Multiple family housing plan
endorsed in Hailey
By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer
The Hailey Planning and Zoning
Commission approved the design for a multiple family housing project
designated for the northwest corner of River and Chestnut streets, near
the LDS Church in Hailey.
Developer Andrew Tian said Monday,
March 1, that the three duplexes and a single family home with an
auxiliary unit over a carport are unique in the city and also a test of
what the real estate market can bear.
Plans show a complex that is out
of the ordinary for Hailey. The two story craftsman style structures
were designed by long-time Wood River Valley architect Michael Blash,
who designed Copper Ridge in Ketchum.
"It is my first project," said
Tian. "I want a good quality product. Since they are duplexes I wanted
to compensate the smaller land area with a nice architectural design."
Tian said he is shooting for
something that fits between the "American dream," a single-family home
with a yard, and the deluxe apartments of Copper Ranch.
The duplexes are about 1920 square
feet each and the single-family unit is 2400 square feet plus 475 square
feet for the accessory dwelling.
Garages will be accessed through
the ally, which the city has asked Tian to pave all the way through the
block.
City zoning requirements allow for
multiple family units on Tian’s property.
Originally, planning for six units
Tian said he was able to bump up the density when he was informed that
building setbacks inside the town site overlay district were less
restrictive than elsewhere in the city.
"This whole thing about density is
going to be a big issue," Tian said. "The jump in land value over the
last few years is incredible. Who can afford to live in Hailey? Sooner
or later (increased density) has to happen. Hailey’s going to get
rebuilt right?"
As a new developer he is also
curious to see if townhomes will sell in Hailey as primary residences.
Although there are many such buildings in Ketchum Tian said many of them
are used more as vacation homes.
Tian plans to build one building
per year, learning what works best by working slowly.
"I don’t see many of these
projects in Hailey," he said.
But, Tian said his gut feeling is
that the community will gravitate toward the trend.
City staff and the Planning and
Zoning Commission were fully in support of Tian’s project. However, they
did ask that fencing be stepped back from a retaining wall to give the
front more visual relief and texture.