JACKSON, Wyo. — With community members filling the Commissioners’ Chambers, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) considered the Master Site Plan application for Area 1 of Northern South Park (NSP) and heard public comment during its hearing on Tuesday, April 8.
The Teton County Planning Commission recommended approval of NSP’s Master Site Plan to the BCC at a March 10 meeting. According to the staff report, the NSP zoning overlay splits the proposed neighborhood into two areas: Area 1 (Gill property) and Area 2 (Lockhart property). According to the Master Site Plan, Area 1 would potentially provide 600 residential units, including 420 deed restricted or affordable properties and 180 unrestricted units. Only Area 1 (the Gill property) has submitted an application.
During the hearing, the BCC heard public comments regarding the zoning application for the the Gill property. After Teton County Senior Planner Chandler Windom gave an in-depth overview of the conceptual site plan, the applicant gave further details and residents and stakeholders shared their thoughts on traffic mitigation, park infrastructure and wildlife permeability. The majority of residents spoke in favor of the housing project, stressing its importance in providing large scale affordable housing.
Jackson resident of 32 years, Rose Caiazzo, urged the BCC to approve the housing project.
“This feels like our chance to finally own a home,” Caiazzo said. “More than 1,100 households are in similar situations. Couples like us, families with kids and so many single people are all still waiting. The plan is ready. The Housing Trust is ready. Please approve this plan, not just for us, but for every working person in Jackson.”
Jackson resident Jennifer Ford also implored the BCC to “say yes” to NSP’s neighborhood plan.
“The 13,000 vehicles going up and down the canyon is the traffic problem,” Ford said. “There’s a lot of tax payers who can’t live here, who drive hours to get here because of promises made and promises delayed for the better part of 30 years. There are a million reasons for you to say ‘No,’ but you are elected officials, and I think especially at this time in our country, we need our elected officials to remember that you represent everybody. Everybody needs your help to bring forward more housing.”
Jorgensen Deputy Project Manager and Civil Project Engineer Jaclyn Knori, P.E., presented the West Jackson Subarea Transportation Plan, which analyses traffic impacts in NSP Area 1. According to Knori, the study evaluated traffic conditions in west Jackson using traffic counts and projected population growth models. She said that the study determined that peak traffic impacts would be observed during the morning and afternoon, approximately 20 minutes around the middle school and high school bell times. The NSP Area 1 Traffic Study states that the 500 to 600 residential units in Area 1 do not trigger any improvements to the High School Road intersections or require a full east-west connector road.
“The study finds that the east-west connector is not needed, but it would reduce peak traffic on High School Road,” Knori said.
Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance Community Planning Director Amy Kuszak countered that a full east-west connector road is needed, as well as a vision for a more wildlife permeable neighborhood.
“The NSP neighborhood plan included a revision to reduce traffic impacts on High School Road and South Park Loop Road — that vision was the east-west connector road,” Kuszak said. “As proposed, we do not have an east-west connector road, we have a dead-end road to nowhere.”
Not all of the public comments could be heard within the hearing’s allotted time. BCC Chairman Mark Mark Newcomb encouraged people to attend the other public comment period scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers. Written public comments can also be received at any time.
The BCC will discuss the NSP Master Site Plan on Tuesday, April 15, at 9 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers.
