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1) Alliance
hosts talks on tools for shifting development
potential Oct. 6 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1) Alliance hosts talks on tools for shifting development potential Oct. 6 The recently approved policies section of the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan says that to protect our wildlife and scenery, we should move development potential from rural, sensitive areas to places in the county that are already developed. This would help preserve the valley’s remaining open spaces, which provide vistas and important wildlife habitat, while encouraging any new development to occur in areas that already have infrastructure to support it. In a recent interview with the Alliance, Teton County Planning Director Jeff Daugherty explained, "The Comprehensive Plan talks about rural areas and complete neighborhoods, and one of the exciting parts about this plan is it sets this really challenging goal of trying to divert 60 percent of the future development potential into these complete neighborhoods and out of the rural areas, which comprise the most important wildlife habitat. So instead of continuing a sprawling development pattern, what we want to do is see a shift, and that's the challenging but exciting aspect of this new plan." However, the Comp Plan hasn't addressed how to actually accomplish this goal yet. That's why the Alliance is bringing leading planning consultant Mark White to the valley to share his expertise on tools to shift development patterns that other communities have used successfully – and that could be used here, too. White will be in Jackson on Oct. 6 for a 2 p.m. technical meeting with town and county elected officials, planning commissioners and planning staff, as well as interested members of the public, followed by an additional public forum at 6 p.m. Both presentations will take place in the County Commissioners chambers at 200 S. Willow. White will provide an overview of available mechanisms to shift development potential, along with a more detailed exploration and recommendation of the most promising options for Teton County. For more information about his presentations, click here. (UPDATE: Click here for the 4.6 mb PDF of Mark White's Oct. 6 Powerpoint presentation on tools that could be used to shift development patterns in Teton County, and click here for a short written summary. Click here for the Alliance's Oct. 21 letter to decision makers urging them to begin work NOW on such tools.) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 2) Get ready for more Comp Plan character district meetings this month The Comprehensive Plan’s policies were approved this past June, and now the second half of the plan – the Character District Maps – are on the table for discussion and review. According to Teton County Planning Director Jeff Daugherty, "The character district element shows the community how you apply those policies from the first element [the policies section] to the ground within specific geographic areas within the community." Planning staff has designated 15 such character districts throughout Jackson and Teton County. (A character district is essentially an area with shared characteristics with a line drawn around the edges of it.) In late September, planners held two public workshops on first drafts of these maps for people to help determine what the existing characteristics of each district are, and to say whether they thought each district should be considered "rural" (i.e., not suitable for new development) or a "complete neighborhood," where new development would be appropriate. The planners say they'll incorporate comments from those workshops in their second draft of the maps. The next step in the official process will be a series of neighborhood meetings on Oct. 27, 28, 29, 31 and Nov. 1, when planners will ask citizens to help decide what each character district should look like in the future, and to figure out whether the maps are reflective of the community’s vision and the Comp Plan’s policies. (Click here or visit www.jacksontetonplan.com for all the times and locations of these meetings.) In Daugherty's words, public involvement at that stage will be crucial "because this is the predictability that the community's been asking for." "This is the big step that the 1978 and the 1994 Comprehensive Plans didn't have – mapping, definitions of each area, talking about what the future needs to look like within each area," he said in a recent interview with the Alliance. "The reason this is important, and the reason that people should show up, is because this effort – these character districts – will form the basis of the zoning map and eventually the land development regulations, which are how you put your policies into effect." To help people prepare for this critical stage, the Alliance is coordinating informational meetings throughout the valley in mid-October. These include a gathering at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 at River Rock Lodge in South Park, one at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Elevated Grounds Coffeehouse at the Westbank Center between Teton Pines and the Aspens, one at 6 p.m. on Oct. 18 in the Molesworth Cabin for residents of Indian Springs, Indian Trails and the Cottonwood area, and one from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the new Wilson Elementary School cafeteria. There's also a special workshop from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the Wort Hotel for business owners who want to find out how future zoning may affect them. Please contact Becky Tillson at Rebecca@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417 to find out about additional meetings, or if you're interested in hosting one in your neighborhood. (UPDATE: Please click here for a summary of the Alliance's October neighborhood discussions, and for key points to consider making in your comments during the Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 character district