JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The Jackson town council will discuss tents today on two different fronts at their afternoon workshop.
First, town electeds will again try to figure out whether they can implement some kind of emergency measure to allow overnight camping in town. Discussions on April 3 ruled out many larger scale solutions and instead zeroed in on either lifting restrictions on overnight “camping” in vehicles parked on town streets, or officially identifying a 44-space portion of the public parking lot between the visitor center and Parks & Rec as a municipal campground.
The town is looking closely at allowing overnight parking and car camping in vehicles in a designated area of the Home Ranch parking lot as a pilot program to run from May 15 to September 15, 2017. “Campers” would need to vacate the area daily but only, technically, for an hour. Vehicles parked overnight would be required to leave the designated parking lot by 7 am to allow the parking spaces to be used as day use spaces beginning at 8 am. Police would patrol and clear the lot daily each morning. Those same camping cars would be allowed to come back in the lot for the day after 8 am.
The pilot project would not be limited to workers in the community but would be available to anyone, including guests to the community that were unable to find lodging for the night. The town would install portapotties in the lot for overnight use.
