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1) Elected
officials weigh in on the Comp Plan update
1) Elected officials weigh in on the Comp Plan update In a positive step, elected officials provided their first formal joint input on the Comp Plan update process at a meeting of the Teton Board of County Commissioners and the Jackson Town Council on Aug. 25. The electeds decided to continue their discussion on Sept. 8, 3 to 5 p.m., County commissioners' chambers, 200 S. Willow. Please consider attending and showing your support for a Comp Plan that keeps Jackson Hole wild and beautiful. At the Sept. 8 meeting, the commissioners and councilors will likely discuss a revised timeline for the next drafts of the Comp Plan, including future land use maps, and "themes and policies." We'll keep you posted at www.jhalliance.org/issuescompplan.org. (UPDATE: The Sept. 8 meeting raised more questions than answers, and town and county electeds decided they should meet monthly specifically to discuss Comp Plan issues and timelines. They scheduled the first of these meetings for Sept. 29, 3 p.m., County commissioners' chambers, 200 S. Willow.) If you’d like to be kept current more often than once a month, please write Conservation Alliance community planning director Kristy Bruner at Kristy@jhalliance.org and ask to be added to our Comp Plan email list. The deadline for online comments on the first draft of the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan was July 31, but general comments are still being accepted throughout the update process, and we urge you to stay involved. For a list of people to share your comments with, please visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/CompPlanContacts.6-08.pdf. The Conservation Alliance’s full comments
on the first draft are available at: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 2) Discussions continue on planned mixed-use development tool Earlier this summer, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance called for a temporary and immediate moratorium on the planned mixed-use development tool in the Town of Jackson. We’ve become increasingly concerned about the PMD’s strong influence on the nature of redevelopment in Jackson. It’s clear that the PMD tool facilitates large-scale developments that are inconsistent with both our current Comprehensive Plan and the community’s preferences recently voiced during the Comp Plan update process. While our call for a moratorium was unsuccessful, officials did acknowledge that both the Town Planning Commission and Town Council should discuss ways that the PMD tool can be modified to make sure it’s working effectively and that it provides more community benefit. Fortunately, planning commissioners began this discussion on Aug. 20 and are set to continue on Sept.3, 5:30 p.m., Town Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. If any hearings are scheduled for amendments to the PMD, we’ll post the information. (UPDATE: A town workshop on the planned mixed-use development tool has been tentatively scheduled for Oct. 6, 1 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl.) For additional info on PMDs and moratoriums
in general, please visit: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 3) Changes sought for planned unit development for affordable housing zoning district On Aug. 25, the Teton County Planning Commission voted 4-0 to deny a text amendment proposed by former Jackson planning director Brian Grubb to revise the PUD-AH zoning district. (The amendment proposed restricting the density of PUD-AHs to 125 percent of the density of surrounding neighborhoods, and to 150 percent of the density permitted by right, and the denial was primarily due to these specific caps.) However, the planning commissioners said they recognized the shortfalls of the PUD-AH tool, and unanimously passed a non-binding resolution to send a message to county commissioners and planning staff that they should start working to improve the tool. They recommended that developers of PUD-AHs be required to provide 100 percent affordable housing, versus the current requirement of 50 percent. (According to the Teton County Housing Authority, 40 to 60 percent of the homes in new developments need to be affordable just to keep up with housing needs associated with new growth. In other words, a PUD-AH that only provides 50 percent affordable housing really isn’t providing any net gain in affordable housing units.) The planning commissioners also said they want county commissioners to decide on a density bonus cap for PUD-AHs (currently there isn’t one), and to decide in which areas of the county PUD-AHs will be allowed (right now, location isn’t restricted). The PUD-AH amendment is now scheduled to go before the Teton Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23, 9 a.m., County commissioners’ chambers, 200 S. Willow. A county moratorium on new residential subdivisions and zone changes on parcels larger than 20 acres is set to expire at the end of December, so it’s important to act before then to make the PUD-AH tool better. Please voice your support of the above recommendations to the people listed at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/CompPlanContacts.6-08.pdf. Information on other current issues related to affordable housing, such as fees-in-lieu and condo conversions, is available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/LocalDevUpdate.Fall08.pdf. Also, a town workshop regarding its policies on converting apartments to condominiums has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 22, 3 to 5 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. (UPDATE: This workshop has been postponed till Oct. 3, same time and location.) Visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/AffordableHousing.2-08.pdf to find out more about other affordable housing strategies for our community, or contact Kristy Bruner at (307) 733-9417 or Kristy@jhalliance.org.