Jeanne T. Cassell is the president of the Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation board of directors.
By JEANNE T. CASSELL
Sewers—something nobody likes to talk about, but that are necessary to everyone. Extension of the Hailey sewer line to Croy Canyon Ranch is a crucial part of the development of a senior living community.
To clarify a few misconceptions, the Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation plans to build not just skilled nursing beds to replace the aging Blaine Manor, but a continuum-of-care facility that includes assisted living and independent units. To make the nursing home replacement economically viable, we need to provide those three levels of care, so that folks starting out in independent or assisted living can be helping to pay for the continuum of care that they and others will need through the years. We need the 20 to 30 acres to allow for the three elements to be developed. There are no properties of this size available at a reasonable price within the existing Hailey city limits.
The Hailey City Council has been discussing a policy for extension of sewer services for the past several months, and will hold a public hearing on the subject on Monday, Jan. 28. The city has made it clear that that the line would not be extended if there were not adequate capacity to serve the proposed users' needs, and that future services would be paid for by the users. The city requires that the extension "provide additional consideration and/or material benefit to the citizens of Hailey." There is no question that the creation of an up-to-date senior living community would be of great benefit to Hailey's citizens. In addition, the eventual sale of the existing Blaine Manor property to a private investor would bring increased tax revenue to the city, for it is now owned by the county.
There is an urgency to get the sewer extension authorized to our property so that we can build our senior living community, which is so badly needed. Last May, the voters of Blaine County, by a 91 percent vote, authorized the sale of the current Blaine Manor with the proceeds going to the building of Croy Canyon Ranch, and the county plans to proceed with that sale.
We are now embarked on the fund-raising aspect of the project, which will help to defer a major part of the expected cost. We need approval on the sewer hook-up to help us proceed. Without it, the project would face a major setback and find it difficult to continue.
Next, the quality of sewer services needs to be of the highest standard to serve a proposed school and nursing home. There are actually very stringent rules that would apply to such types of facilities, and the sewer plant of Hailey meets those standards, and can monitor the quality of treatment. It would not be prudent to go with some new, unproven type of on-site waste treatment when the health of our seniors and our children could be affected.
Originally, the city of Hailey was going to help the foundation pay for the cost of the sewer connection and submit a block grant to secure part of the funds needed. Now, with the Spring Canyon Ranch developers willing to pay the cost of the extension, and in addition giving $750,000 to the city, it seems like a winning proposition for all.
This proposal has benefits for all of Hailey's citizens as well as those of Blaine County. Give it the chance to succeed.
