JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Town Council is on its way to approving a new Land Development Regulation (LDR) amendment, making way for fourth-story development on properties that are three or more acres in the Neighborhood High Density-1 (NH-1) zoning district.
Ordinance P will add a workforce housing incentive to the zoning district by allowing a fourth story and height bonus for sites that are at least three acres, adjacent to a commercially zoned property, and deed-restricted workforce, affordable or employee housing. The Council outlined eight criteria points [going to link to agenda pdf in WP] for the new amendment that includes specifications about setbacks, building facades and roofs. The property must also be within a quarter of a mile of public transportation and a quarter of a mile to commercial services “routinely needed by residents.”
It was a rocky road to approval for the Council. On Jan. 8, councilors voted 3-2 to approve the amendment under seven criteria with Councilmembers Jim Rooks and Jonathan Schechter opposed. Then, at the Jan. 22 meeting, the council voted 5-0 to reconsider the approval. At the Feb. 5 meeting, the item was approved with a 3-2 vote, with updated criteria, most notably that the incentives only apply to properties that are three or more acres, instead of the previously approved two acres.
Councilmembers Rooks and Jessica Sell Chambers voted against the amendment.
At the Feb. 5 meeting, Sell Chamber said “I am going to vote against this but not because I am opposed in any way shape, or form to density or fourth story in different places in town.”
Both Rooks and Chambers shared concerns about the implications of amending the LDRs for the entire NH-1 zone.
Rooks said that if the regulations just applied to the Virginian property, he would have voted for it.
Currently, there are only three properties in the NH-1 zone that qualify for a fourth story, under the eight criteria: The Virginian RV Park property, Aspen Meadows Apartments and Clusters Townhomes.
The 5.15-acre former Virginian RV Park property at 90 Virginian Lane was purchased by Jackson/ Teton County Housing Authority for $28 million this past fall to make way for workforce housing. The LDR amendment aims to maximize housing on the property.
At the time of the purchase, Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson said, “This is an ideal property for community housing.” And Teton County Board of County Commissioners Chair Luther Propst said, “At just over five acres, the parcel is large enough to provide housing at a scale that is meaningful to mitigating our local housing crisis.”
In November, a request for proposals from developers was issued with the minimum number of homes set at 150. The deadline for submission was Feb. 1 and a developer will be selected this spring with groundbreaking anticipated for summer 2025.Â
The ordinance was approved on first reading, Feb. 26 and second reading, March 4. The Council will meet for its next regular meeting March 18.
