Council, residents support smaller scale buildings
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
Local residents packed Ketchum City Hall on Monday night to comment on
proposed new design review regulations for downtown buildings, but unlike a previous
hearing before the city council two weeks ago, residents favoring smaller buildings
dominated the discussion.
Of the more than 30 people who offered comments, nearly all supported the
proposed ordinances intent to limit building sizes.
"This is a veritable love fest here," said Ketchum resident Nick
Cox. "No one is objecting to anything. Theyre loving it."
The proposed changes to Ketchums downtown zoning code seek to reduce
the perceived mass of new buildings by adding more design criteria and to dictate their
actual mass using a planning tool called floor area ratios (FARs), which measure a
buildings floor area relative to lot size. Council members opened the meeting by
stating they support a base floor area ratio (FAR) of 1.4, which is what the city has been
using, bonuses aside, since 1984 when the current design review ordinance was adopted. The
Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended the council adopt a base FAR of
1.3, but council members said that 1.4 works as long as the existing ordinances
bonus system is not reinstated.
Those bonuses allowed developers to build up to a 2.0 FAR in exchange for
providing affordable housing or underground parking.
During a hearing two weeks ago, about two dozen developers and downtown
business owners objected to any decrease in the maximum allowed FAR of 2.0.
"Im not willing to compromise the sense of community, the size
of the buildings, for short-term economic gains," Councilman Randy Hall said at
Monday nights meeting. "The long-term investment for our community is in
smaller-scale buildings."
The issue of offering higher FARs to developers who provide affordable
housing appears to have been set aside for the time being, as council members said they
should first adopt a firm base number.
"We have to do something in the near term that will become somewhat
permanent," Councilman David Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson advocated FAR bonuses of between .3 and .35 for developers who
provide affordable housing, but said its an issue the council can revisit once a
base FAR is adopted.
Nearly everyone who spoke Monday, some developers included, said a base
FAR of 1.4 is satisfactory.
The years-old debate on affordable housing continued, however, and
Councilman Maurice Charlat was first to offer a firm opinion.
"Im not sure [FAR bonuses] will do any good in solving what I
consider a rampant and insidious problem that will affect every business and resident in
this town," Charlat said. "We have to approach it from an entirely different
fork in the road. I dont think affordable housing tied to building size is going to
get us anything."
About half of the residents who commented agreed with Charlat. The other
half said affordable housing must be achieved in any way possible, including using FAR
bonuses in conjunction with downtown development.
Ketchum P&Z Commissioner Baird Gourlay, also a local ski shop owner,
told the council it should consider all possible means of creating affordable housing.
"We are a resort town, and there are two things you have to have in a
resort towntourists and workers. And currently we are losing beds for both of those
groups," he said. "Youve got to start somewhere. Dont let it pass
you by, saying that theres got to be some other forum. This is the forum."
Council adopts design regs
The Ketchum City Council and several planning and zoning commission
members convened yesterday morning, following a public hearing Monday night, to continue
discussions on floor area ratios (FARs) and several other provisions of proposed building
standards for the citys downtown.
The council unanimously voted to change the wording of a proposed design
review ordinance to reduce maximum heights for flat-roofed buildings to 38.5 feet,
including parapets, from a previously proposed 40 feet.
"I know what 40-foot flat top looks like and so does the town and
they hate it," Councilman Dave Hutchinson said.
The council also decided to include square footage in stairwells and
elevator towers only on first floors in figuring total FARs, as has been done in the past.
That decision contradicts a decision by the P&Z, which had recommended
counting square footage on each floor in stairwells and elevator shafts toward a
buildings total FAR.
The council approved the changes subject to any reconsideration of council
members prior to Friday, which is the deadline the council has set to pass the building
heights and FAR sections of the Community City Core Design Review Ordinance. An interim
ordinance addressing those subjects expires Oct. 29, and the new ordinance is not
considered legal until published in the newspapers a week from today.
The design review section of the ordinance will be discussed at a city
council meeting on Nov. 1.