JACKSON, Wyo. — On Wednesday, June 12, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved the submission of applications from land owners offering shelter options for commuters impacted by the Teton Pass closure.
Teton County is temporarily waiving the regulations on temporary shelters, but property owners must first apply to host shelters, and campers must follow some basic rules, according to Teton County. Temporary shelter applications will be considered for approval by the BCC on a case by case basis.
The County has defined temporary shelter as a mobile home or a camping unit. A camping unit includes recreational vehicles, campers, trailers, motorhomes, tents, yurts, tepees or other shelter that is not certified under the International Residential or Building Code or by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to Teton County.
Buckrail spoke with Nicole Gill about her family’s decision to offer RV camping accessibility on 80 acres of their property, an area known as “Dog Creek” located near Astoria Hot Springs Park. The flat, open grassland was homesteaded by her great grandfather, Bruce Porter, in 1928. Nicole’s dad, Robert Gill, gave the green light for the property to be available for deserving community members to alleviate long commutes. The land availability is pending approval by the BCC.
Many Jackson businesses are also stepping forward to offer potential short term housing options.
During the BCC Voucher meeting on Monday, June 10, Mary Kate Buckley, President of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR), proposed the allowance of a temporary increase of density to help assist commuters, many of which are coming from Idaho. Buckley asked County Commissioners if JHMR employee housing could extend above the current allowable limits. She additionally requested, “We also would like to see the allowance of short-term residences and some reprieve from the restrictions placed on workforce housing to allow for the eligibility of Idaho residents.”
During the BCC meeting on Monday, June 17, County Commissioners will also discuss the process to potentially allow the Legacy Lodge, a 53 unit building, which currently stands empty in the Rafter J development, to be used as temporary lodging. The property requires additional review from the BCC, because it’s currently deemed unlivable. The workforce building has not completed conditions of its Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or fire and livability inspections.
Sadek Darwiche, General Manager of Hotel Jackson and Owner of Legacy Lodge, told Buckrail that the units could provide a more comfortable turn-key option to nurses, hospital staff and other vital workers instead of camping.
“We are waiting for the County to provide the mechanism by which we can make Legacy Lodge available to the community in their time of need,” Darwiche said.
Property owners wishing to use their land to allow temporary shelters and camping for local workers during the Emergency Declaration can apply to the Planning and Building Services Department.