workshops.) We strongly encourage everyone to attend these meetings. This is a crucial time to join the conversation because decisions that we make now will largely determine the future direction of our community. Every voice is important in this next phase as the Comp Plan policies are translated into maps that will guide growth, development and conservation in the valley for years to come. Even if you haven't been involved, or if you have been but stopped, now is the time get engaged. This is your community, and your voice matters. As always, the Alliance believes that decisions about the location, type and amount of development should be informed by the best available science, as well as by meaningful community input, and we'll continue to work toward that goal. Click here for our recent guest editorial on this topic that ran in the Oct. 5 Jackson Hole News&Guide. For links to all of our comments about the Comp Plan revision to date, please click here. Links to our ongoing "Comp Plan Uncomplicated" radio shows are available by clicking here. You can also refer to the official Comp Plan website, www.jacksontetonplan.com, for much more information. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 3) New pathway next to Elk Refuge closes Oct. 1 to protect wildlife People may wonder why the new pathway north of Jackson along the National Elk Refuge is closed starting Oct. 1st. There are several good reasons. Mainly, the seasonal closure from Oct. 1 through April 30 is to limit potential conflicts between pathway users and migrating elk in the fall, and to limit disturbance to elk and other wildlife during the winter and early spring, when they're most vulnerable. Elk start moving across North Hwy. 89 to the refuge as early as Oct. 1st, and pathway users could cause them to run back onto the road, endangering themselves and motorists. Also, closing the pathway, which is built on National Elk Refuge property, ensures that the refuge's mission of "wildlife first" is respected, and the closure is part of the agreement between NER and Teton County that allowed the pathway to be built. Studies are underway to evaluate the possible impacts of pathway use on wildlife, and this will help our community make future decisions about managing it. Click here for more information about the closure, and here for a Sept. 28 Jackson Hole News&Guide story that illustrates some of the need for understanding surrounding this issue. Please also plan to attend the Alliance's info lunch at noon on Oct. 19, when Brian Schilling, pathways coordinator for Teton County and the Town of Jackson, and Steve Kallin, manager of the National Elk Refuge, will present the reasons behind the closure in more detail. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 4) Update on reconstruction of Jackson South Hwy. 89, safe wildlife crossings Officials with the Wyoming Department of Transportation recently confirmed that they intend to work with the Alliance and others to determine how to best incorporate safe wildlife crossings in the coming reconstruction of Jackson South Hwy. 89. On August 16, WYDOT issued a record of decision that allows the agency to move ahead with its plans to expand more than six miles of the highway from two to five lanes between South Park Loop Road and Horse Creek Road, just north of Hoback Junction. Although the Alliance believes this expansion is excessive (click here for our reasons), and has asked WYDOT to reconsider it (click here for our Aug. 15 letter requesting a supplemental analysis for the project), we appreciate that agency officials are willing to work with the community to mitigate the likely effects of the expanded road on wildlife. In September, WYDOT engineers attended several presentations on the results of a Western Transportation Institute study contracted by the Alliance regarding which measures to reduce road kills will work best for Jackson South and two other local highways slated for expansion – Hwy. 22 from Jackson to Wilson and Hwy. 390 to Teton Village. The Jackson South project probably won't break ground until 2015 or later due to declines in federal funding. But meanwhile, the engineers have pledged to work with wildlife advocates and a committee made up of valley officials and residents as they design the road to make it as safe as possible for both motorists and wildlife. Please stay posted for more on this issue as it progresses, and contact Alliance Program Director Louise Lasley at Louise@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417 for more information. We'll publish the final draft of Western Transportation Institute's recommendations on our website as soon as it becomes available in November. (UPDATE: The final version of the wildlife crossings study, titled "Highway Mitigation Opportunities for Wildlife in Jackson Hole," is now available – click here to download the 8.8 mb PDF, and click here for some background information about it.) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 5) Other community planning news In addition to the above items, the Alliance keeps track of many other town and county planning issues. Here’s a partial roundup, but please bear in mind that all meetings are subject to change. Call the Town of Jackson at (307) 733-3932, Teton County at (307) 733-8094, or reach Becky Tillson at Rebecca@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417 for confirmation. Also, this list isn’t exhaustive, since many meeting agendas aren’t finalized until shortly before the meetings take place. Check back or visit www.ci.jackson.wy.us and www.tetonwyo.org for updates. If you’d like to comment on any of these items, contact information for all local public officials is available at www.jhalliance.org/takeactioncontacts.htm. Oct. 3: Jackson Town Council and Teton Board of County Commissioners joint information meeting, 3 p.