JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — A public-private partnership housing project is cleared to break ground in 2022.
Jackson Street Apartments will create 57 rental units, all 100% deed-restricted affordable (75%) and available to the workforce (25%). They break down as nine 1-bedroom units, forty-one 2-bedroom units, and seven 3-bedroom units. The project should be ready to come online in 2024.
The 10-lot project, immediately south of the Snake River Brew Pub, had to clear a couple of hurdles at a council meeting this week on the way to the finish line. As presented, the apartment complex is underparked (according to town regs) and would violate street setback rules by nature of its maximization of lot space.
The land and the development is made possible by a public-private partnership between the Cumming Foundation (Ian and Annette Cumming) and Teton County to build affordable housing.
Councilmember Arne Jorgensen and Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson both expressed a desire to have a denser product with more units.
Councilman Jim Rooks says he was concerned about parking.
“Regarding the parking—112 bedrooms with 59 parking spots—it all sounds good unless you live next door. We are obviously short. The on-street parking will be overflowing into other neighborhoods.”
Councilwoman Jessica Sell Chambers says Jackson has been designed for cars since their first arrival to the valley. It was time to begin thinking about a different approach.
“We have got to draw the line somewhere. We have planned our community for cars, and as long as we continue that we are going to have more and more cars, and more and more traffic,” Sell Chambers said. “With the housing climate we have now, if you have housing and a limit of one parking space, I think that is something people will get used to over time, or find somewhere else to live. I think this is a great project to reflect that and make an example of that.”
Additional extemporaneous concerns includes trees, deer, and light pollution. Jorgensen lamented the loss of spruce trees on the project. They are simply too cumbersome for what Jorgensen dubbed an “urban environment.” Jorgensen also admitted current regulations leave consideration for wildlife permeability “woefully inadequate” and no mention was made on this project about how deer would navigate their way around or through it.
Rooks was given assurance light design was taking into account dark skies at night and other initiates to reduce light pollution.
Mayor Morton Levinson thanked Housing director April Norton for her work on the development and expressed her excitement at seeing it completed soon.
“When I get stressed out about the state of the world or the state of the town, I think of things like this and individuals who have made donations like this,” Morton Levinson said. “April [Norton], your team has been working so hard for the community to make this an excellent project moving forward. I can’t say how excited I am about this. I would have liked to see more units but I’m glad to see where we are with this at this point.”
