Hotel plans
submitted for downtown Ketchum
P&Z focuses on
height
By GREG
STAHL
Express Staff Writer
An 81-room,
high-end hotel could be in the works for downtown Ketchum, at the Bald
Mountain Lodge site on Main Street.
Ketchum
Lawyer Brian Barsotti, who owns the site, explained hotel plans Monday
night to the Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission, which responded
favorably to the complex proposal. Barsotti’s plans slate a
84,300-square-foot full-service hotel that towers 49 feet above the ground
at its highest roof line. A proposed clock tower would be 65 feet high.
"The
basic plan takes the shape of an ‘H’, and the reason for that is to
present less of the building to Main Street," the project’s
architect, Larry Stricker, said.
Several
conditions could make or break the project, Barsotti said.
The 49-foot
height, which is nine feet above the city’s limit for pitched roofs,
will add to the project’s feel, Barsotti said.
"It
really needs a pitched roof," he said. "The building needs to be
an attractive building that’s not only good for us in terms of
attracting people, but good for the city, too."
Another
make-or-break issue, Barsotti said, is a request that the city pay for
burying power lines along River Street.
Both issues
would be handled under a planned unit development agreement, which enables
the city to negotiate its ordinances in return for something it wants.
Previously, for example, the city allowed extra height at Thunder Spring
in exchange for recreation benefits, open space and employee housing.
In this
case, the city would trade height and the cost of burying power lines for
a downtown hotel.
"We’ve
heard a lot of talk that the city of Ketchum wants to see a hotel,"
Barsotti said. "Well, we’re going to find out how badly it wants a
hotel."
Monday’s
hearing was a very preliminary step in what could become a drawn-out
process. PUD requests must be considered by the P&Z and approved or
denied by the city council. That process is unrelated to design review
proceedings, which were begun Monday.
In general,
P&Z commissioners said they were concerned with the proposed height
but added that a workable trade may be possible.
"Overall,
I really support the idea," said Commissioner Greg Strong. "I
personally think the height is going to be the biggest issue relative to
public concern."
Commissioner
Rod Sievers expressed enthusiasm.
"This
is a great start," he said. "I’m a very strong supporter of
the hotel concept in the downtown core. It’s something I think we need
to bend over backwards to try to accommodate. You’ve got a long ways to
go, but you’re on the right track."
The ‘H’-shaped
hotel would include kitchen, dining, banquet, spa and retail facilities on
its ground floor. It would house 81 hotel rooms on its second and third
floors, and underground parking would comprise the basement.
The
courtyard facing Main Street would be a motor court for hotel registration
and short-term parking, and the rear courtyard would include a fountain
and park-like atmosphere.
Construction
materials have not yet been considered, Stricker said.
Barsotti
said he needed some time to regroup and digest the P&Z’s requests.
He did not request another immediate hearing.