Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Prospector Hill plans meet organized resistance

Development proposals violate city’s comprehensive plan, they say


By REBECCA MEANY
Express Staff Writer

Sun Valley Planning & Zoning commissioners take a site visit to the Prospector Hill area last month. Many neighbors are opposed to plans for potential development on and near the hill. Photo by Mountain Express

As two, separate applications related to development on Sun Valley's Prospector Hill area move through the system, a groundswell of opposition has formed into an organized force working to slow the plans.

Sun Valley Co. is asking the city for revisions to the text of the 2005 comprehensive plan update and the land-use designation of the future land-use map as they apply to Sun Valley Co. property. The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of changes June 30. The application now is with the City Council.

One request generating much debate is a change to the proportion of multi-family to single-family homes on Prospector Hill, above City Hall on Elkhorn Road.

Sun Valley Elkhorn Association is applying for changes to the future land-use map in the city's comprehensive plan as it relates to undeveloped land the association owns northeast of Dollar Mountain subdivision that could eventually be developed with single-family homes.

The P&Z currently is reviewing the application.

The area in question is an 18-acre parcel, about half of which is designated in the comprehensive plan as recreational use, with the remainder envisioned as open space. The association's proposed amendment would redesignate the area to low-density residential, which would allow single-family homes. The association is not currently asking for a rezone.

A group of citizens has organized in opposition to the plans and has launched FriendsOfSunValley.org in response. Members are "deeply concerned about the process that has been followed and the lack of citizen involvement in the approval process," states a news release issued by the group Aug 10. "FriendsOfSunValley.org believes these principles are being overlooked in the current rush by the Sun Valley Company and the SVEA to change the comprehensive plan and allow for greater density in development."

The comprehensive plan is not a zoning plan, but it serves as a guide for development and a vision set forth by the community, said Mark Hofman, Sun Valley community development director. It also sets expectations, he said.

Though open to interpretation, the comp plan should be taken into consideration during application deliberations, Hofman said.

"It's a guide and it should be given great weight in any land-use decision," he said. FriendsOfSunValley.org co-founder Jim Knight calls the comp plan the "governing bible for the issue of development in Sun Valley."

The advocacy group, which says it has 20 committee members and 40 others who have expressed support, takes issue with what members see as a lack of commitment to the city's 2005 Comprehensive Plan, which was developed from citizen input.

"The process was highly inclusive and involved the Sun Valley Company, the City of Sun Valley and many citizens as well as countless hours of volunteer time," the news release says. "Now the Sun Valley Co. and [SVEA] wish to change the comprehensive plan to allow for extensive development of Prospector Hill and significant reduction in open space."

FriendsOfSunValley.org doesn't take issue with people developing private land, Knight said in an interview. But "the principles of the comprehensive plan were agreed to by a very broad constituency of Sun Valley folks, including Sun Valley Co.," he said. "A tremendous amount of work went into that. It clearly designates ... these areas as open space. The normal process is that would not be looked at for 10 years."

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Another objection members raise is the process.

"A change of this magnitude isn't something you sneak into the process in the middle of the night during slack," Knight said, referring to the fact that the P&Z meetings were held in the spring. "It has the smell of an end-run."

Additionally, Knight questions the need for more townhouses. "We have a huge oversupply of them right now," he said. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

The group also raised issues concerning impacts to wildlife. "There are multiple drainages in the current open space that are used by wildlife for migration and feeding," the release says.

The group held a meeting Aug. 14, during which attendees discussed ways to raise awareness and demonstrate their opinion to city officials.

Since then, members have contacted more than 200 people by phone and email, Knight said Monday.

"We have also engaged the services of an attorney to represent us on the specific issues of the Sun Valley Elkhorn Association petition to P&Z," he said.

"We're not going to let this go lightly," he added. "There are a number of voters who are really concerned about this."

Council's initial steps

The City Council held its initial hearing on the Sun Valley Co. application July 21, and discussed possible placement of story poles, showing the height of potential development, on Aug. 9.

"You have to get to the design," said Mayor Wayne Willich. "You have to go through the application process, the planning and zoning process, and finally get a proposed design before you can say, aha, now I see what you're talking about."

Council member Nils Ribi disagreed.

"I think in this particular situation, maybe three or four story poles would be appropriate," he said.

Councilman Bob Youngman said that because views are so important in a place like Sun Valley, story poles can help the council envision the impact of its decisions.

A planning and zoning commission can aid that decision by recommendations, he said, "making sure that it fits into the land and no particular homeowner is adversely affected ... then bring to us a recommendation," he said. "At this stage in the game we need to consider what the worst-case scenario is so that we really know what the impact is."

The City Council is scheduled to conduct a site visit for Sun Valley Co.'s application at 9 a.m., today, Aug. 17. A discussion on the issue is set for 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 18. The P&Z is scheduled to discuss SVEA's application at 9 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 18.

Rebecca Meany: rmeany@mtexpress.com




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