A housekeeping matter in the city's agreement with the Wood River Community YMCA renewed internal debate over the city's participation in the project.
The Ketchum City Council Tuesday, Sept. 5, authorized on a 2-1 vote a license agreement with the YMCA for access from the recreational facility to Lewis Street.
The connector path will slice off a portion of city property on the Lewis lot, where the Streets Department stores and recycles materials. It will provide pedestrian access to parking on Lewis Street.
"I feel very strongly this puts a hardship on ... our Streets Department," said Councilwoman Terry Tracy. "I have real concerns about lighting and snow removal and giving another piece of property to a developer we are treating special. That's my objection to this resolution. We have provided the Y with something that never would have been provided to another development."
The approximately 84,000-square-foot facility is under construction on the city-owned Park & Ride lot, at the corner of Warm Springs and Saddle roads.
Council President Baird Gourlay said the nature of the relationship between the Y and the city made the arrangement acceptable to him.
"We entered into this as a public/private partnership," he said. "This has enormous value to the community. To not utilize parking on Lewis Street is poor management and poor planning. It's a very good thing to provide access."
He also said the Streets Department isn't maintaining the lot as it should.
"As the knapweed czar, it's driving me nuts," he said.
The YMCA is required to maintain the 15-foot wide, 100-foot long walkway.
"It's an easy leap of faith for me to believe the Y is going to maintain that walkway," said Councilman Ron Parsons.
Although the city recommended heated pavers to deal with snow and ice, it agreed with YMCA representatives that they might be cost prohibitive.
"We'd like to do the covered walkway and if we find we need to make improvements in the future, we will," said Teresa Beahen, the Y's chief executive officer.
Another, parking resolution passed Tuesday, minus one component.
The Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the YMCA build and maintain 150 parking spaces on the Park & Ride lot.
The parking would be public and shared with the Presbyterian church across the street, and with Sun Valley Co.
Since it will be shared use, council members debated who should sign the maintenance agreement and how the maintenance should be divvied up.
The council voted to approve the parking agreement but to discuss maintenance at a later meeting when the full council and mayor were present.
The Ketchum City Council approved the YMCA's project in September 2005.
The YMCA will pay $1 per year over the 99-year lease period for the land.
Construction crews work on the Wood River Community YMCA?s aquatic center Wednesday. The city of Ketchum this week granted the organization a license agreement for a walkway from the building to Lewis Street through city property. At left, the First Congregational Church known as ?Louie?s? waits to be moved to a site downtown. The path will run through that lot. Photo by David N. Seelig
