Planning commission recommends approval for Browse & Buy expansion at North Cache Street

The Town of Jackson Planning Commission on July 2 recommended approval of development plan P25‑038, a proposal to replace an existing surface parking area with a roughly 22,000 square‑foot, two‑story mixed‑use building at 139 North Cache Street and associated site development at 170 North Glenwood Street.

Caitlin Page, associate planner for the town, told commissioners staff recommends approval with 15 conditions. Page said the project includes two deed‑restricted accessory residential units (ARUs) as part of housing mitigation, shared‑parking arrangements and upgrades to pedestrian frontage. "The sum of all uses at the property, including the new development, totaled just over 111 vehicle parking spaces required," Page said, noting the site would rely on a mix of on‑street spaces, proposed on‑site stalls and a historic parking credit that together account for about 109.48 spaces.

A central policy question for the commission was whether to allow the applicant's proposed modifications to a nonconforming surface parking lot so the project can meet LDR requirements. Commissioners signaled support for staff's approach to use a screening wall and reconfigured stalls to meet dimensional requirements, while conditioning the approval on wheel stops, minimum pedestrian frontage widths and recordation of encroachment or access easements required prior to building permit issuance.

Representatives of Saint John's Episcopal Church, which operates the Browse & Buy thrift store that would occupy the new building, described community services tied to the project. A church leader said the thrift operation supports local programs including the Jackson Cupboard food cupboard and recovery‑meeting space, and estimated the construction phase at "a little bit less than $20,000,000." The speaker said the expansion would increase sorting and retail capacity and add accessible meeting rooms for recovery groups.

Brandon Schulte of Jordan's Associates, representing the project team, described design features that aim to integrate the new building into the downtown street wall, provide discreet entrances for residents and service users, and temporarily house the store during construction. He and project team members said the store's staffing levels are not expected to rise materially because the design increases sorting efficiency.

Nearby Hotel Jackson expressed support for the project overall but urged attention to the narrow gap between the hotels and the proposed building, and asked the commission to consider screening and setback details to prevent debris or snow accumulation. Hotel representatives also asked the town to consider ordinances limiting early‑morning trash pickup hours as a separate policy matter.

Commissioners spent substantial time debating how historic parking and housing mitigation "credits" are applied. One commissioner called the existing credit system "pretend credits," questioning whether credits that remain tied to land rather than a business create unfair mitigation outcomes when philanthropic or community uses are involved. Staff said the current mitigation model ties credits to physical square footage and that mitigation is calculated on the net new floor area above existing building area; commissioners asked staff to consider LDR updates to address perceived inequities.

Following discussion, a motion to recommend approval to the town council carried on a voice vote. The commission's recommendation forwards the development plan and staff conditions to the council for final action.

Next steps: the recommendation will go to the Town of Jackson council for final review; the applicant will need to record required easements and deed restrictions and secure building permits and any encroachment agreements before construction.