V2N8: Ketchum Council Plans To Prohibit Single-Family Homes in Much of Ketchum
Their Plan will displace locals with tourists, second homeowners, and underpaid tourism industry workers in housing projects
The headline is no joke: that’s what’s in the staff presentation for today’s joint Ketchum City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. You can find it here.
This is the stuff you don’t read in the Mountain Express. I wonder why that is?
The punchline is that the Comp Plan/Land Use Plan/Zoning Plan process will eliminate single-family homes in much of Ketchum and replace them with up to 30 condos per acre.
If you think this Plan leads to the Aspenization of Ketchum and the destruction of Ketchum as it is today, you are 100% correct. Let’s look at it in more detail.
Read that slide. Think about the order of statements. That is not the “normal” Comp Plan process. That is ass-backward.
Think about what is not a goal: preserve and enhance the quality of life for Ketchum’s residents. They don’t even pretend to care about locals.
That word “community?” That’s not you, silly. That’s another word that has a different meaning in Ketchum City Hall from the dictionary. “Community” means them. To paraphrase Ms. Breen, they got elected, so they get to decide.
The first thing they will decide is to minimize single-family housing in Ketchum.
Eliminate Single-Family Homes in West Ketch
It is not my “opinion” that they are using this process to increase density and development in Ketchum. It is a fact. Exhibit A:
They plan to increase density in West Ketch by at least 15% and perhaps as much as 50%. No new single-family homes in med/high-density zones; much of West Ketch will convert to those zones.
Why West Ketch? It is ideally located for tourism development between downtown and River Run. The problem is that low-revenue locals inhabit it. Under the new plan, the City can replace them with higher revenue tourists. And not a few of them. The City wants to put up as many as 30 units per acre in West Ketch. 30 units per acre!
Eliminate Single-Family Homes in Warm Springs
It’s the same thing for Warm Springs. Look at the map they want to adopt. Single-family homes will be relegated to the avalanche zone.
The City plans to convert almost all low-density residential (single-family homes) to medium and high-density zoning of up to 30 units per acre. 30 units per acre. No single-family homes in Medium and High Density Zones.
Again, this plan replaces low-value locals with high-value tourists.
Eliminate Single-Family Homes in Mid Warm Springs
Once again, no new single-family homes will be permitted in medium and high-density zones, and most of this area will convert to that zoning.
Eliminate Single-Family Homes on 2d Avenue
Once again, no new single-family homes will be permitted in medium and high-density zones, and most of this area will convert to that zoning.
MORE Massive Housing Projects For Underpaid Tourism Workers
The next one will go up on the YMCA parking lot. There isn’t anything you can do to stop it. If you think there is, ask Mayor Bradshaw directly: “If the people of Ketchum don’t want this, is there something they could do to stop it.” See how he responds.
It wouldn’t be so bad if that project were for essential workers and limited to the Ketchum workforce. But it’s not.
What They Won’t Do: Listen to Their Constituents
At least they fess up to that. But what they don’t fess up to…
WHAT IS THEIR ACTUAL PLAN FOR KETCHUM?
Their zoning code is a means to an end. What is that end? Why won’t they be transparent about that?
What are we supposed to do about the massive population increase that this Comp Plan/Land Use Map/Zoning Code will create?
What does this mean for:
Sustainability?
Traffic?
Parking?
Schools?
Airport Expansion?
Ketchum’s “character?”
If you double the number of people in Ketchum, the answers are obvious. Shouldn’t that be part of the Comp Plan? How is this going to work? Isn’t that what a Comp Plan is supposed to address?
Is this why they refuse to use the usual 3D tools that other Planning Departments use to show residents how things will change?
THEY ARE LYING
The worst part is that they are trying to tell us that this is what we want. They say we are telling them this is what we want in our feedback on the plan. BULL SHIT. You can read the comments yourself. People want to save Ketchum, not destroy it.
Our leaders pray upon your good nature to think that they wouldn’t do something like this. When you talk to them, they sound reasonable. They tell you you will have plenty of opportunities for more input. They say nothing has been determined.
They have been destroying Ketchum one little step at a time, minimizing each step so the sheeple won’t notice and become troublesome.
Ignore What They Say; Watch What They DO
The process makes my stomach turn. They solicit the bare minimum of public input, publicly claim how inclusive they are, and then cite only those that support their Aspenization agenda. It is dishonest.
Watch what happens in today’s meeting. They will try to assure you that everything I write about is off-base. They will assert that they won’t force people out of their homes, raise taxes, etc. Those are all distractions about what they will do. Increase density.
Nothing they say in that meeting matters. What matters is what they include in the Comp Plan, the Land Use Map, and the Zoning Code.
