Planning commission recommends Ripple Ridge Ranch preliminary plat with habitats and envelope conditions

The Teton County Planning & Zoning Commission voted 3–1 on Feb. 10 to recommend approval of the Ripple Ridge Ranch preliminary plat, subject to staff conditions and a new requirement that building envelopes on Lots 1 and 2 be placed within native grassland or agricultural habitat identified in the applicants’ wildlife-habitat assessment.

Joshua (planning staff) presented the application, which proposes dividing an existing roughly 318-acre parcel into nine lots ranging from about 2.5 acres to roughly 150 acres. Staff noted mapped wildlife habitat, Bull Elk Creek bisecting the property, and a nutrient/pathogen (NP) evaluation submitted for review by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality because part of the property lies in a nitrate‑priority area. Eastern Idaho Public Health provided preliminary approval for on‑site wastewater; the fire district and public‑works reviewers raised outstanding technical comments that staff recommended be resolved before BOCC final action.

Commissioners focused discussion on whether the two largest lots (Lots 1 and 2) should carry building envelopes to protect wildlife movement and avoid floodplain or stream‑setback encroachment. Tom (commissioner) pointed out that the concept plan had requested a 50‑foot setback from the stream and asked to see building envelopes relative to that line. The applicant’s representative, Hester Crowther, said the applicants had intentionally left the largest lots with flexibility and viewed them as agricultural parcels that could host a primary house and one accessory dwelling unit under existing code; she also said utility layouts would be finalized once primary‑plat approval is obtained and noted the county and fire marshal need to align on road‑width standards.

Commissioner Weber moved to recommend approval with staff conditions plus a third condition requiring building envelopes on Lots 1 and 2 to be placed in the native‑grassland/agricultural habitat identified in the wildlife study; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll call of Weber Aye, Wilcox Aye, Braun No, Kohak/Kohut Aye. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final action; outstanding technical comments from the fire marshal and public works remain to be addressed before the BOCC takes up the preliminary plat.