JACKSON, Wyo. — On Monday, Nov. 18, Town Council unanimously passed a series of ordinances that will determine the size and character of large buildings in Jackson.
After instating an emergency moratorium on large building development, Councilors have held public forums to discuss the town’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) and design guidelines. During this third and final reading of the updated LDRs, the Council defined maximum individual building size as 40,000 square feet (sf) and 50,000 sf for hotels and deed-restrictive housing.
According to the staff report, newly built individual buildings must be physically separate from any other building without any above-ground internal physical connections, including hallways and elevators. Shared underground parking garages and shared underground pedestrian connections are permitted. Shared mechanical systems, whether underground or above-ground, are permitted.
The maximum street facade length of a building will be 200 feet, and facades for buildings on corner lots can be 300 feet total.
To qualify for the maximum use space, a hotel must dedicate all floor area to rooms, lobby, conference facilities, circulation and related uses. No short-term rental units are allowed. Hotels can also include up to 10% of the total above-ground habitable floor area for amenity uses, including a restaurant/bar, spa and gym.
All deed-restricted units are to be permanently restricted and acceptable to the Jackson/Teton County Housing Department, Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust or Habitat for Humanity. Deed-restricted units can include up to 20% of the total above-ground habitable space for non-residential buildings, including retail, office and hotels.
The staff report also states that an individual short-term rental unit will not exceed 1,500 sf in habitable floor area. Two or more short-term rental units cannot be connected in a way that results in a combined floor area that exceeds 1,500 square feet, per the ordinance.
According to the Town, design guidelines and historic preservation design guidelines have been incorporated into the LDRs. Design guideline criteria will review appropriate materials for the surroundings, landscape screening, suitable public space and the composition and proportion of a proposed building.
Town Council agreed that these LDRs are only a starting point, and that a more in-depth discussion of the town’s community character will be needed.
“It’s the beginning of the process, not the end of one,” Councilor Jonathan Schechter said.
“It’s the beginning of the process, not the end of one.”
Councilor Jonathan Schechter
The only ordinance revision made by the Council during Monday’s final LDR reading was adding a master fee schedule for third party consultants and applicants to cover the costs associated with environmental, traffic and/or historical assessments, instead of the Town of Jackson bearing the expense. The LDRs were amended so land developers pay for any necessary on-site or off-site improvements.
“The one thing I always said, ‘I couldn’t vote for anything that didn’t have these studies,'” Council Jim Rooks said. “We should hold developers responsible for these reviews.”
Town Council agreed that building application “submittal requirements” should be required to offset the anticipated impacts on traffic generation, environmental resources, wildlife permeability, historic resources and water quality that includes stormwater runoff and groundwater quality, in addition to other important Town resources.
“This is a way for us to get the expertise that we are looking for,” Councilor Arne Jorgensen said. “I appreciate that this moratorium was narrow by design. I’m looking forward to the additional review of building development moving forward.”
The new Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for big buildings will now address these mitigation measures, and be required for all projects that require a sketch plan.
