Planning Commission recommends approval of 72-unit St. John's employee housing at 460 East Broadway

The Jackson Planning Commission on May 7 recommended that the governing body approve development plan P25-041, an approximately 83,000-square-foot, three‑story building with 72 accessory residential units (ARUs) intended to house employees of St. John's Health at 460 East Broadway. Commissioner Smith moved to recommend approval; Commissioner Petrie seconded and the motion passed.

The plan, presented by Andrew Bowen of town planning staff, calls for 72 units (22 one‑bedroom, 48 two‑bedroom and 2 three‑bedroom units) on an approximately 1.65‑acre site currently occupied by 17 buildings that are under demolition permit. Bowen said the applicant, HH Land Strategies, represents the Teton County Hospital District and is seeking a recommendation to the county council. Bowen said the applicant has revised the development plan to address referral comments and that staff could make the required findings for approval under the town's Land Development Regulations (LDRs). Bowen said, “these units are to be fulfilled for Saint John's Health employees, and that is the purpose for this redevelopment project.”

Why it matters: the proposal is workforce housing tied to a major local employer, and Bowen told commissioners the project has public funding and broad municipal review items still to complete. The applicant said the project is intended to support recruitment and retention of health‑care staff by providing both short‑ and long‑term employee housing near the hospital.

Project details and compliance: the development is in the Public/Semi‑Public (PSP) zone and follows conditions set by a prior zoning map amendment. The plan shows a floor‑area ratio of 1.0 and a landscape surface ratio of 0.28. Bowen said the design review committee approved the design report on March 12 with a condition that the applicant provide final exterior materials; that submittal was pending. Building heights conform to conditions attached to the prior rezoning: pitched roof elements are within a 39‑foot limit and flat roof sections have been reduced to a 35‑foot limit, as reported to the commission.

Parking, access and pedestrian changes: staff calculated parking at 1.5 spaces per unit for this PSP ARU use, yielding a requirement of 108 spaces for 72 units. The plan provides 76 on‑site spaces and proposes a shared‑parking agreement for 32 off‑site spaces; Bowen said that off‑site area is approximately 665 feet "as the crow flies" from the project site (walking distance will depend on final sidewalk alignment). The applicant removed a previously proposed mid‑block crosswalk at the request of referral agencies and revised the frontage plan so the sidewalk runs continuously to the property's eastern boundary. Commissioners discussed pedestrian safety on East Broadway and noted the sidewalk extension as an important change.

Housing rule exceptions: the applicant requested two modifications to Jackson/Teton County housing rules and regulations. First, they asked that the 75% minimum local income requirement apply to the St. John's Health employee occupying a unit rather than to the entire household. Second, they asked for relief from a 60‑day vacancy limitation to accommodate delays between job acceptance and relocation. The housing department recommended supporting the first request as applied to households with at least one full‑time St. John's employee, but recommended against a universal exception to the 60‑day vacancy rule; it recommended that vacancy exceptions be handled on a case‑by‑case basis by the housing manager consistent with the housing rules (referenced in staff materials as section A.3). Commissioners voiced sympathy for the hospital's recruitment challenges while noting concern about setting precedents for other workforce housing projects.

Applicant presentation and technical details: Hal Hutchinson and Sean Ryan of St. John's Health described outreach to immediate neighbors and said an open house produced no public attendees. Hutchinson said the project team revised plans to meet design review comments and that the hospital has relocated an on‑site short‑term hospitality function off‑site prior to demolition. Architect Kyle Mead of ShopRx Architecture reviewed siting and massing: the building is sited to concentrate mass on the west side to buffer single‑family homes to the east and to create two courtyards. Proposed primary exterior materials discussed include thermally modified wood, metal panel and concrete accents. The design team said they are exploring snowmelt and other site design elements to reduce on‑site snow storage and truckoff costs.

Public comment and commission discussion: no members of the public addressed the commission during the public comment period for this item. Commissioners asked about sidewalk continuity, snow storage, parking distances and deed restriction enforcement. Staff told the commission that the submitted development plan met LDR standards and that referral comments had been incorporated into the revised site plan.

Action and next steps: Commissioner Smith moved to recommend approval of development plan P25‑041 based on the departmental reviews and the staff report dated May 7, 2025; Commissioner Petrie seconded. The commission voted in favor and the motion passed. The recommendation will be forwarded to the next reviewing governing body as required by the development process for a final decision and permit issuance.

A fuller record: the staff report and referral comments remain part of the official record and will accompany the commission's recommendation when the application advances to the next decision body.