Planning commission recommends approval of Teton County Justice Center at 180 South King Street

The Planning Commission on Dec. 17 recommended approval of a development plan (P25-179) and a conditional use permit (P25-180) for a proposed Teton County Justice Center at 180 South King Street.

"This project was voted on by the community of Jackson to allocate $88,000,000 for the funding of the justice center," said Tyler Valentine of town planning during the commission's presentation of the staff report, summarizing the project's funding and review history. The commission unanimously approved both recommendations on roll call and forwarded the items to the town council, which is scheduled to review the project on Jan. 20.

Why it matters: The proposed facility would house municipal, circuit and district courtrooms, sheriff operations, the county attorney, victim services, the clerk of court, a dispatch center and a county jail in a roughly 78,000-square-foot building. The project was previously approved at sketch plan with 11 conditions; the current development plan responds to those conditions and to design-review feedback about massing, materials and pedestrian improvements.

Staff and applicant presentations focused on site access, circulation and construction phasing. Key changes since sketch plan include the removal of the Clifford Hansen courthouse, which allowed reconfigured access and more landscaping; elimination of access from Willow Street for the secure yard; and an increase in permanent parking provision to about 126 spaces. Staff described a three-phase construction schedule beginning in February 2026 with an expected completion in roughly October 2028.

Public concern centered on construction impacts and permanent parking. Long-time neighborhood resident Lee Kavinka told the commission she wanted stricter limits on construction hours and stronger measures to reduce staging and parking impacts, saying, "the noise, the construction noise should be at the most restrictive it can be, not at the commercial." Kavinka also urged that worker transportation be required rather than merely encouraged.

The applicant and project manager said the construction management plan identifies off-site parking and staging areas, rented county lots and other provisions to reduce neighborhood impacts. "We will be providing a total of, I think it's about 44 total parking spots, for use during construction," said Jason Berning of Berning Project Management, and the team said they expect to schedule further neighborhood meetings in the new year to refine logistics.

Other conditions noted by staff include a requirement for replacement trees along East Pearl (with semi-mature conifers at least 15 feet tall), covered and secured long-term bicycle storage with a percentage reserved for oversized cargo bikes, adjustments to lighting levels to meet dark-sky standards while balancing security needs, and a construction-phase communications plan to coordinate trash/recycling, delivery access and signage.

The commission made two separate recommendations: one to approve the development plan P25-179 and a second to recommend approval of the conditional use permit P25-180. Both motions were seconded and passed unanimously on recorded roll call. The items will now move to the town council for final action on Jan. 20.

What’s next: The town council will consider the staff report, conditions and the commission’s recommendation at its Jan. 20 meeting. Planning staff said they expect additional neighborhood outreach and refined construction logistics before council review.