Planning commission backs drive‑in theater LDC amendment only if it requires special‑use review and stricter event/traffic safeguards
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Summary
The commission recommended the Board of County Commissioners adopt the proposed land‑development‑code amendment to add 'drive‑in theater' only if the new use is processed via a special‑use permit (not a limited administrative permit), and it asked that scale, traffic/impact management and buffering/screening for incompatible adjacent uses be defined and that hours be set during the special‑use review.
The Teton County Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 10 recommended that a proposed land‑development‑code amendment to add a 'drive‑in theater' land use proceed to the Board of County Commissioners only if it is tied to a special‑use permit process rather than the limited administrative review the applicant requested.
The applicant (MD Spud LLC, represented by Harmony Design and legal counsel) proposed adding 'drive‑in theater' as a limited use in RN5 and IR zones with a suggested three‑acre minimum and a set of operational standards (screen orientation, perimeter fencing, wastewater hook‑up if permanent, lighting off when not in use). Applicant representatives said the three‑acre threshold reflects a Teton County‑scale venue and argued that detailed use standards could protect neighbors while enabling economic and cultural activity.
Commissioners raised several concerns: limited‑use review has limited public notice and no public hearing, the draft text treats 'special events' as unobstructed (no further permitting) and does not set clear scale thresholds that would trigger traffic or event‑management plans. Commissioners said traffic impacts for larger events should be anticipated (temporary‑use rules already trigger for events above documented thresholds), buffering and screening for adjacent incompatible uses should be better defined, and hours of operation should be set site‑specifically via special‑use conditions. The commission moved, seconded and voted unanimously to recommend the BOCC adopt the amendment only if the use requires special‑use review, with the added direction that event scale, traffic/management plans, and buffering/screening criteria be addressed; the motion also made hours of operation a special‑use determination rather than a fixed 8 a.m.–2 a.m. allowance.
The commission’s recommendation does not preclude a future special‑use application for the Spud property; instead, it asks the BOCC to adopt the land‑use change with the requirement of site‑specific scrutiny at the special‑use stage.
