposing 375 “homestead ownership” units. By a proposed deed restriction, those would remain available for ownership by Jackson residents who own no other homes in the valley and who work here 1,480 hours a year.

There have been, as yet, no specifics released by the applicant that detail initial sale prices in a niche market that would, the developer contends, regulate itself beneath free market valuation.

The Teton Meadows site plan and supplemental literature on the development also call for smart planning principles, green building practices regionally unprecedented at this scale, urban-style parks, a U.S. Mail kiosk and a bus stop. There also have been talks of an elementary school site.

As representatives of Save Historic Jackson Hole have said in the past, it supports property owners’ rights, and Grubb said the organization has no objection to Reinert building the number of homes currently allowed by zoning.

But the much denser neighborhood that has been proposed, which would connect to Highway 89 via the two-lane South Park Loop Road, would, by Grubb’s calculations, increase average daily vehicular trips from about 4,000 to 15,420 (the applicant has presented data suggesting it would contribute 4,600 ADT), effectively ruining the character of a rural road already nearing its capacity, he said.

On Thursday, Grubb addressed the crowd of residents, many of whom live near the property in question, currently in the early stages of the county application process. “If you are or are not in favor of affordable housing you probably won’t support this project,” he told the crowd.

One common theme that came up as Grubb fielded questions and comments from the room, was how to publicly resist or oppose Teton Meadows Ranch without coming across as a “NIMBY” – a common acronym standing for “Not In My Backyard” – a stigma not uncommonly branded on those perceived to oppose development from home sites that were at one time, of course, open lands.

“They’ve rolled out this project extremely well,” said Rich Bloom. “What we have to do as citizens, and this is hard to do – we’ll be attacked as NIMBY and no-growthers – [is] write letters and not expect [county officials] to do all the work for us.”

Bloom said he feared the project is already perceived by many as 100 percent affordable, thanks to what was characterized as a slick unveiling and public relations campaign by the Teton Meadows Ranch team.

“I hope we can debate this in a rational way in the valley, because I know that as soon as I write my letter I’ll be attacked,” he said.  “And that’s OK.”

At least one of the five or so official SHJH members, Justin Adams, was in attendance at Thursday’s meeting. He said, “People should point out the density at Osprey Creek” – a West Bank development seeking a density bonus for its offer of 50 percent traditional affordable –“is inappropriate and you somewhat dispel the NIMBY myth.”

Franz Camenzind, executive director of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, which recently put out a letter fundamentally endorsing the notion of local affordable housing, was in accordance with Adams’ sentiments.

“I wish we could just lose that phrase,” he said, adding that he felt the costs of this particular project were fiscally too high and damaging to character. “Please, let’s everybody speak up,” he exhorted the room. “Let’s forget NIMBYism. It’s our community.”

At one point during the question and comment period, during which about 20 people raised his or her hand, one man asked Grubb how far he would scale down the project. The executive director, who himself is building a home on a deed-controlled affordable lot responded, perhaps only half-jokingly, “A lot of my bosses are in the room.” He later said he would cluster the 50 homes on the property, in accordance with smart planning principals.

But that remark hints that the organization has yet to determine whether it will give any ground to density bonus-seeking affordable housing projects, or if it will staunchly hold the ground of property rights and nothing more.

“I don’t know what the Save Historic Jackson Hole position will be,” Grubb said in answer to the gentleman’s question.
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Watchdog group tests new tricks on Teton Meadows | Planet JH News Article: County News

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