I was at that meeting and Perry is 10O% correct in his analysis and Tripp and Spencer voted the way most of us old time residences would like our TOWN to return to and as Tripp pointed out it needs to be done NOW!
Barb, thank you for the comment. It is great to see you as part of the uprising against the Mayor's Aspenization program. We could use even more people like you to turn out and speak at public meetings, write letters to letters@mtexpress.com, and lean on Ms. Breen to leave the Aspenization Troika and join Spencer and Tripp.
Thank you, Perry, Mr Hutchinson and Mr Cordovano. We are extremely concerned about what is happening at alarming speed in Ketchum. We need more locals to hear/read the truth. I propose and will participate in promoting public awareness of The Ketchum Sun.
Perhaps banners, signs, newspaper ads, anything to catch people’s attention. Please let me know how I can help. I’ll go door to door, if it helps.
My husband and I love our town but do not like what is happening right under all our noses. Please let me know how you think we can get the truth out as to what is happening to our beloved, unique town.
Kim, thank you for your comment! If you want some bumper stickers, shoot me your PO Box (boylehp@yahoo.com).
Sadly, the reality of Ketchum is that just three people control our fate, as was clear at yesterday's meeting. The Mayor. Ms Breen and Ms. Hamilton have voting records that put them in the Aspenization camp, and they outvote Spencer and Tripp who are trying to preserve Ketchum's character.
Of the Aspenization Troika, Ms. Breen seems the most responsive to the public. You (and everyone else who loves Ketchum) should email her for a meeting to share your concerns and get her to vote for an Interim Ordinance along the lines Tripp has proposed.
Unless we can get her to change her position, we are probably in for an ACCELERATION of Aspenization as developers try to get things done before we regain control of Ketchum in 2025.
Ms. Breen is the key. We have to get her to change her position. Get everyone you know to meet with her. Her email is abreen@ketchumidaho.org
You are absolutely right. The codes that are ruining our town started in 2006 with the Downtown Master Plan. Prior to that we had increased Floor Area Ratio (FAR) incentives that were a compromise between the "party of funk" and the "go big or go home" group. Both were in favor of finding housing solutions and the code had a reasonable "delta" between the bonus FAR for buildings with housing (1.75 ) and those without (1.4). And the BIG plus about this ordinance was the units had to be built into the project! In Lieu fees were only collected for minimal amounts that were not enough to create a unit. They were used to fund the management of the housing itself. It was an objective code. like building codes should be, creating housing, lights on in the buildings downtown and no subjective language with long drawn out application periods and community discourse.
In 2006, The Downtown Master Plan promised everything for all. More housing with FAR increases, a variety of architecture and sizes of buildings with a Form Based Code. hotels and a vibrant downtown... when in reality, well, just look around.
So many poorly written codes over the years were passed to create housing and ecomomic growth through tourism without an analysis of the pros and cons or concern for the unintended consequences. Instead the mantra has been: "let's try it, we can come back, review and make changes" Never is it re-evaluated, everyone is too busy trying to write new code with "better" ideas.
Good for Tripp and Spencer. Time to stop and go back to the future. Why are we trying to keep up with Aspen, Vail, Park City while they all wish they could be like us; so behind that we are ahead of the game.
I agree wholeheartedly with the opinions expressed here. We raised our kids in the valley and have been here since the early 90s. Things have changed so much in the last 5-7 and the direction that the Mayor and Council are leading Ketchum is horrendous. With all that said, pleeeeeeeeease stop with your euphemism " Aspenization ". It just makes you appear uninteligent.
Three facts:
- There are 3200 deed restricted affordable housing units in Pitkin County
- 72% of all full time occupied homes in Aspen are in deed restricted programs and house city staff, teachers and public service workers
- The downtown core of Aspen and entrance to town is old Victorian homes and old historical buildings, one after another. You simply do not find any of the " mountain modern " monoliths that Ketchum has become known for in the core of Aspen. Ketchum should be so lucky!