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 4) Environmental assessment amendment leads other county and town news In addition to the above items, the Conservation Alliance is monitoring several other town and county private-lands matters. Here’s a brief roundup; however, please note that all meetings are subject to change. Please call Teton County at (307) 733-8094 or 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. TEXT AMENDMENT REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS -- On Aug. 26, Teton County commissioners began discussing a proposed text amendment to the land development regulations that would require the county to hire the consultants who conduct environmental assessments on properties. (Developers would still pay for the required studies.) In order to work out some of the technical aspects of the amendment, a workshop with planners is scheduled for Sept. 22, 10:45 a.m., County commissioners' chambers, 200 S. Willow. Commissioners are likely to vote on the amendment at their Oct. 7 meeting. Currently, developers hire and pay consultants to do assessments required for certain developments, such as those within the Natural Resource Overlay. This amendment, which would make Teton County the entity responsible for hiring consultants, would avert potential conflicts of interest. To date, it appears this change would only apply to major development proposals. The Conservation Alliance strongly supports a change in policy that would require such consultants to be hired by Teton County rather than the developer. HOUSING PROPOSED AT “Y” INTERSECTION -- On Aug. 20, town planning commissioners were not receptive to a proposal for a 92-unit residential development close to the northeast corner of the Broadway-Hwy. 22 intersection (where the concrete ready-mix plant was). The bulk and scale of the proposed development, along with traffic concerns, led commissioners to continue the item indefinitely. Stay tuned for rescheduling info. WILSON COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT -- On Aug. 5, Teton County commissioners voted to approve a commercial zoning district for Wilson, with minor modifications to their staff’s proposal. After a lengthy process in which the county first set out to establish a “mixed-use” district over a larger area around Wilson, commissioners voted to approve a commercial district unique to Wilson. For details, visit www.tetonwyo.org/plan/pdplan and click on “Link to Wilson Planning Page” in the Announcements box. HOBACK HIGHWAY RECONSTRUCTION -- Design work continues on the reconstruction of Highways 26/89 and 189/191 at Hoback Junction. You’re invited to give comments on the design of the roundabout, pathways, and access points to businesses and homes in the area on Sept. 3, 9 a.m., at the Wyoming Department of Transportation complex south of Jackson. The next segment to be rebuilt is the section between Hoback Junction and Jackson, and it’s currently undergoing an environmental analysis. Due to budget shortfalls, WYDOT has taken the plans for reconstruction of the section of highway east of Hoback Junction off its project calendar.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 5) Pinedale Bureau of Land Management plan still needs work The long-awaited final environmental analysis for the BLM’s Pinedale resource management plan was posted on Aug. 22 at www.blm.gov/rmp/wy/pinedale/documents.html. The plan sets the course for managing more than a million acres of public land in the Upper Green River Valley southeast of Jackson Hole for the next 10 to 15 years. (The draft EIS was released in February of 2007 and generated more than 100,000 letters, most of which cited concerns about energy development.) Although it’s an improvement from previous drafts, this final master plan that mainly addresses energy development in Sublette and Lincoln counties still doesn’t protect important habitat for fish and wildlife. There is now a 30-day period to allow people, organizations and agencies that have made scoping and/or draft EIS comments to add further comments on the final version of the plan. To find out more, visit www.uppergreen.org. Updates on a wide range of other current issues regarding public lands in and around Jackson Hole are available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/PublicLandsUpdates.Fall08.pdf. Additional information on efforts to protect the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton National Forest from energy development is also available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/WyoRange.9-08.pdf. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 6) New Bush administration regulations weaken Endangered Species Act In August, the Bush administration proposed changes to Endangered Species Act regulations that would allow federal agencies to decide without independent scientific reviews if projects might harm endangered animals and plants. (The proposed changes would also prohibit the agencies from considering the impacts of global warming on wildlife.) Under the new regulations, federal agencies would no longer have to seek U.S. Fish and Wildlife input during reviews of proposed projects that might harm wildlife. Instead, they would be allowed to rely only on the opinions of in-house biologists, leaving the door wide open to potential conflicts of interest. You can view and comment on the proposed changes
via this website: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 7) Summer/Fall Alliance News now available online The Summer/Fall 2008 Alliance News magazine is now available online at www.jhalliance.org/library.htm. (Just click on the cover photo of the Karns Meadow foxes.) Along with updates on many issues, it includes an informative special section on what we can all do to help sustain Jackson Hole. 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) 8) Volunteer for Old Bill’s Fun Run! Volunteers to help out along the route are needed for this year’s Fun Run, Sept. 13. Please sign up by emailing Lisa Vogelheim at Lisa@jhalliance.org. (More information about this annual fundraiser for Jackson Hole nonprofits is available at www.oldbills.org.) Even if you can’t volunteer, you can still support the work of the Alliance by donating through Old Bill’s Fun Run before Sept. 20. Just write a check to The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, P.O. Box 574, Jackson, WY 83001, with a note directing the donation to the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. The first $25,000 donated will be matched. Call Lisa at (307) 733-9417 for details.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 9) Addie’s Trunk Show, Beth McIntosh concert kick off fall events For more information about any of the following events, please call (307) 733-9417 or email info@jhalliance.org. (A map to our office is available at www.jhalliance.org/contact.htm.) Addie's
Benefit Trunk Show and Sale Beth McIntosh in Concert Grand Teton Western & Wildlife
Arts Show Old Bill's Fun Run Info Lunch on Sage Grouse Wild & Scenic Environmental
Film Festival • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 10) Valley Echoes “Let ours be a time remembered
for the awakening of a new reverence for life, - The Earth Charter
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alliance Action is a publication of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is dedicated to responsible land stewardship in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to ensure that human activities are in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic, and other natural resources. The Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. (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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