The Hailey City Council has put the brakes on final deliberations over the possible annexation of about 1,100 acres in Quigley Canyon east of the city.
A public hearing Tuesday—billed as the final meeting for the council to take public comment on the proposal—brought to light numerous unresolved issues, leading the council to extend the public comment period.
"There are too many factual and legal issues to be resolved," Councilman Fritz Haemmerle said after the meeting.
Haemmerle called for a City Council meeting to identify the unresolved issues. He listed the issues as: water and wastewater impacts, traffic impacts, golf course impacts and benefits, development phasing issues, and the possible need for negotiations with the county on proposed areas of development outside of Hailey's designated "area of city impact."
"Without these issues identified and resolved, there is no way we can begin deliberations," Haemmerle said.
"It is going to take a while," said Councilman Don Keirn. "We have to work through issues one at a time."
About 100 people gathered for the meeting at Wood River Middle School in Hailey, voicing support for and opposition to a plan put forth by developer Quigley Green LLC. The plan calls for annexing 1,109 acres of land into the city and developing 379 home sites, an 18-hole public golf course, a clubhouse, and an extensive trails system.
Attorney Martin Flannes called for more transparency regarding discussions between the developer and the city about water use.
Flannes also said the city was required to include the county in any discussion of developments outside Hailey's area of city impact, a designated area outside the city in which development would impact city services.
Bob Erickson, an environmental health specialist for the South Central Public Health District, recommended that homes in the development be required to hook up to the city sewer system, rather than be linked to an innovative, on-site wastewater treatment facility proposed by the developer.
"If not, I plead with you not to allow a homeowners association to manage the (on-site) system," Erickson said.
Several people spoke in favor of the annexation request, based largely on the recreational benefits it is expected to bring, including Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Executive Director Don Wiseman, restaurateur Keith Perry and Ketchum store owner Bob Rosso.
"I am in favor of this development because of the recreational opportunities and because of the money it could bring to the Recreation District and to the city of Hailey," Rosso said.
Former Hailey Mayor Steve Kearns said the development would make Hailey "a place to drive to rather than a place to drive through."
Wood River Middle School Principal Fritz Peters, an avid golfer, suggested the city gather funds to turn one of the private golf courses in the valley, either the Valley Club or Elkhorn, into a county course.
"This is what they did in Santa Fe," he said. "There are these beautiful golf courses already here and no one is on them."
Former Bellevue Mayor John Barton, a contractor, spoke out against the development, saying it would produce "capital flight" from other developable areas of the city, including Old Cutters subdivision and the Sweetwater residential development, both of which have had financial troubles linked to slow sales.
"The more attractive you make this (Quigley), the more it will take value away from these other areas," Barton said.
Attorney Jim Phillips and Friedman Memorial Airport Operations Manager Pete Kramer said the city needs to re-evaluate the proposed development's traffic impacts. Several other comments centered on what Haemmerle called the "big bugaboo" issue: a recommended prohibition on building above Quigley Pond and in Dead Man's Gulch, areas deemed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game as too environmentally sensitive for development.
Chief development representative David Hennessey has said he would not be able to move forward with the project if the city prohibits development of "estate lots" in those areas.
Haemmerle, who appeared taken aback by the number of unresolved issues raised at the meeting, said afterward that the push to end public comment and begin final council deliberations had been "staff driven."
Councilwoman Carol Brown asked Planning Director Beth Robrahn to conduct an inventory of vacant, build-able lots in the city.
The next public hearing will take place Tuesday, May 26, at 5:30 p.m. in Hailey City Hall. Tentative agenda topics for that meeting are: an update of sewer discussions, golf course ownership and management options, and a listing and prioritization of unresolved issues from each council member.
Public comments on the Quigley Canyon annexation request can be sent to beth.robrahn@haileycityhall.org.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Peter Kramer discusses concerns about traffic impacts from a proposed 379-home development in Quigley Canyon on Tuesday. “I don’t dispute the developer’s right to develop Quigley, but I don’ t think the city should annex it,” said Kramer. Photo by David N. Seelig
