The Ketchum City Council has a two-month hiatus from deliberations on the proposed Warm Springs Ranch Resort and perhaps will use that time to contemplate what has become the central dilemma: Would the project provide enough community benefits to justify permitting it?
At a public hearing on Wednesday night, the third in just over a week, the council heard a presentation from Bruce Baltin, senior vice president for hospitality specialists PKF Consulting, on the potential economic impacts of a five-star resort.
On behalf of project developers DDRM Greatplace, Baltin explained that a luxury resort would serve to not only bolster the local economy through jobs and visitor spending, but would also serve to "enhance the city's profile and attract high-end guests."
Baltin said that in competing ski resorts, such as Jackson Hole, Deer Valley and Vail, luxury hotels have been catalysts for economic growth.
An economic study commissioned by the developer earlier this year estimated that the resort would bring the city nearly $40 million in revenue over a 15-year period and create $389 million in retail sales over the same period.
While Councilman Baird Gourlay requested that the city's economic consultant, Richard Caplan, review the latter figure, there appeared to be little argument that Ketchum could use the boost.
"Even if the economic benefits are not as big (as the study states), it's still pretty remarkable and impressive," Councilman Charles Conn said.
With the city's revenues calculated from local-option tax receipts on lodging, the conversation turned to the number of "hot beds," or those rooms readily available for rent, to be included in the project.
Stan Castleton, CEO of DDRM Greatplace, said the mix of traditional hotel rooms and condominium suites would not be decided until the design review process. As he has at previous meetings, Castleton said the for-sale condo suites, which could each be separated into three hotel rooms, would be part of the rental pool. He said the current plan calls for at least 120 rooms to be part of the rental pool at any one time.
The development team touted other non-fiscal benefits, such as a redesigned nine-hole, par-3 golf course, which would be open to the public and offer discounted rates to local residents. As well, Bob Dunn, the former owner and manager of the Warm Springs Ranch Restaurant, was on hand at the meeting to speak in support of a reincarnation of the highly popular eatery.
Dunn said he was very excited not only to see the restaurant in the resort plans, but also because the developers listened to his recommendation and separated the restaurant from the core hotel building.
However, opponents to the resort once again commented that these fiscal rewards would not be enough to compensate for the impact a nine-story building would have on the surrounding residential neighborhood.
Thiat argument was countered by Warm Springs resident Erin Kelso, who lives directly across Warm Springs Road from the proposed hotel's location.
"Quality of life means different things to different people," Kelso said. "It doesn't just mean a quiet neighborhood for everyone. I would like to be able to walk to a restaurant again."
The council will hold at least two more meetings on the resort's development and annexation applications, scheduled for Feb. 10 and 11. Those meetings will follow a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Jan. 7 to go over recent requested increases in the resort's square footage.
This rendering shows the proposed Warm Springs Ranch Resort hotel as it would be viewed from Flower Drive on the opposite side of Warm Springs Road. Three of the hotel’s nine floors would be below the grade of Warm Springs Road, with one level of parking completely underground.
