The Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday approved construction of a three-story, 71,000-square-foot condominium building planned for a vacant parcel west of Main Street.
The 21-unit Sawtooth Lodge will be built on the corner of Second Avenue and Sun Valley Road, across from Ski Tek. Developer Barclays North, based in Everett, Wash., has scheduled completion for December 2006.
The project will include two 1,000-square-foot community-housing units and will pay the city more than $1 million toward construction of more community housing, in return for greater-than-normal density.
The building will stretch for one block between Sun Valley Road and Second Street.
It is the most recent project in a trend over the past few years toward construction of full-block-size buildings in downtown Ketchum. In 2001, the city amended its comprehensive plan partly to address concerns about large buildings. Buildings in the Community Core zoning district are now required to be divided into components that match the size of traditional Ketchum architecture.
"I think this is an extremely attractive building," P&Z Commissioner Greg Strong said of the project at Monday night's meeting. "I think they've done an excellent job of breaking up a very large building on all sides."
The city grants a higher ratio of floor space to lot size for projects that provide deed-restricted community housing. Project architect Jerry Baysinger told the P&Z that the Sawtooth Lodge was originally designed to provide at least 4,600 square feet of community housing, but the developer had decided it would be more profitable to reduce that volume to a little over 2,000 square feet and contribute in-lieu fees. He said Barclays North had decided that doing so would allow it to build solely three-bedroom condominiums, rather than a mixture of two- and three-bedroom units.
The city currently allows in-lieu fees at the rate of $412 per square foot of community-housing floor space a project is lacking.
"It's great for the developer and it's great for the city," Baysinger said. "It's a true win-win."
Michael David, executive director of the Blaine-Ketchum Housing Authority, said the city prefers to have its community housing dispersed throughout private developments, rather than to build its own units. However, he said, if a builder prefers to pay cash, the city would like to get a 150 percent advantage out of that. He said that units built on the city-owned Park and Ride lot on Saddle Road with the money provided by the Sawtooth Lodge project would do that.
David said the authority now has about $400,000 in its account, with about $150,000 pending.
The only objection to the project at Monday's meeting came from Ketchum resident Mickey Garcia, who contended that even with its broken-up façade, the building will still look monolithic.
"They haven't used every tool in their suitcase to make it look like a bunch of small buildings," Garcia said.
P&Z commissioners disagreed.
In other business Monday, the P&Z:
· Approved a project to restore 200 feet of bank along both sides of Warm Springs Creek where it runs through property owned by Jim Cimino, between Irene Street and Aspen Drive. The project's intent is to reduce erosion and improve riparian habitat. The bank will be graded so it is less steep and replanted with native vegetation.
· Approved a subdivision application for the 31-unit Frenchman's Place Condominiums, off Warm Springs Road behind Grumpy's. Consideration of the final plat is set for June 27.
· Continued a design-review application for an 11,000-square-foot home on property owned by John and Marilyn Moran, 221 Parkway Dr. along the Big Wood River. Commissioners objected to the fact that 10 cottonwood trees in the riparian zone on the property were cut down without the city's permission, a violation of city ordinance.
The 71,000-square-foot Sawtooth Lodge time-share condominium building is planned for the corner of Sun Valley Road and Second Avenue. Plans call for stone veneer along its base and on vertical, column-like structures. Predominant colors will be tan and yellowish brown. Roofing will be an imitation dark slate made from recycled plastic milk jugs.
