JACKSON, Wyo. — The Board of County Commissioners sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), dated Jan. 9, commenting on the proposed use of Parcel 26 by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) as a temporary housing site.
The Board opted to add two additional conditions at the Jan. 3 meeting, sending the letter back to staff for updates and voted on Jan. 9 to approve the letter. The final version includes six requested conditions and is dated Jan. 9.
Parcel 26 is located adjacent to South Park Landing, a popular boat ramp located just south of Jackson on Highway 89. Parcel 26 has been used by WYDOT as a staging area to support the years-long construction projects on US 26/89/189/191.
WYDOT is proposing a temporary housing site on Parcel 26, to house contractors working on the new Snake River Bridge Replacement Project set to begin this spring. In 2019, WYDOT found the bridge, completed in 1960, to be nearing the end of its service life.
In the letter, the commissioners acknowledge the lack of affordable housing in Teton County and also noted that the possibility of using Stilson for temporary workforce housing “would not accommodate WYDOT’s scheduled project start date.”
According to the project documents, no water, sewer or power would be provided and those temporary systems would need to be installed. “This may include a water tank and pump, sewage collection tank and buried power lines. It is not anticipated that any connection to the nearby sewer system will be authorized. Water will need to be trucked in and sewage will need to be trucked out.”
While no usage period was defined, the project document states that all improvements will be required to be removed at the expiration of the lease.
One of the proposed conditions by the Board requests that instead of hauling out the wastewater, WYDOT connect to the sewer line that runs through the property “to support eventual recreational uses of the property and to protect water quality.”
The letter also noted that when WYDOT approached the county about using the parcel, they acknowledged that they are aware of the County’s plans to expand recreational use on the parcel in the future. According to the letter, “County staff confirmed that this project is not proceeding in the near term, therefore making this property potentially available for WYDOT’s needs in the interim.”
Conditions include collaborating with Jackson/Teton County Parks & Recreation staff on the site improvements to align with the future plans on the site, adding landscaping to “reduce the visual impact” and requiring a 150-foot setback from the Snake River. The Board is also asking that a specific deadline for the site usage be defined by WYDOT and the BLM based on the completion of the Snake River Bridge project.
Following the motion approving the letter, Vice-Chair Natalia Macker requested that county staff help draft another letter to WYDOT to request a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further define the usage of the site—if the BLM grants the use to WYDOT.
The final draft of the letter is available below.