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. On deck for this meeting are a presentation on lowering speed limits in Grand Teton National Park by Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, and a discussion about a request for proposals for a county vegetation mapping project. The Natural Resources Technical Advisory Board drafted the RFP for review by the elected officials, who seem supportive of the idea. A vegetation map could serve as a basis for an updated Natural Resources Overlay, and this data could inform decisions about protecting our wildlife and natural resources, but it's uncertain how such a project could be funded. Click here for the meeting's full agenda and related documents. Oct. 3 & 17: Jackson Town Council regular meetings, 6 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. Click here for the agenda for the Oct. 3 meeting, which includes discussion of a final development plan for a parking lot that's replacing the downtown Sundance Motel, which was demolished at the end of September. The agenda for the Oct. 17 meeting should be available shortly before that date via the town website, www.ci.jackson.wy.us. (Click on "Meeting Agendas" under the "Jackson Government" heading.) Oct. 4 & 18: Teton Board of County Commissioners regular meetings, 9 a.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. On Oct. 4, the commissioners are scheduled to consider a final development plan for a three-lot subdivision on East Zenith Road near the Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club. The Alliance has expressed concern about proposed fencing on the site, and will continue to monitor the project to ensure that fences there will not impede wildlife movement. Click here for the full agenda. Check www.tetonwyo.org/minutes closer to Oct. 18 for a link to that meeting's agenda. Oct. 10: The deadline to apply for a seat on the Teton County Planning Commission that's expected to open up in January is 4 p.m. on Oct. 10. Anyone interested in the volunteer position should drop off an application to Deputy County Clerk Sandy Birdyshaw at 200 S. Willow. Click here for details. Oct. 10 & 24: Teton County Planning Commission regular meetings, 6 p.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. The Oct. 10 agenda includes a request for approval to permit the use of recreational park trailers at Buffalo Valley RV Resort; click here for the full slate. The Oct. 24 agenda should be available closer to that date at www.tetonwyo.org/minutes. Oct. 19: Jackson Planning Commission meeting, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. The agenda for this meeting should be available shortly before Oct. 19 via the town website, www.ci.jackson.wy.us. (Click on "Meeting Agendas" under the "Jackson Government" heading.) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 6) New air-quality monitoring station installed in Kelly Grand Teton National Park recently installed an air-quality monitoring station at Teton Science Schools' Kelly Campus, and collection of data on local levels of ozone, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants started at the end of September. The Environmental Protection Agency has classified Teton Park as a Class I airshed, earning it the highest degree of protection. Before this fall, the nearest official air quality and visibility data for the park and Jackson Hole came from stations at Yellowstone Lake and Pinedale. Now, this monitoring station much closer to home will provide scientific evidence for assessing risks to park resources and to the health of Teton County residents, including risks that may be attributable in part to regional energy development. Key partners on the new station include the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, National Park Service Air Resources Division, Teton Science Schools and Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Visit www.wyvisnet.com for a link to the data and images being collected. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 7) Still no decisions on relocation of Bridger-Teton headquarters, sale of public lands In late September, media reports indicated that regional U.S. Forest Service managers were nearing a final decision on whether the Bridger-Teton National Forest supervisor's office would be moved out of Jackson, but so far there's been no word. The Sept. 21 Jackson Hole News&Guide reported that Bridger-Teton Supervisor Jacque Buchanan expected the decision to either keep the headquarters at its current location on North Cache or move it to Alpine would be made on Sept. 26. The same article quoted Buchanan as saying that the proposed sale of part of the Lee Administrative Site near the base of Teton Pass (meant to help fund reconstruction of the headquarters) is likely off the table: "I have not withdrawn it yet. [But] we've gotten a preponderance of feedback to indicate that may not be what the taxpayers want." Local efforts to keep the supervisor's office in Jackson – and to keep public lands in public hands – continue. Click here for a link to the News&Guide's Sept. 28 story that gives some details; contact Alliance Program Director Louise Lasley at Louise@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417 for additional information. Background on this issue is available by clicking here; please check back for updates. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 8) Coming Events Mid-October Tuesday, Oct. 4 Tuesday, Oct. 4 Thursday, Oct. 6 Tuesday, Oct. 11 Wednesday, Oct. 12 Monday, Oct. 17 Tuesday, Oct. 18 (THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED
TO OCT. 25) Tuesday, Oct. 18 Wednesday, Oct. 19 Wednesday, Oct. 19 Monday, Oct. 24 Tuesday, Oct. 25 (This event was previously scheduled
for Oct. 18) Thursday, Oct. 27, through Tuesday, Nov. 1 Monday, Nov. 7 Thursday, Dec. 8 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 9) Valley Voices “May the rain wash away your worries. May
the breeze blow new strength into your being. – Apache Blessing • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 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'd like to sign up to receive our monthly Alliance Action via email, please click here. |
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