• Proposal would have altered minimum lot acreage.
• Some immediate concerns focused on planning for development in floodplains and potential pollution of the Salt River.
County commissioners, land developers, local citizens, bankers and potential property buyers all find themselves between a rock and a hard place in Lincoln County. Realistically, it’s more like a lot of rocks and many hard places.
There is apparently a move to develop or reconsider statutes and rules that will protect communities in Lincoln County against the problems associated with rapid growth and development, balanced against the extreme shortage of affordable housing.
Bank of Star Valley President Rod Jensen, in a letter to county commissioners and planning and zoning commission dated March 1, 2024, states unequivocally that “Star Valley is clearly in a housing crisis.” Jensen elaborates on this point, stating that from Alpine to Smoot there are only six homes available on the market valued under $500,000.
At the end of 2023, the average home price in Star Valley was $735,660 and the median cost was
$534,000. Jensen commented, “Home ownership has moved beyond the ability of the local population to purchase housing, plant roots, and contribute to the social and political economy.”
It is in this daunting context that county commissioners considered updates to a statute established in 2006, part of which allows homeowners or developers to develop parcels that average 5 acres. For example, if a developer, or homeowner, wanted to divide a 40-acre plot, he could have 2-acre plots as long as some were larger, say 8-acres and the total number of plots averaged to 5 acres.
In a County Commission meeting on April 3, commissioners considered a proposal that would require a minimum of 5 acre lots for subdivisions on county property in the future. After a brief discussion, commissioners Jerry Hansen and Teri Bowers voted against requiring 5-acre minimum lots. Commissioner Kent Connelly was not present at the meeting.
Chief of Staff Stephen P. Allen, when asked what next steps might be on this issue, commented, “With the Commissioners denial of 101-PZ-24 (Land Use Regulations Amendment, Density and Lot Design) there will be no further discussions or meetings on this file.”
Commissioner Connelly emphasized in a phone conversation this week that there are some complex rules and regulations surrounding subdividing land in a rural area. He explained that any change to the current plan would need to go through a public process that could take as long as 2 years to change.
Some of Connelly’s immediate concerns focused on planning for development in floodplains and potential pollution of the Salt River because of a growing number of septic systems being installed for homes developed in the area.
