Board approves Grand Targhee change of use for cabins and phase‑1 plat with housing conditions

On Aug. 19 the Teton County Board approved two interrelated items for Grand Targhee Resort: (1) a development-plan amendment that converts 22 previously permitted cabins from commercial lodging to primary residential use and (2) a subdivision plat for Phase 1 that creates 11 townhome lots and related road/common-area lots.

Planning staff said the requested amendment changes the primary use but does not alter the approved density or the physical location of the cabins. The amended approval carries nine conditions of approval that staff and the applicant worked through; they include a requirement that deed restrictions for the mitigation units be recorded and that affordable units meet the county’s livability standards and be inspected and approved by the affordable housing department prior to issuance of any certificate of occupancy (C of O). Staff also removed a prior condition relating to a wildland‑urban-interface fire plan because that plan had been completed and accepted by the local fire authority.

Brennan Schulte of Jorgensen Associates, representing the applicant, said construction progress is well underway: a 300,000-gallon water tank and trenching for mains are in place and the team expected to test the tank soon; he said about half the subdivision-improvement work (valued in earlier estimates at about $3.2 million before contingency) is complete and previously issued building permits cover multiple cabins. The applicant provided a revised affordable-housing mitigation plan vetted by county housing staff; the plan assigns specific deed-restricted units (3 units at 50–80% MFI, 2 units at 81–100% MFI, 2 units at 101–120% MFI) and requires marketing and compliance procedures tied to Grand Targhee human-resources outreach.

Commissioner Macker moved to approve the DEV amendment with the nine recommended conditions; the board approved the motion unanimously. The subsequent subdivision plat (SD 2025-01) creating 11 townhouse lots, one road lot and one common area lot also was approved unanimously. Staff said the subdivision improvements agreement shows an engineer’s estimate of roughly $3.2 million in improvements with a 25% contingency (resulting surety a little over $4 million) and that the county engineer had reviewed the work in the field.