Friday, June 20, 2008

Quigley hearing raises growth issues

Development in upper reaches of canyon criticized


By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

Developer David Hennessey, center, consults with, from left to right, Tom Kopf of DTJ Design, engineer John Gaeddert , and city Planning Director Beth Robrahn during a break at Wednesday night’s hearing. Photo by David N. Seelig

The first of several public hearings to consider annexing Quigley Canyon east of Hailey into the city limits raised numerous questions about the expected future growth of the city.

The Hailey Planning & Zoning Commission and the owners of Quigley Canyon Ranch started Wednesday what could be a lengthy process to decide how a proposed 1,100-acre, 380-home development fits into the city's long-range plans.

The owners of the ranch, Quigley Green Owners LLC, represented by David Hennesey, have offered to build an 18-hole public golf course, expanded trails and a Nordic skiing facility, in hopes they could also increase three-fold the number of allowable residences in the canyon.

"This is the last place in the Hailey area for a golf course," said Hennessey during a presentation of his plans before the P&Z and about 30 Hailey residents. He offered the city a new well site in the canyon to aid the municipal water supply, and promised that 20 percent of the home sites within the project would be set aside for affordable housing.

Hennesey also introduced Tom Kopf from DTJ Design in Boulder, Colo., who said the development's current plans represent the philosophy of the "New Urbanist Movement." The project calls for about 380 single-family homes of various sizes, dispersed within a five-year plan, which would extend for more than 1.5 miles into Quigley Canyon.

Land development for the proposed development, including golf course construction, would take an estimated five years to complete. Final build-out could take 30 years.

"The Quigley annexation request is important because of how it relates to our planning for growth and land use," city Planning Director Beth Robrahn said. "These issues underlie all of our discussions."

Robrahn said current growth projections estimate 10,000 more people will move to Hailey by the year 2025. She said the proposed development in Quigley Canyon would accommodate only 10 percent of that growth.

"Within current city limits, we would have to increase density from about 1.3 residential units per acre to about nine units per acre," said Robrahn. She added that under current density requirements, the city would have to add 2,030 acres to the city limits through annexations to accommodate the expected growth.

"The city will likely use a combination of in-fill development and expansion to meet the growth," she said Thursday.

P&Z Chairwoman Stefanie Marvel asked, "Can we not decide how much of this growth will happen? What size of Hailey is big enough?"

Robrahn answered, "Until we have a policy to limit growth, I need to plan for it."

Quigley Canyon is one of the last big properties next to the city and is therefore slated for possible annexation. Three hundred acres of the valley floor of the canyon has been used for many years to grow alfalfa. Quigley Road, on the northern side of the canyon, has long been used by hikers, bikers, hunters and others to access the high country east of town.

Under the development plans, Quigley Road would be re-directed several times through a cluster of streets, home sites and fairways, before leading out of the canyon to the east. His expectation is that the bulk of traffic from the development would be channeled through Fox Acres Road, which a recent traffic study indicated would need widening to accommodate 350 additional automobiles from the new development, accessing Highway 75 during peak hours.

A "visual analysis study" presented by the developer showed a Nordic center and golf clubhouse centered on a knoll on the northern side of the canyon. The building is expected to rise 60-70 feet from the canyon floor. Hennessey agreed to construct story poles at the proposed site in time for a site visit by P&Z and the public scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at 5:30 p.m.

Engineer Norman Young of Boise-based ERO Resources Corp. provided the P&Z with assurances Wednesday that the developer has sufficient water rights to irrigate the entire project, despite current objections to Quigley water rights under the ongoing, statewide Snake River Adjudication.

City attorney Ned Williamson called for further data from the developers, including a table of water rights and a possible third-party evaluation of engineering challenges posed by the development plan.

Blaine County School District representative Mike Chatteron said the number of homes under the current development proposal would add 227 kids to the elementary school system, requiring construction of a new elementary school to accommodate them.

"Currently the school district has only one other possible location, and it is five miles out Croy Canyon (west of Hailey)," he said.

Chatteron requested 15 acres of property next to the Wood River High School in Quigley Canyon from the developer. Hennessey said he would have to look at the district's data before responding.

Many Hailey residents have written to Hailey City Hall with letters of support for the golf course and other amenities in recent weeks. There have also been many comments opposing the development, primarily due to traffic issues, wildlife impacts and resource consumption. Others have questioned the economic viability of the proposed development in the face of a dramatic downturn in the housing market in the last two years. All of these comments can be seen by visiting the city's Web site at www.haileycityhall.org/planning.

At Wednesday's meeting, William Hughes of Hailey said the project was not in keeping with the Hailey Environmental Leadership Program (HELP). Until recently, he was circulating a petition in opposition to the development.

"The north valley has proven that real estate development is not economic development. Do we want the endless bickering they have up there, or do we want to build a diverse and sustainable community in Hailey?"

Hennessey was asked by one member of the public what his plans were in case the project ran out of funding part way through the 30-year development process.

"We are committed definitely right now to completing Phase 1 of the project, including the golf course."

Phase 1 of the plan includes 97 residential units on lots one-half acre or less in size.

Hailey city staff, the Wood River Land Trust and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game criticized plans to build on the eastern, up-canyon reaches of the site. This area includes much of Dead Man's Gulch and about a half-mile of creek and beaver ponds beyond Quigley Pond and is considered by these organizations to be crucial for wildlife.

Hennessey's plan calls for 68 upscale homes on lots three-quarters of an acre to four acres in size in these areas.




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