Keep rattling cages and rallying the troops. Thanks for your diligence.
Thanks for the comment. I may sound annoying, but it's not a lack of intelligence. Aspenization is intentional. I cannot imagine a mountain town I would want to live in less.
Yes, 3200 units of housing. They still don't meet demand and have 500 more units in development. When they finish with that, they will build more. Many of the people who live in it love it, including several of my friends. To what purpose is all this housing? It lets the tourism industry underpay its workers because they can soak the rich and the tourists via flip taxes, vacancy taxes, sales taxes, etc that are not legal in Idaho to subsidize their operating costs. It is genius.
Was Aspen better now or before that program went in? I know what my friends there say--even the ones living in this housing. The average house price there is $3mm. There is still a workforce crisis. Much longer commute times than for Ketchum.
There was a scandal of the mayor getting the APCHA to secretly sell him a house outside of the lottery process below even the local's market price, and the average age living in APCHA housing is 57 years old. So much cheating in the system that the #1 priority in the new plan is "Compliance."
Notice that when the Crown family built their hotel in Ketchum, they built zero units of employee housing. I am betting you don't live in Aspen for a reason. I know I don't want to live there. We can do better with a plan that works for Ketchum.
This can all happen here. I know one local developer whose vision is to get rich by closing the gap in real estate prices between here and there. If we keep building large hotels, we are going to need housing for their underpaid workers. You can see clearly from Sun Valley Co's employee website where they want their workers to live. Ketchum is working to satisfy that with its Bluebird program. Northwood Place = Bluebird 0. GMD's for-profit Bluebird 1 opens in August. Bluebird 2 is slated for the Washington Lot. Bluebird 3 for Lift Tower Lodge. Bluebird 4 for the lot next to the 511 Building. Bluebird 5 for the YMCA parking lot. Then they still have land to build more of them in the LI zone and by the WTF.
Yet, we are short of teachers, first responders, health care workers even City workers. None of those occupations get any priority in the Bluebird program and most of them make too much money to live in them. But local retirees get a preference. Just like Aspen.
No thanks.
"Keep Aspen a Tree in Ketchum" was a bumper sticker I saw here in 1989. Then there was the famous IME picture of the guy leading the camel down Main Street with the caption, "Where will they live?"
There will always be more demand than supply of housing in Ketchum. We can build as many units as Aspen and there will still be a crisis. The key is to figure out what scale we want our town to be and to keep it to that as much as we can.
You love to talk, hate to listen and are so absorbed in your own opinions that you'll likely never accomplish anything as you alienate all those around you.
Your research is flawed and you simply don't have any understanding of what the Roaring Fork Valley has done to navigate the issues currently facing the WRV. a real public transportation system that works, City engineers , firefighters, teachers, living in deed restricted housing and loving it. Getting your " locals information " from fellow retired hedge fund managers isn't exactly giving you a clear picture of what the working class is experiencing. Good luck, you'll need it. Unsubscribing now, happy to continue the conversation on direct email. Good Luck.
I agree that we need more affordable housing for staff workers and that over the years has just about become a moot point! But this is very alarming that our destiny lies with 3 ppl . It's very disturbing also to see the construction going up around us anywhere there's a patch of land when we still have a huge HOLE welcoming outsiders to town! We need to pause and re evaluate otherwise we will lose the" charm" of this beloved town that is no longer a western town ,but ugly "mountain modern" boxes . Thank you Tripp and the others for standing up for those of us who don't want to have anymore Aspenization! Nor horns honking in our town bc you haven't bolted thru the red light in time for them!
I was at that meeting and Perry is 10O% correct in his analysis and Tripp and Spencer voted the way most of us old time residences would like our TOWN to return to and as Tripp pointed out it needs to be done NOW!
Barb, thank you for the comment. It is great to see you as part of the uprising against the Mayor's Aspenization program. We could use even more people like you to turn out and speak at public meetings, write letters to letters@mtexpress.com, and lean on Ms. Breen to leave the Aspenization Troika and join Spencer and Tripp.