These are some of the same people who told you that Bluebird was for essential workers and was intended to address Ketchum’s workforce shortage. We know that was a lie. Essential workers make too much to live in Bluebird; BCHA recruited homeless from Twin Falls for some units (and failed!); half the tenants in Bluebird do not work in Ketchum. This is precisely what I said would happen. They LIED.
This feels more like living in Russia than in Idaho.
How can we stop them? We should have done the recall, but now it is too late. The only hope is to vote them out in November and have a new Council repudiate this blatant violation of public trust.
P&Z Commission: HELP!
One step in this process is the P&Z Commission's approval of the Plan. For the first time in a long time, we have a P&Z with some spine. Will they stand up for Ketchum or go along with Aspenization?
In the end, they can’t stop the Council. If the Council wants this, they will have it, regardless of P&Z. However, P&Z can slow the process down and buy some time. Hopefully, they can buy enough time so we can have the election. Let’s hope they do the right thing.
One Last Question: Why are They Doing This At All?
Who asked them to pursue a plan to increase density like this? Was there some referendum we missed? Did they share this as their goal when they ran for office? Have they been transparent and inclusive? Have they been honest?
Is THEIR plan an improvement in YOUR quality of life?
Who benefits from this?
Sun Valley Co
Real estate industry
Construction industry
AirBnB/VRBO/Natural Retreats, etc.
IKON Pass
Staff of Ketchum Housing Department/BCHA
Staff of Visit Sun Valley
Staff of Fly Sun Valley Alliance
Mountain Express
Who is the Council working for?
As the months go by, we see the actions by this City Council become more and more onerous. We cannot wait until an election in November to stop all this. The situation worsens as the months go by. There needs to be a recall petition and a lawsuit seeking a temporary halt in these programs. That is the only solution, otherwise we just watch (or fiddle) as Ketchum burns....
Thank you, Perry, for outlining these important details in what the City is proposing and for continuing to keep the community informed on discussions and decisions are being led by the City, and how the community can impact those discussions and decisions. Missing from the comp plan plan is anything about infrastructure upgrades that would be needed to support increased density. One issue a KBAC Board member brought up is insurance. If you live in a single family home now, and something happens, will insurance cover your single family home due to changes in zoning definition? Those details need to be thought through as these conversations are taking place. Below is the comment that KBAC submitted to P&Z ahead of the Feb. 3rd P&Z meeting:
The KBAC group appreciates the opportunity to provide constructive feedback on the proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan. We have concerns about two significant zoning aspects of the draft Comprehensive Plan and feel it is impossible to provide accurate comments without examining the new Planning and Zoning changes side-by-side.
Residential - The residential changes propose increasing density in established neighborhoods without adequate infrastructure planning, particularly in West Ketchum and Warm Springs, which already face capacity constraints. The current water, sewer, and road infrastructure needs significant upgrades before supporting increased density. Emergency access is already constrained on narrow streets, with no transparent budgeting outlined for these necessary improvements. The proposal lacks specific building height, size, and density restrictions, with no clear caps on rental rates aligned with workforce wages or language preserving single-family and duplex opportunities in medium-density zones.
Additional planning is needed for wildfire and flood risks, particularly in forest-adjacent developments, and the insurance coverage implications have not been adequately addressed.
Instead of sweeping density increases in well-established neighborhoods, incentives to incorporate affordable housing into new property developments should be considered. There is a more holistic way to address these needs without penalizing neighborhoods with established families and residents.
Commercial - The commercial changes suggest potential downzoning in the expanded Retail Core area while maintaining current allowances in Community Mixed-Use zones. However, the full impact cannot be assessed without seeing the new zoning code. While Community Mixed-Use areas appear to maintain current height and density allowances except for hotels, the language suggests reductions in the expanded Retail Core area. KBAC supports a mix of commercial spaces, including smaller retail spaces for local businesses, restaurant spaces, and residential spaces interspersed. KBAC supports economic diversity and all property types in the RC except oversized full lot-line to lot-line developments like Bluebird, which do not meet Ketchum's character goals or provide adequate parking for residents, employees, or customers. We realize developers are maximizing FAR, yet continuing to do that directly conflicts with the goals stated in the Comprehensive Plan and what the community has voiced. KBAC supports affordable housing outside of the Retail Core and supports clear design guidelines in the Retail Core that promote the character and integrity of Ketchum.
Overall, we are concerned about the implied zoning changes mentioned in the Comprehensive Plan and the lack of input from businesses and residents. We recommend removing all references to any zoning and density changes from the Comprehensive Plan and moving this work to the Planning & Zoning team, which will develop a complete plan with input from key stakeholders.