Dynia as heart; park it; toilet talk

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

By Jake Nichols

Bald Eagle crash diets
Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Architect Stephen Dynia’s project at 150-160 East Broadway made the grade despite a need to visit the big ‘n’ tall shop. Staff conditioned master plan approval for Dynia only if Bald Eagle, LLC, could crash diet away some square feet.
“We are comfortable with the conditions of staff,” Dynia said. “We are trying to relate to what is on either side of the building.” Staff agreed the project was consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and seemed to fit into the neighborhood despite not truly qualifying for a PMD according to the city’s Land Development Regulations.

The residential-office space-retail unit development is expected to generate a total population of 22.25 persons and increase traffic flow to one trip every 51 seconds. That had police chief Dan Zivkovich worried.  “More and more of these projects use alleyways in lieu of streets, he said. We get complaints about how fast cars go in the alleys.
“It is really self-contained and answers its own questions regarding affordable housing and parking,” Dynia offered. The development would feature underground parking for 24 but even staff was unsure where an additional seven parking spots would come from.
Melissa Turley wondered whether she would have to stare at a massive crane like the one at 130 South King for another six months but Dynia said it was too early to talk construction phase.

Mark Obringer supported the project and said he could make the findings. “This is a project built in the core of town in keeping with ‘Town as Heart.’ It is built on a transit line in keeping with our mass transit goals. It’s also within walking distance [of downtown] so there’s lots of things we can pull out of the Comp Plan that we are meeting that don’t have anything to do with the three lot ruling.”

Abe Tabatabai was the lone dissenter, picking on the building’s height (40 feet). “I hope it is going to be beautiful and not a cluster during the construction phase,” he said. “But it is too high. I could say more but I can count,” he concluded, referring to the fact that the other three council members had already stated they liked the project.
Bald Eagle, LLC, soared 4-1, with Tabatabai opposed.

Parallel parking
City administrator suggested the council look into appointing a downtown parking advisory committee. Manning that board to a minimum may require conditioning county felons’ parole but it was part of the advice dished out by an outside parking consultant.
Charlier Associates also suggested the city cap parking downtown on city streets at two hours but after talking with area merchants the city went with a three-hour max parking in the core. Charlier recommended increasing staffing to two dedicated meter maids with handheld computers. Due to budget constraints, the city will continue with public community officers and hand out extra tire chalk to the dog catcher.

Beginning June 1, the city will get tougher with parking ticket scofflaws. A letter of warning will be followed by an overdue fine, and then the dreaded “tire boot.”
It was the Charlier parking report that suggested a possible bypass option might be studied that would help alleviate traffic impact on the state highway corridor (Broadway). Their idea to beef up Spring Gulch Road and install a new bridge over the Snake River north of town was met with the same general hysteria normally reserved for Yankee fans at Fenway.

In other business
Bob McLaurin’s update on the Home Ranch potty featured an estimated price tag of slightly more than $4.5 million. Carney Architects will only charge the town a half-million dollars to design the water closet.

Teton County Parks & Rec recreation supervisor Jill Harkness is pretty sure winter will be over by June 25. So sure, she’s scheduled the annual Cache Creek to Game Creek mountain bike race on that day. Approximately 75 riders will take the green flag at Mike Yokel Park and head for the finish at the Game Creek trailhead some 11 miles later.

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Dynia as heart; park it; toilet talk | Planet JH News Article: Council Chronicles

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