The Blaine County Recreation District will hold a public meeting tonight, Feb. 20, to discuss recreation plans associated with a proposed 379-home development in Quigley Canyon, east of Hailey.
The public is invited to give feedback on amenities offered by developers of the property in exchange for annexation into the city of Hailey. Annexation might allow for as much as three times the number of home sites allowed under existing county zoning requirements.
Developer CG Elkhorn Group has requested that Hailey annex 1,109 acres of the canyon into the city, partially in exchange for an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse and restaurant that could be used in the winter by cross-country skiers. The 200-acre golf course would be financed by the developer and deeded to the Blaine County Recreation District.
The Quigley annexation request is in its initial phase of review by the city of Hailey.
Jim Keating, executive director of the recreation district, said the district's objectives are to provide "affordable, accessible golf," and an "enhanced Nordic destination" in Quigley Canyon.
"We've flushed out some possibilities for golf and Nordic and we're trying to get some public opinion at this point," Keating said.
Quigley annexation requests considered in recent years by former landowners Stoney Burke and Fred Judd revolved around a partnership with the recreation district to develop a municipal golf course in exchange for city services. They eventually sold the property to the CG Elkhorn Co., which is redeveloping Elkhorn Village in Sun Valley. Its proposed development would cover 1.5 miles of mostly agricultural land along Quigley Creek, which would be developed into ponds, and would accommodate nearly 20 acres of parks, five miles of bike trails and a community garden.
CG Elkhorn, a partnership of the Chesapeake Hotel Group and the Greenfield Partners LLC investment firm based in Connecticut, purchased the Quigley Canyon site from Burke and the Judd family approximately two years ago and has taken up the efforts of the previous owners to develop the property. The meeting is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Distance Learning Center at Wood River High School, 1250 Fox Acres Rd. in Hailey. The public is also invited to an "open house" starting at 6:30 p.m. at the same location.
Walking dogs in open space out Quigley Canyon has long been a popular pastime for Hailey residents. A development plan calls for building 379 homes and an 18-hole golf course in the canyon. Photo by David N. Seelig