Thank you, Perry, Mr Hutchinson and Mr Cordovano. We are extremely concerned about what is happening at alarming speed in Ketchum. We need more locals to hear/read the truth. I propose and will participate in promoting public awareness of The Ketchum Sun.
Perhaps banners, signs, newspaper ads, anything to catch people’s attention. Please let me know how I can help. I’ll go door to door, if it helps.
My husband and I love our town but do not like what is happening right under all our noses. Please let me know how you think we can get the truth out as to what is happening to our beloved, unique town.
Kim, thank you for your comment! If you want some bumper stickers, shoot me your PO Box (boylehp@yahoo.com).
Sadly, the reality of Ketchum is that just three people control our fate, as was clear at yesterday's meeting. The Mayor. Ms Breen and Ms. Hamilton have voting records that put them in the Aspenization camp, and they outvote Spencer and Tripp who are trying to preserve Ketchum's character.
Of the Aspenization Troika, Ms. Breen seems the most responsive to the public. You (and everyone else who loves Ketchum) should email her for a meeting to share your concerns and get her to vote for an Interim Ordinance along the lines Tripp has proposed.
Unless we can get her to change her position, we are probably in for an ACCELERATION of Aspenization as developers try to get things done before we regain control of Ketchum in 2025.
Ms. Breen is the key. We have to get her to change her position. Get everyone you know to meet with her. Her email is abreen@ketchumidaho.org
I will email her and let you know if I get a response.
What do the bumber stickers say?
"Lets Keep Aspen a Tree in Ketchum"
You are absolutely right. The codes that are ruining our town started in 2006 with the Downtown Master Plan. Prior to that we had increased Floor Area Ratio (FAR) incentives that were a compromise between the "party of funk" and the "go big or go home" group. Both were in favor of finding housing solutions and the code had a reasonable "delta" between the bonus FAR for buildings with housing (1.75 ) and those without (1.4). And the BIG plus about this ordinance was the units had to be built into the project! In Lieu fees were only collected for minimal amounts that were not enough to create a unit. They were used to fund the management of the housing itself. It was an objective code. like building codes should be, creating housing, lights on in the buildings downtown and no subjective language with long drawn out application periods and community discourse.
In 2006, The Downtown Master Plan promised everything for all. More housing with FAR increases, a variety of architecture and sizes of buildings with a Form Based Code. hotels and a vibrant downtown... when in reality, well, just look around.
So many poorly written codes over the years were passed to create housing and ecomomic growth through tourism without an analysis of the pros and cons or concern for the unintended consequences. Instead the mantra has been: "let's try it, we can come back, review and make changes" Never is it re-evaluated, everyone is too busy trying to write new code with "better" ideas.
Good for Tripp and Spencer. Time to stop and go back to the future. Why are we trying to keep up with Aspen, Vail, Park City while they all wish they could be like us; so behind that we are ahead of the game.
Perry,
I agree wholeheartedly with the opinions expressed here. We raised our kids in the valley and have been here since the early 90s. Things have changed so much in the last 5-7 and the direction that the Mayor and Council are leading Ketchum is horrendous. With all that said, pleeeeeeeeease stop with your euphemism " Aspenization ". It just makes you appear uninteligent.
Three facts:
- There are 3200 deed restricted affordable housing units in Pitkin County
- 72% of all full time occupied homes in Aspen are in deed restricted programs and house city staff, teachers and public service workers
- The downtown core of Aspen and entrance to town is old Victorian homes and old historical buildings, one after another. You simply do not find any of the " mountain modern " monoliths that Ketchum has become known for in the core of Aspen. Ketchum should be so lucky!
Keep rattling cages and rallying the troops. Thanks for your diligence.
Thanks for the comment. I may sound annoying, but it's not a lack of intelligence. Aspenization is intentional. I cannot imagine a mountain town I would want to live in less.
