DeNovo Independence will likely take another shot at persuading the city of Sun Valley to allow the development of a 15-home subdivision on the hills above Elkhorn.
In April, the Sun Valley Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the council deny an application by DeNovo to amend the city's comprehensive plan in order to add 428 acres of the company's property in Independence Gulch to its future land-use map. The request was the first step toward annexation of the property.
DeNovo is currently scheduled to bring its application for a comprehensive plan amendment to the council on Aug. 4, but requested an additional 60 days to gather more information. A new meeting will likely take place during the beginning of October.
At a City Council meeting on Monday, Sun Valley City Planner Diane Shay said that the applicant requested the delay in order to address the concerns raised by the commission which led to the negative recommendation.
In its unanimous vote in April, the commission found that the proposal did not do enough to address health and safety issues, specifically that the location and the steep grade of the access road would put residents in harm's way in the case of a wildfire.
At that meeting, Sun Valley Fire Chief Jeff Carnes voiced strong opposition to the plan, citing the steep grade of the access road. Carnes said he prefers grades of no more than 10 percent for straight roads and 7 percent for curved roads. DeNovo's proposal has roads of up to 12 percent
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As well, the commission found fault with the fact that DeNovo was proposing lots on slopes ranging between zero and 25 percent grade. Sun Valley's hillside ordinances prohibit most development on slopes between 15 and 20 percent, and in all cases on slopes of 25 percent or more.
DeNovo purchased 848 acres of land just north of Triumph in October. The property spans both sides of the ridge that separates Sun Valley from the East Fork of the Big Wood River. DeNovo plans to set aside 85 percent of the property for conservation and recreation while developing 15 homesites on the northwest section of the property.
Shay said in an interview that she doesn't anticipate any substantial changes in the new plan other than an attempt by the applicant to create a grade for the road that would be acceptable to fire officials. Both Carnes and Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle have said that it is difficult for fire apparatus to access roads with slopes over 7 percent.
A call to DeNovo co-founder and CEO Brian Pitkin was not returned by press time.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
DeNovo Independence is hoping to redevelop portions of the old Triumph Mine area, shown above. The group’s proposal was pushed back by the Sun Valley Planning and Zoning Commission, but officials there say they’re expecting the company to appeal.
Photo by Willy Cook
