The city of Stanley, some 60 miles north of Ketchum, is swathed in a soft blanket of white. The snow offers little indication, however, of the storm that could unleash upheaval in the quiet mountain town.
The potential sale of nearly a quarter of the total city land area by the Bill Harrah Trust could transform the city's appearance, economy, employment figures and revenue stream. Up to 50 percent of the annual budget could be affected.
Although the property has not yet been put on the market, the Bill Harrah Trust is winding up.
"The beneficiaries want us to sell the property and not distribute it in-kind," said Challis-based attorney Jim Bennetts. "We have some preferences how we'd like to see it in the future, but once we sell it, it's out of our hands."
The end of the trust has been a known factor for years, he said. The city of Stanley is now scrambling to ensure its ordinances support the comprehensive plan that lays out a vision for the city.
The best case scenario of what could happen is subjective; Stanley is home to ranchers and restaurant workers, seasonal employees and year-round solace-seekers. It also is the favorite escape for many Wood River Valley residents who flock to its scenic mountains and white-water rapids.
In one extreme scenario, a developer could snatch up all the land and construct single-family and vacation homes where commerce—including Mountain Village's grocery store, gas station, restaurant, hotel and bar—now bustles.
What could stop that from happening?
"At this point, absolutely nothing," said Ketchum Planning Director Harold Moniz.
Moniz, along with Ketchum City Planner Beth Robrahn, took comp time on Wednesday, Dec. 20, to travel to Stanley as part of a community assessment group, facilitated by Idaho Rural Partnership. They were joined by Jolyon Sawrey, with Ketchum-based Living Architecture, Nampa city officials and a half-dozen other economic development and planning professionals to help the city of Stanley prepare for the land sale.
"They need to step up to the plate," Moniz said. "If they don't, the development community is going to run them over. They need to get their hands on the wheel and start driving the bus instead of being run over by it."
The property in question is the commercial heart of Stanley, in other words, "most of the employee base and tax base for the city," Moniz said.
"They're concerned about what could happen," he said of city officials. "The resources they have, their knowledge base of how to handle developers and applications (are limited)."
With a population of fewer than 100 full-time residents, money needed to pay for city staff is, indeed, limited.
"The revenues aren't there when you have a small population base," said Dale Dixon, executive director of Idaho Rural Partnership. "Many communities are facing sudden growth. How do they marshal their resources to manage that sudden growth? That's where we help, when we're invited in."
Stanley Mayor Hannah Stauts contacted Idaho Rural Partnership for assistance, in part because of the impending land sale on which Mountain Village sits.
"They are our largest business in town and the only one to operate year 'round," Stauts said. "I spoke with the executive director ... and he got on the ball and assembled a team to help Stanley."
Dixon said Idaho Rural Partnership responded to Stauts' request to review planning and zoning ordinances and make recommendations on workforce housing.
"It's one of the many things we do," Dixon said. "Stanley was short on people with expertise. They're like so many rural communities in Idaho. They have the heart, and they do it for little pay. They have a deep desire to do the right thing. They know it's up to them to do the work, but getting an outsider's perspective, pointing out challenges and assets, it's that whole forest-through-the-trees situation."
Besides the potential loss of jobs if a sale results in the businesses' demolition in favor of, for example, homes, the city stands to lose a large portion of the taxes those enterprises contribute to the annual budget.
The city of Stanley collects a 2.5 percent local option tax above the regular state tax. Between 40 and 50 percent of the city's operating budget each year comes from local option taxes. Although Stauts couldn't say the exact amount contributed by Mountain Village businesses, they are the largest contributors.
"If we lose that, the city could suffer greatly," she said. "That was one of the biggest concerns."
Her other concern prompting a call to Idaho Rural Partnership was the possibility of development and rapid growth—without land-use planning and ordinances in place to guide it.
"The majority (of their property) is undeveloped," Stauts said. "Depending on how the sale goes, a large portion of the city's property could be developed. I was concerned that the land-use planning ordinances weren't set up for a significant amount of growth in a short period of time.
"Former residential homes are turning into vacation homes and we have very little rentals and affordable housing."
Stauts said a moratorium is a possibility, but she hopes to avert that with proactive planning.
"Based on considerations with the council and this (Idaho Rural Partnership) group, we'll certainly be prepared for a moratorium if needed," she said. "But I think we can be prepared and put some of these things in place so we don't have to do that."
A moratorium could depress the land's value. The city doesn't want that unintended punishment because the owners have been "very respectful" of the community, Moniz said.
"They've addressed a number of issues and have been good stewards of the land," he said.
Stauts left the all-day meeting optimistic.
"One of the most encouraging things they said was, it's not too late," she said. "We're fairly close to where we need to be. We're working on updating it, but the comp plan is solid for our future vision. But our ordinances should be designed and set up to build that vision."
Idaho Rural Partnership and the team members are creating a formal document of observations, recommendations and resources. The document will be presented to the mayor and City Council in early January 2007.
"This is a starting point," Stauts said. "We want it to be a process so we can have input. We don't want it to be set up as an us-against-them."
Photos courtesy Dale Dixon, Idaho Rural Partnership
Stanley City Councilman Charlie Thompson listens to ideas Dec. 20 on how the city can prepare its land-use planning ordinances in advance of a major land sale. The Bill Harrah Trust is breaking up and will sell its holdings in Stanley, which include the Mountain Village shops, gas station and hotel. The city asked Idaho Rural Partnership to coordinate a team of planners and other professionals to help them align their ordinances and comprehensive plan. Ketchum Planning Department staffers Beth Robrahn, middle, and Harold Moniz, right, look on.
