Investors in a proposed "new town" near Timmerman Hills have hired representatives from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization specializing in land use and real estate development, to conduct a study on future growth and planned communities in Blaine County.
The study, which will take place the final week of June and cost about $150,000, coincides with but is not related to the county's ongoing effort to address future growth, known as the 2025 planning process.
The new town, called Spring Creek, is being touted as a sustainable community with fully funded services at no expense to taxpayers, extensive affordable housing and ample open space. It would be constructed on 800 acres of a 2,800-acre ranch owned by Robert Kantor in a narrow valley south of Timmerman Hills, about 12 miles south of Bellevue and southwest of the intersection of state Highway 75 and U.S. 20.
Kantor and his partner, George Kirk, of the Kirk Group, are involved in the Quail Creek subdivision, which is the largest affordable-housing-specific project in Blaine County. The project was approved by the county commissioners in March but was appealed by an adjacent landowner May 8.
Kantor and Kirk first presented their Spring Creek proposal to the Blaine County commissioners last fall, with limited feedback.
Sarah Michael, County Commission chairwoman, last week said the commissioners will not consider such a proposal during the 2025 review—expected to last until July—since it does not fit into the proposed ordinances. A new town would also require changes to the county's comprehensive plan, Michael added.
Despite the county's position, Kantor indicated last fall that he wanted to consult with members of the ULI.
"There is no greater authority in the careful analysis of a community's challenges and in crafting informed solutions than the Urban Land Institute," Kantor said in a press release. "The ULI panel's decision to take on our challenges and offer experienced and independent insights is an outstanding and highly interactive community opportunity.
"This work is an extension of our collective and comprehensive planning efforts in the Blaine County 2025 visioning."
Spring Creek investors, who are footing the bill for the ULI visit, are hoping to land ULI members "with leadership experience from fast-growing, resort-influenced western communities." The members will likely be announced by mid-June.
"We look forward to evaluating Spring Creek Ranch in terms of its fit in one of the special regions of the country," Mary Beth Corrigan, vice president of ULI's advisory services program, said in a press release. "Our goal is to provide practical, feasible solutions to enhance the economic and social fabric of Blaine County."
Following its five-day study the ULI panel will present its findings to Blaine County citizens in a forum June 30 at the Bigwood Theater in Hailey.
