Before supporters of a proposed ice rink west of Hailey are given the go-ahead to break ground, they'll need to address ways of mitigating or reducing its impacts on neighboring homeowners.
This was made clear last Thursday at a public meeting of the Blaine County Hearing Examiner at the Blaine County Courthouse Annex in Hailey.
The hearing examiner is an independent contractor authorized by the Blaine County Commission. The examiner conducts public hearings and decides on certain categories of conditional use permit and variance applications. The process is similar to that of taking an application before the Blaine County Planning and Zoning Commission.
The facility in question is proposed as a public outdoor ice rink to be built adjacent to the softball field at Lyons Park, which sits just west of the Bullion Street Bridge and the Big Wood River. A Hailey-based nonprofit group, Hailey Ice, is the facility's key proponent.
At a Sept. 28 meeting, the city of Hailey agreed to become a co-applicant along with Hailey Ice to secure the conditional use permit needed to build the facility. The rink's construction would be funded with private donations.
Hailey Ice's plans call for construction of an uncovered ice rink, temporary boards surrounding the ice rink, several associated storage sheds and vehicle parking. The existing softball field at Lyons Park would remain.
Although the ice rink is to be built on lands owned by the city of Hailey, Blaine County is hearing the application because the site exists outside Hailey city limits. The proposed rink at Lyons Park is not meant to replace the city's other seasonal ice rink at Roberta McKercher Park.
Hailey Ice representatives hope to have the ice rink built in time for the 2007-2008 winter season. The rink would only be open for about five months out of the year.
During Thursday's meeting, Blaine County Hearing Examiner Debra Kronenberg raised several objections related to the potential noise, lighting and traffic impacts of the proposed ice rink. Without the proper information to make a more informed decision, Kronenberg said she couldn't move forward.
"I need that information so I can give a finding," Kronenberg said.
While Hailey Ice intends to eventually cover the ice rink with a permanent roof, the period before that time will subject neighbors of the facility to nighttime glare from overhead lighting and noise from announcers and music.
Aware of this, Kronenberg told Hailey Ice representatives to draft a schedule detailing the facility's proposed hours of operation—lighting and music operation included—so she could evaluate its impacts on neighbors across the river in Hailey.
"How loud is it going to be? How far is it going to carry?" she asked.
Another issue that may be the most significant impediment to the rink's eventual construction is the actual site for the facility. The area was apparently used a landfill until sometime in the mid-1960s. When the landfill was shut down, workers covered the site with soil and left it.
The question now is whether the site is stable enough to support the weight of the rink's refrigerated concrete slab and ensure it doesn't crack.
Kronenberg suggested further drilling samples over and above those already completed to fully investigate site stability.
During the meeting, those who made comments on the proposed ice rink seemed generally in favor. They said the rink's lighting, noise and traffic impacts will be preferable to the existing winter use.
The city of Hailey's existing use is as a snow storage site, which means trucks and other heavy equipment can be heard there until at least 2 a.m. on many winter nights, several neighbors said.
Despite her objections, however, Kronenberg appeared generally supportive.
"This is a good thing. I'm not trying to hassle you," she said.
Before adjourning, Kronenberg continued the public hearing without setting a date for another meeting.
Hailey Ice point man Ron Fairfax shows the location of a proposed ice rink at the southeast section of Lyons Park, west of Hailey. The ice rink proposal is subject to approval by the Blaine County Hearing Examiner. Photo by Willy Cook
