Affordable Housing negotiations continue for 90 Virginian Lane

JACKSON, Wyo. — The future development on the five-acre parcel at 90 Virginian Lane was the biggest discussion item at the recent Town and County monthly joint information meeting on Monday, Aug. 5.

Housing Director April Norton opened up the conversation, noting that no action needed to be taken that day, but her staff and the selected development partner, Pennrose, need feedback as they work to negotiate a ground lease and development lease prior to seeking approval from the Board and Council in November.

The request for proposals (RFP) for a development partner was released on Nov. 8, following four meetings involving the Town or county negotiating its details. The Housing Supply Board identified the top four firms and conducted interviews, recommending Pennrose as the leading candidate.

At the joint information meeting, Pennrose Regional Vice President Shannon Cox Baker presented the timeline of the project along with details about how more affordable units could be created and the trade-offs necessary to keep the project economically viable. Some of those possible trade-offs include adding more public subsidies, shifting the balance of for-sale units versus for-rent units, and the option to add market-rate units.

Cox Baker noted that a traffic study and market study will be conducted “to anchor us to what the market can support, and what the data really says about cars coming in and out of the site.”

According to the current design, Pennrose is proposing two access points for vehicles, both on Virginian Lane. Cox Baker explained that the traffic study takes four to six weeks to complete so they will start as soon as possible, and if preliminary data showed a turning lane or traffic light would be needed, modifications to the development plan would follow.

“We wouldn’t push changing the layout of the roads to support the development,” Cox Baker clarified.

In-person public comments from folks who identified themselves as neighbors were mostly unsupportive, with many sharing concerns about traffic on Snow King Ave., the buildings being too tall, and the number of units being too many. Pennrose originally proposed 226 units, and the request for proposals asked for proposals with at least 150 units.

Much like the previous eight meetings on the project, consensus among the Board and Council was not apparent, with three “camps” forming and the process coming into question.

Councilmember Jessica Sell Chambers and Commissioner Greg Epstein again shared comments advocating against the project. Sell Chambers suggested the RFP process be restarted and Epstein suggested the land be put back on the market or used as an RV park until a better fiscal plan can be formulated. Both have shared similar sentiments during previous meetings about the property.

Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson, Mayor Pro Tempore Arne Jorgensen and Commissioner Wes Gardner said they want to see the number of units remain at 226.

Morton Levinson said, “For me, it’s in line with our other projects,” after pointing out that Jackson Street Apartments is 39 units per acre, Mercill is 52 units per acre and 17 N. King has 63 units per acre; 226 units would be 45 units per acre.

“To go back on that number now would not be transparent,” Morton Levinson said, “I want to stick with that because it’s why I voted for Pennrose back in June.”

According to the Jackson/ Teton County Housing Authority, the current and future needs to house the workforce locally require 2,000 deed-restricted homes in the next five years.

The property was purchased by Jackson/ Teton County Housing Authority in the summer of 2023 for $28 million using Housing Supply funds, which is a combination of SPET, mitigation fees and general fund allocations. In March, Town Council voted to update the land development regulations (LDRs), allowing for a fourth story to maximize unit density on the property. Pennrose is suggesting building five buildings, with the largest being four stories and housing 100 units. The buildings that border Snow King Avenue and Virginian Lane would be three stories.

Commissioner Mark Newcomb and Commission Chair Luther Propst both said they are open to exploring what 150 units might look like. Propst also asked how a lower unit count might affect parking. The preliminary design includes a two-level parking garage with 229 parking spaces and Propst asked to see what the unit threshold would be if the parking garage was not included.

Councilmember Jim Rooks and Jonathan Schecter stayed true to form, sharing their own set of concerns that didn’t necessarily align with one of the other three groups.

Norton assured the joint board that consensus at this stage is not necessary.

”We are all pushing this giant boulder up a hill to try and create homes for people living and working in our community and this is the way it goes sometimes,” Norton said.

“This is all very fluid,” Norton said. “What I’ve heard today is there is some general support for density; now we don’t have to have consensus, when we come back in November with the development agreement, we’ll have options, we’ll have the market study and the traffic impact study.”