Panelists discuss JH affordable housing
Friday, November 14, 2008
By Matthew Irwin
Out-of-towners respond to questions with “what’s worked for us.”
Jackson Hole, Wyo. - Jackson Hole should use the Comprehensive Plan rewrite process to define community goals before it moves on affordable housing and other developments, according to an affordable housing forum, Friday, at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
“You have to ask the big questions first,” said Craig Richardson, vice president of Clarion Associates, a land-use and real estate consulting firm out of North Carolina. “What kind of community do you want in 20 years, in terms of affordable housing?”
This attitude was a consensus among panel members invited to the Q&A session by Teton County Housing Authority and Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, with partial funding from The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
Richardson, Aspen Housing Authority executive director Tom McCabe and independent development consultant Mark White, out of Kansas City, Missouri, agreed that the planning process is difficult, requires the use of several development tools and inherent flexibility as needs change.
White added that the Comp Plan must also be strong enough to resist “derailing” by various interests. He stressed that Jackson needs to consider the complete community, which includes economic development to prevent unsustainable gaps in wealth, and agreed with Richardson that architectural design can help meet goals for housing and commercial development, as well as open space protection, if people are willing to redevelop existing spaces and to build up.
McCabe said that Aspen has maintained a 60-percent rate of affordable homes, which he would like to increase, though he quipped that the high percentage could be attributed to a time in the ’80s when people were smoking marijuana or taking “magic mushrooms.” Still, “everyone” in Aspen is looking for places to put their employees, he said.
“It’s a moving target, and you will not get it right,” he said of the planning process, adding that it’s important to stay diligent and be willing to make “mid-course corrections.”
Claims that affordable housing brings down the value of free-market homes have proven false in Aspen, he said. And on “absentee” or second-home owners, he’s not as concerned with their investments as he is “that the town functions.” The Aspen Housing Authority has never been involved in as many legal actions as it is now, according to McCabe.
Responding to questions from the audience, McCabe also said that they don’t have a formal plan for the rental market, but that when the question presents itself, it’s more unpopular with residents than developing the ownership market.
On questions of cross-jurisdictional cooperation with Lincoln County and Teton County, Idaho, the panelists had little information on successful programs, but that Aspen’s buses (part of a system second in size only to Denver) were full of people commuting to work as far away as 45 miles or more.
“Protecting Our Community: Housing Working Families” was the second of a three-part series, called “Next Steps: Exploring Solutions for Jackson Hole.” The first, on wildlife preservation, took place on Nov. 12, and the last will be on public lands, noon, Nov. 19, at the Alliance conference room, 685 S. Cache.
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Panelists discuss JH affordable housing | Planet JH News Article: General News
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