P&Z may overhaul of draft plan

An explosive yet poised public was not happy with a portion of Ketchum’s pending comprehensive plan to rezone the community core of Ketchum, and structural problems with the pending plan were addressed on Dec. 1.

Idaho Mountain Express publisher Pam Morris asserted that the pending plan is very confusing, while past comprehensive plans were simpler and easier to understand.

She said that according to Idaho law, the current comprehensive plan is required to consider population, economics, land use, natural resources, natural hazards and recreation. The current plan dodges those important issues, she said.

"Idaho code is not an arbitrary list," Morris said. "Revisions (to this pending plan) are absolutely necessary."

Pam Ritzau also contended that the pending plan is substandard.

"We’re trying to follow something that is very disorganized," she said. "You should try basing new ideas on the 1983 plan, which had good organization."

Commissioner Kyle Kunz also said the 1983 plan was well organized.

"I have always liked the format of the ’83 plan based on its policy goal implementation," he said. "If we could follow the ’83 plan while considering what is said in this one, a better product might be the result."

The P&Z concluded its discussion on the plan’s organization by deciding that it will continue with the current schedule of comp plan hearings. It will then rewrite the plan in the 1983 format using the draft authored by consultant Carl Nellis combined with the public’s input to date. The plan will then have another go around of public hearings.

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The pending comp plan proposes that lots on the fringe of the existing community core be rezoned for lower densities and smaller floor-areas.

The plan says this would encourage residential development outside a more concentrated commercial core that would include buildings up to 50-feet high. The existing height limit is 35 feet.

The public and the commission were not in favor of the reduction in the floor areas of buildings in the fringe area. Some also did not favor increased building height in the core.

"I am in favor of the current zoning of the community core," said Ketchum resident Wes Nash. "To amend the core in any way should have to be justifiable for more than just the idea of housing needs."

Nash and others felt that the current zoning of the community core had created a workable commercial zone.

The public felt that downtown areas need to be dense both in commercial and residential areas.

The commissioners agreed deeming the proposed zoning changes unnecessary.

Zoning parameters should remain the same, said commissioner Susan Scovell.

However, Scovell said increased building height could contribute to gaining density in the core and to better building design. The current 35-foot limit forces the design of uninteresting, box-like buildings, she said.