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Council approves Teton County’s justice center development plan and conditional‑use permit, sets construction‑management conditions
Summary
After extended review, public comment and staff conditions focused on construction staging, parking and lighting, the Town Council approved the development plan and conditional‑use permit for a roughly 78,000‑square‑foot Teton County Justice Center; council attached conditions on the construction management plan and lighting controls.
The council on Jan. 20 approved development plan P25‑179 and conditional‑use permit P25‑180 for a new Teton County Justice Center at 180 South King Street, following a lengthy staff presentation, applicant design updates and public comment.
Planning staff summarized that the development plan and CUP meet Land Development Regulation findings and that design review and planning commission recommended approval with conditions. Staff highlighted eight construction‑management items to address before building permits: guaranteed police parking (four spaces), management of the alley during construction (one‑way, intermittent full closures), trash and recycling relocation, a communications plan for phase transitions, contractor parking limits in a multi‑block perimeter and building lighting limits to comply with dark‑sky standards.
The applicant’s team explained several design changes—removing the Clifford Hansen courthouse, adjusting massing to create porches and more glazing, and material selections—to reduce perceived bulk and improve pedestrian frontage. The applicant presented a three‑phase, roughly 31‑month schedule with demolition, structural work and site finish. Neighbors and nearby business owners raised concerns about noise, contractor parking spilling into adjacent blocks and the length and scale of construction; several councilors pressed the applicant for enforceable contractor‑parking and construction‑management commitments.
The council approved the development plan motion (moved by Councilor Spears) and the CUP motion (also moved by Spears) by unanimous voice vote, subject to the staff conditions discussed at the meeting and an updated map clarifying an expanded contractor‑parking prohibition in nearby blocks. Staff and county representatives said they will return with a more detailed construction‑management plan and communications schedule before construction begins.
Councilors emphasized that while they supported the civic need for the justice center, they expected strict enforcement of contractor‑parking rules, robust neighbor communications and adherence to building‑permit lighting limits to protect dark skies.