Given the amount of research I have done on Aspen housing, I am probably as well informed on that program as most people in Aspen. IMO. Aspen isn't the model we want for Ketchum. Here is their housing plan: https://www.aspen.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8923/COA-Housing-StrategicPlan-May2022-Spread-LowRes
Yes, 3200 units of housing. They still don't meet demand and have 500 more units in development. When they finish with that, they will build more. Many of the people who live in it love it, including several of my friends. To what purpose is all this housing? It lets the tourism industry underpay its workers because they can soak the rich and the tourists via flip taxes, vacancy taxes, sales taxes, etc that are not legal in Idaho to subsidize their operating costs. It is genius.
Was Aspen better now or before that program went in? I know what my friends there say--even the ones living in this housing. The average house price there is $3mm. There is still a workforce crisis. Much longer commute times than for Ketchum.
(https://www.geostat.org/data/ketchum-id/commute). Prada and Gucci. Far less ethnic diversity than Ketchum.
There was a scandal of the mayor getting the APCHA to secretly sell him a house outside of the lottery process below even the local's market price, and the average age living in APCHA housing is 57 years old. So much cheating in the system that the #1 priority in the new plan is "Compliance."
Notice that when the Crown family built their hotel in Ketchum, they built zero units of employee housing. I am betting you don't live in Aspen for a reason. I know I don't want to live there. We can do better with a plan that works for Ketchum.
This can all happen here. I know one local developer whose vision is to get rich by closing the gap in real estate prices between here and there. If we keep building large hotels, we are going to need housing for their underpaid workers. You can see clearly from Sun Valley Co's employee website where they want their workers to live. Ketchum is working to satisfy that with its Bluebird program. Northwood Place = Bluebird 0. GMD's for-profit Bluebird 1 opens in August. Bluebird 2 is slated for the Washington Lot. Bluebird 3 for Lift Tower Lodge. Bluebird 4 for the lot next to the 511 Building. Bluebird 5 for the YMCA parking lot. Then they still have land to build more of them in the LI zone and by the WTF.
Yet, we are short of teachers, first responders, health care workers even City workers. None of those occupations get any priority in the Bluebird program and most of them make too much money to live in them. But local retirees get a preference. Just like Aspen.
No thanks.
"Keep Aspen a Tree in Ketchum" was a bumper sticker I saw here in 1989. Then there was the famous IME picture of the guy leading the camel down Main Street with the caption, "Where will they live?"
There will always be more demand than supply of housing in Ketchum. We can build as many units as Aspen and there will still be a crisis. The key is to figure out what scale we want our town to be and to keep it to that as much as we can.
Perry,
You love to talk, hate to listen and are so absorbed in your own opinions that you'll likely never accomplish anything as you alienate all those around you.
Your research is flawed and you simply don't have any understanding of what the Roaring Fork Valley has done to navigate the issues currently facing the WRV. a real public transportation system that works, City engineers , firefighters, teachers, living in deed restricted housing and loving it. Getting your " locals information " from fellow retired hedge fund managers isn't exactly giving you a clear picture of what the working class is experiencing. Good luck, you'll need it. Unsubscribing now, happy to continue the conversation on direct email. Good Luck.
People generally go ad hominem when logic fails them. I am happy to have a conversation on any substantive topic. Boylehp@yahoo.com
I absolutely agree with you they have a better public transportation system.
Thank you for all you have done over the years to make Ketchum what it is today.
I agree that we need more affordable housing for staff workers and that over the years has just about become a moot point! But this is very alarming that our destiny lies with 3 ppl . It's very disturbing also to see the construction going up around us anywhere there's a patch of land when we still have a huge HOLE welcoming outsiders to town! We need to pause and re evaluate otherwise we will lose the" charm" of this beloved town that is no longer a western town ,but ugly "mountain modern" boxes . Thank you Tripp and the others for standing up for those of us who don't want to have anymore Aspenization! Nor horns honking in our town bc you haven't bolted thru the red light in time for them!