Once hailed as the home to "Winter Sports under a Summer Sun," the city of Sun Valley maintains its historic charm with new maturity. The city possesses a distinct character that recent proactive changes attempt to preserve and revitalize.
"Twenty years from now I would like to see Sun Valley looking relatively similar to what it does today—with its open hillsides and open space preserved, Elkhorn virtually the way it is, and Sun Valley Resort developed according to its master plan," said Nils Ribi, Sun Valley's Planning and Zoning Commission chairman and recently elected member of the City Council.
With shifts in the city's economic, demographic and physical makeup, noticeable efforts to retain the character of the community have recently transpired. Citizens and lawmakers supported new measures to guide development, preserve open space and guarantee a full-time working population to maintain the authenticity of the resort.
"I could see the winds of change about four years ago," Councilman Blair Boand said.
When Averell Harriman, chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, opened the Sun Valley Resort in 1937, winter was Sun Valley. Over its history the world's first destination ski resort evolved from a winter vacation haven into a residential community.
The city's livability is marked by the steady increase in population. Sun Valley has a population of 1,654, consisting of permanent year-round citizenry, part-time residents and seasonal employees. The population growth from 1990 to 2000, as documented by the U.S. Census Bureau, exceeds the growth experienced in Blaine County and in Idaho during the same period.
To meet the demands of the growing population, new development has occurred.
Under the its second owners, the Janss Corp., which purchased it from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1964, Sun Valley Resort experienced significant development. Earl Holding, the head of Sinclair Oil, bought the resort in 1977, establishing Sun Valley Co.
"The city of Sun Valley has retained its authenticity because there has been very little resort land development," said Virgina Egger, Sun Valley city administrator.
Improvements ensued, including the construction of Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge in December 2004. Overall, relatively few changes to the land have been made under Holding's ownership.
"The Holding family has been a superb steward of the land," Mayor Jon Thorson said.
Holding's Sun Valley Co. presented a preliminary master plan for development in April 2004, which marked a key change in the city. The potential for development prompted partnership between citizens, lawmakers, planners and resort representatives to develop a vision for future land development.
The vision was included in the city's 2005 Comprehensive Plan Update, which was approved in September. The guide to development promotes stewardship of the land regardless of resort ownership. Forefront in the plan was the inclusion of an open space land-use designation that precludes 3,000 acres of land in the city from development.
Residents like Janet Hill, a homeowner for 25 years, believe the open space is paramount to Sun Valley's unique character.
In the last two years, lawmakers implemented a host of other ordinances to preserve the character of Sun Valley. The city adopted a Master Plan Ordinance, a Hillside Ordinance and a Dark Sky Ordinance to retain the character of the land.
"It's really engaged more people in the city. These things needed to be done," Boand said.
The measures indicate a shift from reactive to proactive government rooted in open dialogue and planning.
The attention to planning is evidenced in the present redevelopment of the 11-acre site in Elkhorn Village.
Originally developed by Janss and Johns-Manville Corp. from 1970-1972, the C.G. Elkhorn company began the first phase of redevelopment in 2004. Renamed Elkhorn Springs, the multi-phase residential and commercial project calls for condominiums, paired homes, a restaurant, a country store, a post office, a golf clubhouse, a redesigned golf course and affordable housing. "By having the density in the core with a small and reasonable amount of commercial attached, the goal is to actually have people live there, work there and have families reside there," Ribi said.
Working families migrated from the city, as the second-home market became the driving force of the economy. The second-home market caused a significant rise in housing prices. According to the 2005 Sun Valley Comprehensive Plan Update, the construction value of a home in Sun Valley rose from an average of $462,000 per home in 1993 to $1,050,000 per home in 2004.
Reviving the city as a place for full-time working professionals is considered key to maintaining a sense of community.
"Critical to continuing a resort community and a community, is workforce housing," Thorson said.
This year the city implemented a set of workforce housing ordinances to provide affordable living options for professional workers.
"We need to make sure we have workforce housing, so we can bring in young people to be part of our community," Ribi said.
According to the city, from 1990 to 2000 the number of residents in Sun Valley age 45 to 65 increased 117 percent, and the number of residents over 65 increased 292 percent. The median age increased from 36 years in 1990 to 47.5 years in 2000.
The shift in age demographics comes in conjunction with a transition from a winter recreational haven to a popular summer destination.
"In the summer there is such a large range of events. The universe of people who want to come and enjoy what we have in the summer is much larger than the universe of people who come for ski vacations," said Carol Waller, executive director of the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau.
The city's local option tax revenues, collected on retail, lodging and liquor, indicate the summer season outpaces the winter season. Figures collected by the city since 1985 identify a shift in economic activity from the winter to the summer months.
"The winter is not going to grow, based on national statistics and trends. I think we need to be prepared to explore alternatives," Ribi said.
Citizens believe the shift to summer recreation will see expansion of the trail system, the city's bike path, parks and Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge amenities. Expansion of the arts and events in the shoulder season could also be on the horizon.
The expanded amenities speak to the value of Sun Valley's enduring attraction to residents and visitors.
"My marching orders are to keep the look, the feel and the ambiance of Sun Valley," Boand said.
This 1936 photo of the Trail Creek area east of Ketchum shows the pastoral nature of the region shortly before the development of the Sun Valley Resort. Proctor Collection, Ketchum Community Library
