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1) Check
out our Spring Alliance News magazine • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1) Check out our Spring Alliance News magazine The Spring 2009 Alliance News magazine is now available online at www.jhalliance.org/library.htm. (Just click on the cover photo of the mule deer.) Along with updates on many issues, it includes an informative special section on development in the Town of Jackson. You’re also welcome to stop by and pick up a free printed copy at the Alliance office, 685 S. Cache. (A map to our office is available at www.jhalliance.org/contact.htm.) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 2) Will third time be the charm for “Y” area developer? On March 2 -- for the third time since December -- the Jackson Town Council will discuss an application for a high-density residential condo complex near the northeast corner of the busy Broadway-Hwy. 22 intersection. Councilors are expected to vote on the Sandhill Ridge planned unit development on March 2, 6 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. The original proposal was for a 92-unit residential development; the applicant now proposes 87 units for the steep hillside site. Town planning commissioners recommended denial of the project this past fall. The Conservation Alliance’s concerns include the bulk and scale of the proposed development; increased traffic at an already strapped intersection; inadequate community benefit given the development’s size; potential harm to mule deer, given the project’s location in critical winter range; and the project’s effect on Jackson’s character, since approval would set a precedent for over-development at a prominent community gateway. For links to our comments on gateway development and this proposal, visit www.jhalliance.org/library.htm#comments. (UPDATE: On March 2, the Town Council voted 3-2 to deny this application for the Sandhill Ridge PUD. We commend Councilors Bob Lenz, Mark Obringer and Melissa Turley for their decision to uphold Jackson's character and values.) We’re also concerned that developments in this area of town are being considered in a piecemeal fashion, without regard for their cumulative impacts. For instance, in February, the Town Council approved a final development plan for another project on the hillside above the Y intersection that includes some 23,000 square feet of building space. Please consider letting Mayor Mark Barron and the Town Council know what you think: Mayor Mark Barron: mbarron@ci.jackson.wy.us Mailing Address: Town of Jackson, P.O. Box 1687, Jackson, WY 83001 Phone: (307) 733-3932• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 3) Town continues to toy with planned mixed-use development tool On Feb. 2, nine months after the Conservation Alliance first asked them to consider a moratorium on using the flawed planned mixed-use development tool, the Jackson Town Council voted 4-1 to direct the planning staff to prepare a PMD text amendment. (We made the moratorium request because the PMD tool is facilitating large-scale developments that the community has repeatedly said they don’t want built in Jackson. For example, last month the Town Council approved a 4-story, 45,492-square-foot PMD project in the 300 block of North Cache.) The councilors’ directions included mostly minor changes, except to four “bonus” criteria, for which developers can get even more development potential. However, on Feb.17, councilors voted to reconsider their request regarding these criteria; this reconsideration is now scheduled for the same meeting as item #2 above, March 2, 6 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. We urge you to read our special report on development in the Town of Jackson, available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/TownDevelopment.3-09.pdf, and to share your comments with the electeds listed above. Links to the Alliance’s comments are available at www.jhalliance.org/library.htm#comments. (Note: A pre-application for the Anderson planned mixed-use development has been withdrawn.) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 4) Stage Stop, affordable housing mitigation included in other town news In addition to the items above, the Conservation Alliance continues to keep an eye on other town matters. Here’s a brief roundup; however, please note that all meetings are subject to change. Call the Town of Jackson at (307) 734-3993 for confirmation, or contact Alliance community planning director Kristy Bruner at Kristy@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417. STAGE STOP APPLICATION -- Jackson Town Council, March 2, 6 p.m., Council chambers,150 E. Pearl. The councilors are scheduled to discuss a request for conditional use permits to allow a lodging facility over 15,000 square feet and a lodging use in the Town Square overlay, and sketch plan approval of a 31,494 square foot above-grade lodging and retail facility at 135 N. Cache and 120 N. Glenwood. For the Jackson planning staff’s report on this application, visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/Stagestop.3-09.pdf. AFFORDABLE HOUSING MITIGATION RATE for RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT -- Jackson Town Council, March 16, 6 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. Councilors plan to discuss a proposal to increase the town’s affordable housing mitigation rate from the current 15 percent to 25 percent. For background information about affordable housing issues, please visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/AffordableHousing.2-08.pdf. Other town meetings this month: Sometime in March, the Jackson Town Council is expected to revisit regulations that could limit the size of some single-family homes in town. (In January, the Jackson Planning Commission voted 4-1 to support a land-development regulation that would limit home sizes in neighborhood conservation districts to about 3,000 square feet on a typical 7,500-square-foot.) We’ll post the meeting information as soon as it’s available. The Jackson Planning Commission has regularly scheduled meetings on March 4 and 18, 5:30 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. Please check back for updates.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 5) Comprehensive Plan second draft now expected by March 28 The Comp Plan planning team recently reported that they expect to release the next draft by spring break, which begins on March 28. This draft was originally expected in December, and we hope the additional time means more thought is going toward ensuring that the plan will work to protect Jackson Hole’s cherished wildlife and wildlands. The Teton Board of County Commissioners and Jackson Town Council will decide how much time people will have to comment on the draft. Because the plan is so critical to the future of Jackson Hole, the Conservation Alliance is asking for a comment period of at least eight weeks. We intend to hold weekly informational open houses during this period; stay tuned for details. The planning team is scheduled to provide an update on the Comp Plan process at a joint information meeting of the county commissioners and town councilors on March 2, 3 to 5 p.m., Council chambers 150 E. Pearl. (UPDATE: At the March 2 JIM meeting, it was announced that the second draft of the Comp Plan will be released on March 26, and that a six-week comment period will follow. SECOND UPDATE: During the week of March 16, Teton County planning director Jeff Daugherty announced that the new draft won't be released until the week of April 13. Daugherty said local planners and Clarion Associates, the Comp Plan consultant, need more time to revise maps that detail how land may be used in the future.) Meanwhile, please visit www.jhalliance.org/issuescompplan.htm for background information, and visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/CompPlan.3-09.pdf for our most current report regarding the Comp Plan. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 6) Hoback Highway reconstruction leads county news JACKSON SOUTH/HOBACK HIGHWAY RECONSTRUCTION -- The “Jackson South” draft environmental impact statement for the 7-mile section of Hwy. 26/89/189/191 from southern South Park Loop Road to Hoback Junction was released on Jan. 7. The two disappointing action alternatives in the DEIS both call for building five lanes of road, and differ only in a one-mile section. Both alternatives cause concerns regarding wildlife, habitat connectivity and community character. Six miles of 5-lane road will fragment habitat and increase hazards for animals (not to mention motorists) moving through the valley, although the DEIS does note the possibility of including structures to help mitigate these problems. From the time this project was first proposed many years ago, the Conservation Alliance has strongly opposed making the highway five lanes wide, given the impacts it would have on wildlife and community character. We believe that a single lane northbound, a single lane southbound, a center lane for left-hand turns, right turn pullouts where needed, and overpasses or underpasses for wildlife will be sufficient to address safety concerns, as well as be more consistent with our community’s character and desire to protect wildlife. Our public comments will be available by March 3 at www.jhalliance.org/library.htm#comments. You may submit written comments to the Wyoming Department of Transportation by March 9 via email at Hobackcomments@dot.state.wy.us. NORTH HIGHWAY 89 BIKE PATH -- Also recently released
is an environmental assessment of the planned bike
path from the Town of Jackson to the southern boundary
of Grand Teton National Park. There are three alternates
in this study: 1) all of the path is located on
the east side of the highway, 2) the path begins
in town on the east side, crosses under the highway
and continues on the west side, or 3) the path
crosses the highway via two underpasses and runs
on both the east and west sides. The path would
be closed to all use between Oct. 1 and April 31.
