A new group enters the Northern South Park conversation

Posted January 28, 2022 in Planning 1172 0 0

Last week, Teton County staff and consultant group Opticos presented the long-awaited draft plan to Northern South Park (NSP) the Steering Committee. Plus there was a surprise from the Gill family. Here’s the breakdown of what we heard:

Opticos/ County Staff Plan update

The NSP steering committee released a proposal for Phase 1 of the development which includes 77 out of the 225 total acres in NSP, leaving the remaining acreage for a separate phase of development. On the 77 acres, 1200 new housing units are envisioned; 30% of the units will be workforce, 40% of the units will be affordable, and 30% free market. This draft has the highest density proposed yet. Previously, alternative C proposed 2381 units on 225 acres (10.5 units per acre), versus 1200 units on 77 acres (15 units per acre). This is roughly 50% denser than the highest density previously proposed. The increased density was proposed to decrease the price of the individual units. The 98 units, zoned suburban, will also be included in this Phase 1 (see the figures below). This proposal also suggests that the highest density should be placed in the northernmost corner of Northern South Park, along High School Road and adjacent to Jackson High School. The figures below provide a visual breakdown.

Figure 1: The left side showcases the already zoned 98 suburban units. The right side provides a breakdown of the 1200 units by type: Affordable, Workforce, and Unrestricted units. Figure 1 is taken from Opticos/ county staff draft plan.

Figure 2: These three tables provide more detailed information on the building type, unit size, and lot size. Figure 2 is taken from Opticos/ county staff draft plan.

Below is a picture of the proposed Phase 1 development. A large portion of the originally proposed area is being left for a future phase of development.  

Figure 3: This diagram shows 77-acre Phase 1 area and the other 148 acres left for future zoning. Figure 3 is taken from Opticos/ county staff draft plan.

A final draft will be compiled in the next few weeks.

The New Information from the Gill Family

Unexpected news came from Nikki Gill who announced that her family would donate 45 acres of land to the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) in exchange for the County allowing them to relocate their existing suburban lots to the south. It was estimated that 300 units of housing would be created on this parcel, but no details were provided. A workshop with County Commissioners will happen on February 7. TPL will work through a pre-zoning process with Teton County and the landowners. After the County adopts a neighborhood plan with buy-in from the Gills and neighboring landowners, TPL would receive the land and the formal development process would begin.