Planning commission recommends Sweetwater Phase 1 preliminary plat after court-affirmed airport easement, asks Driggs and airport to tighten security measures

The Teton County Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the amended Sweetwater Phase 1 preliminary plat on Jan. 13, after hearing staff, city and applicant presentations and a court decision addressing airport access.

Staff told the commission the application proposes to increase the number of lots in the Phase 1 replat and that the main outstanding issue is access to the airport. Doug Self, Driggs community development director and deputy city attorney, said the county had issued an eligibility letter and the Seventh District Court’s memorandum of decision and order confirmed that the applicant has access via an existing easement. "The applicant does have the right to access the runway," Self told commissioners.

The applicant’s attorney, John Stenquist, urged the commission to focus on the subdivision criteria and not to relitigate airport control, saying, in part, that "that easement provides unfettered access" and that the airport master plan approved by the Federal Aviation Administration anticipated higher hangar use. Engineer Rob Isabel and the applicant described measures they say would meet subdivision standards, including gated access, CC&Rs and through‑the‑fence agreements tied to building permits.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on who will control access and what will prevent unauthorized users — especially if short‑term rentals are allowed — and added a condition tying the recommendation to action by the City of Driggs and the airport advisory board. One commissioner moved that the PNZ "recommend the approval of the amended preliminary plat for Sweet Water Phase 1 … with the condition that the airport board and the City of Driggs address potential security issues with access to the airport," which was seconded and passed.

The motion included retaining the 11 staff report conditions. The commission’s recommendation will go to the Board of County Commissioners for final action. The commission’s packet identifies several outstanding attachments staff said had been superseded by the court decision; staff asked the BOCC to rely on their full report and attachments for any board review.

What happens next: The PNZ recommendation, the staff report and the condition that the City of Driggs and the airport board address security issues will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final decision. If the BOCC approves the plat, through‑the‑fence agreements and individual hangar owners’ agreements will be executed at the time hangar building permits are pulled, staff said.

Speakers quoted in this article come from the meeting record and are listed in the meeting speaker roster.