HEARING CANCELED for High Noon Ranch

HIGH NOON RANCH CONCEPT HEARING - POSTPONED!

 We have been notified that High Noon Ranch was pulled from tomorrow's Planning & Zoning Commission agenda. High Noon Ranch will NOT be heard tomorrow, Tuesday, October 11th. If you submitted comments, that is great, and THANK YOU!Your comments will still be part of the record.

Should any application materials be resubmitted in the future, we'll be tracking, and you’ll know when we know!

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We Aren't THAT High, High Noon Ranch!

Eight days. One hundred ninety-two hours. Luxury property venture capitalist, John Stern, of Jupiter, Florida, submitted his application for an enormous, 532-acre, dude ranch/housing resort along the remote foothills of the Big Hole Mountains - just eight days before the new Teton County Land Development Code was adopted - hoping it would be grandfathered in under the County's now rescinded zoning codes. The High Noon Ranch residential resort is proposed in a very rural area that has not been prioritized for large scale housing or any kind of commercial recreation ventures. 

What is the difference between the old and new code?

The difference is stark. Under the newly adopted zoning code, this property would be protected under 10-acre and 35-acre zoning. Attempting to squeeze in under the old code, this resort proposal includes 74 housing units, 69 dude ranch cabins, a main ranch house, and two artificial ponds to be created out of Dude Creek. 

What are the main issues with the proposal?

While farm and ranching settlers have been in Teton Valley for over 140 years, this area of the Valley has consistently remained one of the most sparsely populated due to the difficulties in accessing water. Nearby developments such as West Ridge Ranch (the last development to be platted in this area - over 15 years ago) have been plagued by water problems. The availability of water is a critical issue here. There has been no demonstration by Stern's team that they have the water rights or are in the process of acquiring sufficient water rights for domestic use, landscaping, the proposed ponds, or even fire protection. Located over nine miles (along rural dirt roads) from the nearest fire station, the property is not only very remote, it's also encumbered by multiple wildlife overlays, steep slopes over 30 degrees, and the wildfire hazard overlay.

We believe High Noon Ranch should not be grandfathered under the old code.

 Of all the proposals currently attempting to squeeze in under the old code, this one is perhaps one of the most troubling in terms of size, scale, impacts, and remote location. Very few materials have been provided by the High Noon Ranch team thus far. It is our organization's position that such incomplete proposals should not be entitled to grandfathering under the older, more lenient code. We encourage everyone in the community to actively track this process along with us. Please participate in vigorously opposing High Noon Ranch. It should not be granted approval under the old ordinances.  

How to make your voice heard:

Attend the public hearing on Tuesday October 11th at 5:30PM where you will have the option to give public comments (limited to 3 minutes). We HIGHLY recommend doing this! 

 Email comments to pz@co.teton.id.us. We recommend doing this in addition to attending the hearing and commenting via Zoom or in person.  

 Listen via Zoom:  Zoom Link

Zoom ID:  701 658 496

Passcode:  967030

Call in via Zoom:  301-715-8592 Meeting ID Number: 701 658 496 and Passcode: 967030

Want to learn more about the High Noon Ranch proposal? Check out the links below:

• Concept Plan Application
• Concept Narrative
• Concept Survey & Site Plan
• Teton County Planning Department Staff Report AND public comment letters submitted to date including comments from the U.S. Forest Service and Teton Regional Land Trust.  
• VARD'S Comment Letter outlines our organization's concerns in greater detail. 
• Friends of the Teton River's Comment Letter highlights the importance of proactively resolving the critical water issues with this large proposal. 

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There are still other applications we will be tracking at tomorrow night’s public hearing. We anticipate listening to P&Z Commissioners discussions on the proposals below.

For more information, please click the respective link to view application materials.

Feel free to tune in via Zoom (info below) or attend in person.

 Daniel Highlands Subdivision Concept Plat Hearing:  (p.61)

Highland Ranch LLC (Texas) has submitted an application inJune for a 10 lot/102.5 acre subdivision located just north of W4000S near the foothills of the Big Hole Mountains. The property lies within the Waterbird breeding, migration, foraging, and wintering habitat natural resource overlay.

 Olive Tree Estates Subdivision Concept Plat Hearing:  (p.252)

One-Time Financial (Idaho Falls) submitted an application in April for a 16 lot/78.26 acre subdivision located on the west side of Hwy. 33 between Victor and Driggs. The property lies within the Hwy. 33 Scenic Corridor which triggers a Design Review for any development within 330 feet of the highway ROW and Priority Wetlands, Songbird/Raptor Breeding, and Wintering Habitat natural resource overlays.

 What:  Teton County Planning & Zoning Commission PUBLIC HEARING

When:  Tuesday, October 11 @ 5:00PM

Where:  Teton County Courthouse, 1st Floor 

You can attend & give comments in person at the hearing

You can email comments to pz@co.teton.id.us

You can also listen via Zoom:  Zoom Link

Zoom ID:  701 658 496

Passcode:  967030