Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Compromise reached on hotel plan

Ketchum leaders delay final vote


By TREVON MILLIARD
Express Staff Writer

Courtesy graphic Plans for the proposed Bald Mountain Lodge call for a five-story building along Main Street in Ketchum.

Bald Mountain Lodge developers agreed to a construction timeline and employee-housing requirement on Tuesday afternoon, a first for the builders.

However, Ketchum City Council members Larry Helzel and Curtis Kemp said they need one more meeting, on May 17, before a final decision is rendered.

"We received this document 15 minutes before the meeting," Kemp said, adding that he'd like some time to "digest" the conditions before giving the go-ahead to build the lodge, an 87-room hotel with an additional 26 residential units.

Gourlay said he was ready to vote in approval, and Councilwoman Nina Jonas wasn't at the meeting.

The new conditions outline three options. The first would require developers to apply for a building permit by June 2011, start construction by June 2012 and complete the hotel by January 2015. The hotel would be relieved of requiring employee housing. The city's Urban Renewal Agency would return to the developers half the property-tax revenue from the project or $1.5 million, whichever is less, to pay for surrounding infrastructure.

Option 2 would push the timeline back one year, requiring a January 2016 completion. Developers would pay $1 million to the city for employee housing, but the URA part would be unchanged.

The last option would push the timeline back one more year. Developers would have to pay $1.5 million to the city for housing. Again, the URA part would be the same.

If none of the three options is followed, hotel developers would have to meet original requirements of providing 22 employee-housing units and wouldn't receive any URA money.

The five-story hotel is planned for a city block along Main Street, between River and First streets.

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com




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