NOT the location for an event of this size!
Fire in the Mountains is an outdoor, 3-day long heavy metal concert with camping to be held every other year in July. The concert is proposed at the remote Heart 6 Ranch in Buffalo Valley. The Wild and Scenic Buffalo River runs through the proposed event site, and it is in Teton County’s Natural and Scenic Resource Overlays. It is also adjacent to Grand Teton National Park, the Gros Ventre Wilderness and the Teton Wilderness.
The request is for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for an outdoor reception, a Variance to the river setback and a Variance to noise restrictions. The applicant requests to host at least 500 people per day for 3 days, a specific maximum number is NOT proposed. The estimated maximum attendance would be limited by parking (1,898 spaces) and the person per vehicle (2.7) average from the previous years’ concerts resulting in 3,500 attendees at the event per day. This estimate could be higher given the proposal to also shuttle ticket holders from surrounding accommodations.
BUFFALO VALLEY AND THE HEART 6 RANCH ARE NOT THE LOCATION FOR AN EVENT OF THIS SIZE.
THE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE IS OPPOSED!!
Per the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) all guest ranches in the county are capped at 75 guests per day depending on the acreage of the ranch. Permitting this event in this location opens the potential for having events of this size at the many other guest ranches in Teton County, all of which are located in remote, environmentally sensitive areas.
Allowing the CUP for an amplified event of this size is contradictory to the intention of the guest ranch regulations and to the community character of Buffalo Valley as described in the Comprehensive Plan. Section 6.1.3 of the LDRs allows for outdoor receptions at guest ranches for the guests of the ranch and caps attendance at 75. This regulation makes it abundantly clear that events of this size were not contemplated for guest ranches in Teton County. The Comprehensive Plan describes Buffalo Valley as an area for preservation and the scale of development should be rural in character and consistent with the historic agricultural community. An event with the potential for hosting thousands of people does not fit in with the character of this district.
