JACKSON, Wyo. — During a Monday meeting, Town Council decided to take more time to review 55 proposed changes to land development regulations (LDRs). Council will continue the discussion at the Oct. 19 meeting. None of the changes suggested by Town staff were approved on Monday.
The Biennial LDR Update is a recurring two-year process for reviewing and amending LDRs, which was formerly coined the LDR “cleanup” by Town staff.
According to Senior Town Planner Tyler Valentine, the updates cover a broad spectrum, from “clerical fixes” to rules that could affect how new housing projects are designed and utilizing space, including alleyways.
The alleyway conversation drew particular attention from councilors; one proposed change could result in not allowing more than five parking spaces in an alley per development. Larger developments would need to accommodate traffic and parking using alternative methods. Valentine said the aim was “to discourage larger developments from exclusively using the alleys.”
Another that drew attention was trash and recycling standards, which have been under review to help haulers who have said that sometimes trash and recycling enclosures are designed too small for them to service. Space for recycling will also be required for new developments with the proposed changes.
Some other high-priority LDR updates include: requiring one guest parking space for every 15 units in a multifamily complex; designating more on-site snow storage; allowing the Town to split a single lot into two without public input in order to save Council time; and implementing housing rules for hotel restaurants, bars and spas denoting when they must contribute to affordable housing for their staff.
Consensus among Councilors was that the 55 proposed changes were too much to tackle in one sitting, especially given that the Monday meeting was the first time the updates had been presented.
Mayor Arne Jorgensen asked during discussion about the urgency of passing these changes, to which Valentine made it clear that there is no need to rush through the proceedings.
Those interested in reading about the LDR updates can do so by reading the staff report.
