JACKSON HOLE, WYO – If workforce camping comes together this summer it won’t be the full-blown ‘KOA’ originally planned…and it won’t happen until at least July.
For the third straight spring town electeds, led mainly by Jim Stanford, have gotten too late a start on pulling together a workable idea on emergency camping to the frustration of some.
This spring, town officials had the issue addressed in early April at the request of Shelter JH, but that’s too late at the speed of government. At its next scheduled meeting in mid-May, the council will now consider a mere 13 spaces on the north end of the Rec Center parking lot that would be available to RVs/campers less than 26 feet long.
The spots would not have water but might have power (at a cost of up to $30,000 for 30 amp service). They would be ready to go sometime in July, according to Parks and Rec boss Steve Ashworth. He said he is having trouble finding an electrician who can get to the site before July. “We are pretty tight right now as well,” Ashworth said, referring to any potential help from Parks and Rec employees.
The town believes they could have a lease program pulled together in about three or four weeks. Still, the delays to get only 13 spots exasperates Hailey Morton Levinson, who recommended the idea be put off until next summer.
“There are just too many items up in the air. It’s going to tax staff to get it up and going,” Morton Levinson said.
Other council members lean toward at least trying the 13 spaces as a pilot program. All want the camping spaces to be for workers in the community and not visitors who didn’t make plans for accommodations in Jackson Hole.
“A minimal pilot program could make sense here if all we have to do is provide electricity. I agree with Hailey that we should wait to next year for a budgeted, bigger program,” Don Frank said. “We don’t want generators. They are hard to regulate and very noisy. And I’m not interested in providing overnight camping for people who don’t plan their trips. Personal responsibility is still part of the conversation.”
Bob Lenz added, “I’m interested in pilot program to see what we learn. We do need to get some direct input from neighbors as a basic courtesy.”
Stanford doesn’t like the location. He prefers something larger in the county but nothing has developed and no one has come forward with a viable plan for the use of county land.
The camping spaces would be designated in the parking lot with striping as 16 feet wide by 26 feet long, accommodating most average-sized campers. A total of 26 parking spaces would be used but with the towing vehicle taking up one space an the camper in the other, a total of 13 camping spots would be made.
Staff is working on more details. The council may vote to implement the pilot program at its May 15 meeting.