At first reading, there appear to be impacts to
birds of prey and to sage grouse. Contact Alliance
public lands director Louise Lasley at (307) 733-9417
or Louise@jhalliance.org if
you have questions. (The Alliance's written comments
are available via www.jhalliance.org/library.htm#comments.) PERMANENT STATUS SOUGHT FOR MELODY RANCH GRAVEL PIT -- Teton Board of County Commissioners, March 3, 9 a.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. As part of their annual review of the Melody Ranch gravel pit, commissioners are evaluating the status of its temporary permit. The pit was originally approved as a temporary site for work at the Melody Ranch subdivision, which now wants to make the pit permanent. Planning staff is recommending that the commissioners wait to discuss this designation until a new gravel study (last conducted in 1994) is completed. This study is supposed to make recommendations for appropriate sites for permanent designation; we’ll provide an update when it’s released. The Conservation Alliance has consistently not supported the Melody Ranch gravel pit site for permanent designation given the area's strong wildlife values. (UPDATE: At the March 3 meeting, the commissioners decided to postpone a vote regarding the Melody Ranch gravel pit to March 17, same time and location.) MORATORIUM ON BIG RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS EXTENDED -- On Feb. 17, after discussing that the Comprehensive Plan update process would probably take longer than originally thought, the Teton Board of County Commissioners voted to extend a moratorium on large residential subdivisions to Sept. 1. While our community figures out how to plan for responsible growth, this moratorium provides relief from development pressures that could otherwise compromise the process. (At the time of the moratorium’s adoption in May 2008, the county was facing upzone proposals that could have put about 1,000 more homes in South Park alone.) The freeze applies only to parcels larger than 20 acres, where it bans the use of planned unit developments for affordable housing, planned residential developments, and any zoning changes that would increase the number of homes from what is allowed by right. COUNTY OKAYS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS AMENDMENT -- Also on Feb. 17, county commissioners passed a text amendment to the land development regulations that requires the county to choose the consultants who conduct environmental assessments for intermediate and major development applications. (Developers are still required to pay for the studies.) Previously, developers hired and paid consultants to do assessments required for certain projects (such as those within the Natural Resource Overlay), which could lead to biased studies. This amendment is a step in the right direction to help avert potential conflicts of interest.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 7) Overview of public lands issues available online A brief recap of current public lands issues, ranging from management of the Bridger-Teton to legislation to protect the headwaters of the Snake River, is available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/PublicLands.3-09.pdf. For details on any public lands matters, please contact Louise Lasley at (307) 733-9417 or Louise@jhalliance.org. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 8) Wyoming’s wolves without new legislation On Feb. 11, the Wyoming House of Representatives defeated the last remaining wolf management bill (HB0032) by a 52 to 7 margin. This bill would have given the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission more management authority over wolves, but it still retained the dual classification system of “Trophy Game” and “Predator.” This means that Wyoming will stick with its existing wolf management plan, one very similar to that which spurred the current halt in delisting. Meanwhile, there’s been no action regarding the Obama administration’s review of a late attempt by the previous administration to again remove wolves from Endangered Species Act protection. (UPDATE: On March 6, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the federal government's decision to proceed with eliminating Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the northern Rockies, except for those in Wyoming. For details, please visit www.jhalliance.org/issueswolves.htm.) More information is also available at www.westernwolves.org, a new site focused on western wolf management sponsored by 17 conservation organizations including the Alliance. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 9) Coming Events Monday,
March 16: Presentation on Chronic Wasting Disease Tuesday, March 17: “NatureMapping” Forum Wednesday, March 18: Conservation Alliance Info
Lunch on Coyotes Wednesday, March 18: Meg & Bert
Raynes Wildlife Fund Kickoff Thursday, March 19: Staying Safe in Bear, Lion
and Wolf Country • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 10) Valley Echoes “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” - Edward Abbey
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alliance Action is a publication of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. The Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to responsible land stewardship in Jackson Hole to ensure that human activities are in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic, and other natural resources. We’re located at 685 South Cache Street in Jackson, Wyoming. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 2728, Jackson, WY 83001-2728 and our phone number is (307) 733-9417. If you received this through forwarding and would like to sign up for our monthly Alliance Action, please visit www.jhalliance.org/signup.htm. However, if you no longer wish to receive this e-newsletter, please send a note saying you’d like us to remove your email address from our list to: allianceaction@jhalliance.org. |
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