JACKSON, Wyo. — Town Council continued its discussion and approved a sketch plan for the proposed 80,000-square-foot Justice Center at a Special Town Council Meeting on Monday.
Before the official vote to move the plan forward, Mayor Arne Jorgensen stated that he was looking forward to seeing the discussed changes added to the more detailed development plan that will follow. The Council voted unanimously to approve the plan.
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions and discussed trepidations with Town Senior Planner Tyler Valentine and project management consultant Jason Berning.
Councilor Jonathan Schechter appeared concerned about the bulk and scale of the building, which is slated to be 52 to 65 feet tall, and worried what kind of precedent it might set.
“My great fear is that, over time, we’re going to end up with a ‘canyonized’ community, with so many large buildings, and streets that are no wider than they are now,” Schechter said. “Not with this project specifically, but in general, [I’m concerned about] losing the proportionality and the openness that characterizes the community.”
Mayor Arne Jorgensen said he didn’t mind the size, reiterating that it is a civic building, and civic buildings tend to be large. He also asked for clarification about long-range phasing, pointing out that there could be a need to expand down the road.
“Civic buildings make a footprint and a statement,” Jorgensen said, “and that is perfectly OK.”
Councilor Devon Viehman brought up the topic of stormwater management and suggested that a website be created during the planning and construction process to disseminate relevant information to the community.
Jorgensen told Buckrail that the sketch plan is a conceptual presentation that allows for issues to be raised and feedback to be made. He said one of the ways to make sure the sketch plan and the development plan meet the conditions of the design review committee (DRC) is to ask for a voluntary review by the DRC before moving on to the next step.
“As an architect, I’ve been through this process,” Jorgensen told Buckrail. “We want feedback earlier than later, so we don’t spend time and money on something that doesn’t work.”
In 2024, Teton County residents voted in favor of building a new Teton County Justice Center using the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) funds, totaling $88 million. The proposed three-story Justice Center would house the District and Circuit Courts, Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney’s Office, Clerk of Court, 911 Dispatch Center, County Jail, and associated office and storage areas.
