Hailey Ice Inc. got $250,000 from Spring Canyon Ranch developers two weeks ago to boost its 10-year effort to build a public ice rink in or near the city of Hailey. However, that same week the nonprofit organization abandoned plans to build in Lion's Park, just across the Big Wood River at the mouth of Croy Canyon, expressing interest to build a refrigerated rink north of Albertson's supermarket on land adjacent to the city.
"There were too many obstacles preventing us from building at Lion's Park," Hailey Ice committee member Bege Reynolds said. "We are working on a new site within the city limits."
Ron Fairfax, a Hailey dentist who has been involved with Hailey Ice for 10 years, said the organization withdrew its conditional-use permit application for the Lion's Park site due to complications stemming from ongoing clean-up requirements established by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for the site.
The Lion's Park site was on city-owned land within Blaine County. It was once used as a city dump. Currently, Hailey Ice operates a temporary rink at Roberta McKercher Park next to state Highway 75 at the entrance to the city. According to Fairfax, that location is in a "no-build zone" due to its proximity to Friedman Memorial Airport.
The developers of the proposed Spring Canyon Ranch were granted approval for extension of city sewer services two miles into Croy Canyon two weeks ago, only minutes after developer Mark Meyers promised $250,000 to Hailey Ice. It proved to be his final concession to the city in exchange for the sewer line extension, which is planned to serve a residential development in Democrat Gulch. The line would have provided sewer services to Hailey Ice, had it built in Lion's Park.
"Lion's Park looked like a good location, but only after the sewer line gets extended and a clean-up of the area takes place. This could take three years," Fairfax said.
Another nonprofit group eager to break ground in Hailey may prove to be an ally for Hailey Ice, allowing it to build much sooner. The Life Church of Hailey has been in a lengthy campaign of its own to build a new, 6,000-square-foot church north of Albertson's supermarket, on land currently located in the county.
Life Church representative Janine Bear said that at the next Hailey City Council meeting, on March 10, she plans to offer the city one acre of land in exchange for annexation of the site into Hailey. She said she hopes the offer will pave the way for the church's construction. Fairfax said he hopes the donated land will be made available for the Hailey Ice rink. Bear said that although she is aware of Hailey Ice's interest in the parcel, she has not offered it anything on behalf of the Life Church.
Bear said the church has had "a difficult time" with the Hailey P&Z for the past two years.
"We were denied approval for annexation at P&Z, so now we are appealing to the City Council," she said. "We were also denied approval by the county, which said we were too close to city services to build our own septic system. We have been in a 'Catch-22' for some time."
She said the church hopes to break ground for its new building by fall.
Last winter, the church's application for annexation into the city faced stiff opposition from neighboring landowners. At issue was the remaining 9.6 acres of land near the proposed church, which would have been rezoned from county Residential-1 to city Transitional zoning, thereby increasing the development density and potential uses on the remaining property. R-1 allows only one residence per acre on the property.
Ron Fairfax
