Wednesday, June 25, 2014

P&Z gives green light to townhomes

Design approved for project near Rotary Park in Ketchum

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By AMY BUSEK
Express Staff Writer

This rendering shows the design of the planned Vue Townhomes in Ketchum. Courtesy graphic

    Construction of four detached townhomes at 105 Pinewood Lane should begin toward the end of the summer following design review and preliminary plat approval by the Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission on June 9.
The Vue Townhomes are being built by Infinity Projects, a partnership formed in January between Alex Monge and Elisabeth Grabher, owner of Grabher Construction.
Grabher said the venture is an attempt to “get a product out there that is in a better price range” than what’s currently available. She said each home will be sold for significantly less than $1 million, though an exact price hasn’t been determined.
Featuring two stories and an attached one-car garage, the detached townhomes will be 2,445 square feet in floor area.
“We’re building smaller homes in the hope [of getting] younger people living back in Ketchum,” she said. “There haven’t been any new products in this price range for quite a long time.”
She said the firm has already received calls from prospective buyers and local real estate agents.
The homes, which Grabher designed, will each have three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and radiant-heated concrete floors. Recycled barn wood and a variety of metals will make up the exterior of the houses, with environmentally friendly construction being a primary goal.
Land surveyor Bruce Smith of Alpine Industries said the development should be ready to start by late July after final plat approval by the City Council, scheduled for July 21.
P&Z Commissioner Michael Doty is an architect for the project and recused himself from making decisions on the matter.
An existing single-family home will be demolished to make way for the development. Smith said the owner tried to give the house away but couldn’t find an interested party. Demolition will occur early next week, he said.
“It was the best thing to do in that particular case,” he said.
Infinity Projects plans to construct an intersecting street to accommodate the subdivision. Pinevue Lane will intersect Pinewood Lane at 90 degrees, with a 204-foot length and 20-foot width. The proposed lane will also eliminate the need for a new road should new development occur west of the Vue Townhomes site.  
The homes should be on the market by early 2015, Grabher said.
Under Ketchum code, townhome development is a mechanism to allow multiple ownership of a single lot. They are similar to condominiums, but the owners of townhomes own at least the land under their unit.
Amy Busek: abusek@mtexpress.com

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