Council approves Jackson Hole Jewish Community assembly permit, waives permitting fees and orders no-parking on nearby corner

The Jackson Town Council on April 7 approved a conditional use permit (P24196) allowing the Jackson Hole Jewish Community to use 410 South Cache Street for assembly purposes, granted a fee waiver for permit review fees (P25044), and directed the town manager to place pavement and curb markings to prohibit parking for about 46.5 feet on the south side of East Kelly Street near the site.

Caitlin Page, associate planner for the Town of Jackson, told the council the existing building is nonconforming to setback and pedestrian-frontage standards and that existing informal parking areas on the property currently encroach into the public right-of-way. Staff recommended approval of the CUP with six conditions tied to resolving encroachments and bringing parking on site, including removal of "parking area B" along East Kelly Avenue, reestablishing curb and gutter, installing a detached sidewalk and landscape strip, and requiring a minimum of four vehicle parking spaces in line with the applicant's independent parking calculation.

Planning Commission recommended approval consistent with staff recommendations, concluding the project offered an appropriate time to address nonconforming site elements and to reduce potential vehicular conflicts at the corner.

The fee-waiver request asks the council to waive the town’s permit-review fees for planning, building and engineering; staff estimated the fiscal impact at roughly $9,400 to $18,600 depending largely on building-permit review hours. The council approved the fee waiver unanimously.

Ben Goldberg, co-president of the Jackson Hole Jewish Community, said the nonprofit plans modest regular staffing and weekly Friday evening services, with larger religious holidays to be held in community spaces such as St. John’s Church. Goldberg objected to condition 2 — removal of parking area B and associated public-frontage improvements — arguing that the constitutional standards from Nolan and Dolan require an essential nexus and rough proportionality between the condition (an exaction) and the project’s impacts; he said the property’s current intensity of use is higher than the nonprofit’s proposed activity.

Members of the public, including long-time property owner Michael Cook, told council they have observed no accidents at the corner during decades of use and warned that creating on-street parking could reduce visibility in winter. Planning staff said the curb reestablishment and a detached sidewalk would improve pedestrian safety and that, even with the conditions, limited on-street parking adjacent to the site is likely to be eliminated or reduced by required red-curb distances from intersections.

Council voted on each item separately. The fee waiver (P25044) was approved unanimously on a motion by Councilwoman Spiering, seconded by Councilman Schechter. The conditional use permit (P24196) was approved 4–1 on a motion by Councilwoman Spiering, seconded by Councilman Schechter; Councilman Speer cast the lone opposing vote. After the CUP vote, the council unanimously directed the town manager to place signage, pavement and curb markings prohibiting stopping, standing or parking on the south side of East Kelly Street for roughly 46.5 feet measured east from the South Cache intersection.

The conditions of approval require the applicant to provide required parking fully on the property, remove parking area B, establish curb and pedestrian frontage prior to certificate of completion, provide a minimum of four vehicle spaces in line with the independent parking calculation, install short-term bicycle parking to town standards, and ensure parked vehicles do not impede pedestrians on sidewalks.