Development group has a
stable of experts working to increase density on South Park property
By Cara Froedge
– Jackson Hole News & Guide
Since the summer
began,
stories about some type of development happening on the 336-acre Roger
Seherr-Thoss
property have mumbled their way through town. Have you heard about the
massive
development going in? Who is this James Reinert? Why are Kari Cooper
and Mike Gierau
involved? Names of those involved were whispered in bars or circulated
via e-mail,
but none of those people would say officially what was in the works.
Until now.
The group, led by
developer
Reinert, finally went public last week after months of internal
discussions
about how to propose developing the land. Their plan seeks to build a
500-home
neighborhood, Teton Meadows Ranch, on 288 acres of the Seherr-Thoss
property,
adjacent to Rafter J and Melody Ranch.
"Slowly we've been
going over this," Reinert said. "It's not something we dreamed up
overnight. Most of the discussions and arguments were about the best
way to
help a perceived need here in the community, so it slowly evolved."
The proposals seeks
to
rezone the property from rural to Neighborhood Conservation 2 to
construct 125
traditional affordable homes and 375
units of "Homestead
Ownership," a new category of home for those who work in Teton
County.
That category essentially would limit the price
of property deemed Homestead Ownership by limiting the pool of buyers
to people
who work 1,500 hours a year in Teton County and agree to own only one
residential property.
Under the current
rural
zoning, an owner could subdivide the property into 49 lots. That is six
lots
per 35 acres and includes density bonuses for clustering.
Reinert is currently
under
contract to purchase the property, and a confidentiality clause
prevents him
from releasing details of that agreement. If the sale goes through,
Seherr-Thoss would keep 48 acres in a corner of the property that
houses a gravel
pit, which would eventually be shut down.
Reinert hasn't just hired a team, he's assembled a
core group with more than 100 years experience, in planning, public
relations
and politics in the valley.
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