Hailey will have another bank on Main Street in April, complete with drive-through teller windows and a conference room. This one has been recycled.
The Hailey Planning and Zoning Commission voted Tuesday, Feb. 26, to approve the relocation of a two-story building from Saddle Road in Ketchum to 102 Empty Saddle Trail, directly north of the Big Wood 4 Cinemas in Hailey. The building was originally designed as a bank but has been used in recent years as the office for James D. McLaughlin Architects in Ketchum.
P&Z Commissioner Owen Scanlon recused himself at three P&Z meetings in recent weeks to present the plan on behalf of the architectural firm. In the process, he got to experience the usual gauntlet of questions he often poses himself to developers when they come before the commission.
"They really held our feet to the fire on this one," he said.
Scanlon satisfied concerns raised by the commission by reducing the building's size, rotating it 90 degrees and reconfiguring parking spaces on the site. He was also required to establish a Main Street entrance in keeping with the city's 2025 Comprehensive Plan.
James McLaughlin joined Scanlon for the final presentation Tuesday night with plans for a nearly 3,000-square-foot building, small enough to satisfy the P&Z's requirements with only six parking spots. He also agreed to add a sidewalk to the northern end of the property.
Mclaughlin said several bank companies already in the valley are negotiating to use the building.
