For the week of April 10 - 16 , 2002

Weigh in on 
Ketchum housing

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Ketchum is set to consider a resident-driven proposal to develop and manage an affordable housing development on the corner of Sixth and Leadville.

It may be an idea whose time has come, but pursuing it will require the city to set aside its historic aversion to going into the housing business and pursuing voter approval for revenue bonds to do it.

What the city will do may depend on what it hears from the public. The city has scheduled a public hearing on the suitability of housing on the site on Tuesday, April 16, 5:30 p.m., at City Hall.

A parking lot now sits on the city-owned property, which is adjacent to Ketchum’s busiest blocks.

During discussions of the Town Center development on Main Street, Ketchum resident Tom Held and Sun Valley resident Milton Adam proposed a structure that would combine parking with residential units.

They said the city should expand parking in an area that is sometimes congested and develop affordable community housing as well. They pointed out that the site would be a good one for housing because it fronts on a piece of property recently donated to the city for a small park.

They projected that with rent and parking revenue, the project would pay for itself. That’s worth exploring.

The City Council wants to know what others think. The public should weigh in at this early hearing to help the city come up with workable policies for the future.

 

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