The Ketchum Urban Renewal Agency's plan fits in with overall goals of the city's development, the Planning & Zoning Commission has decided.
The P&Z voted unanimously Monday, Oct. 23, to recommend approval of the URA's revenue allocation area map, as well as adoption of the plan.
The map highlights areas, mostly downtown and at Warm Springs Village, that will be able to receive URA funds for development and infrastructure improvement.
"By approving this map, you're preserving the right to spend money at these locations," said Ron LeBlanc, Ketchum City Administrator and URA executive director.
Properties within the map will be helping themselves, through the URA, to fund targeted projects. Property within the revenue allocation area is tagged for its tax increment dollars. That means the URA gets the amount that the properties, and their land, increase from one year to the next—money that would otherwise go to other taxing entities.
Although urban renewal agencies in Idaho seek to revitalize under-performing areas of a city, they have no power of eminent domain.
"The Idaho Legislature stripped them last year of that power," said City Attorney Ben Worst.
The URA plan reflects the city's comprehensive plan and includes parts of the capital improvement plan. It also identifies three affordable housing projects in place of three previously proposed parking garages.
The downtown master plan, following an extensive review of transportation needs, concluded that transportation-demand-management strategies should replace the emphasis on building garages.
Commissioner Anne Corrock opted to recommend that the council review parking garages anyway, since such projects are identified in the comprehensive plan.
"I'd like to pass that along," she said.
Parks were not detailed in the plan at this point because the city will select a consultant to conduct a parks master plan study, LeBlanc said.
The City Council must still approve the map and plan. But because they are the acting board of the URA, they are highly likely to do so.
