Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Out with house, in with garden

City reviews plan for downtown community garden

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By TREVON MILLIARD
Express Staff Writer

Ketchum restaurant developer Kevin Stuessi wants to tear down a city-owned building at the corner of First Street and Washington Avenue—commonly known as the Dollhouse—and convert the two-lot parcel into a community garden. And he's said he'll take on all the costs.

The property was bought by the city's Urban Renewal Agency a couple of years ago for $2.25 million with the intent of building affordable housing there, but the land has been vacant most of that time.

Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle said that's because the building is condemned due to electric-code violations and its weak roof. He said it's not worth fixing, and past plans of moving the building were nixed because it would fall apart.

City plans for building affordable housing have been indefinitely stalled due to the economy, and the URA is not starting any projects due to its $5.56 million debt.

Of that debt, $1.5 million came from a loan with the Idaho Housing and Finance Association to buy the Dollhouse property.

Stuessi will open the Sego restaurant and bar in December across the street from the Dollhouse property and its dilapidated, graffiti-covered fence. He said at Monday's City Council meeting that he'd like to not have this "eyesore" across the street. He said a garden would benefit the entire community.

"As a community, we all own it now," he said.

Stuessi said the restaurant would maintain the garden, and he hopes to get schools involved with it.

"If you teach kids how to grow a carrot, they're more opt to eat it," he said.

The council was all for the effort, which wouldn't cost the city a dime. Stuessi declined to venture a guess at the cost to him, but said volunteers have already stepped forward to help out. He said actual dollar amounts for the project should pale in comparison to "sweat equity."

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Council members warned Stuessi that affordable housing could be built on the property any time, and the garden would then have to go.

"Nothing could be better," Stuessi said. "I'll be the first person to jump for joy."

He said the garden is just to "beautify" the land in the meantime.

With that understanding reached, the council unanimously agreed to make this happen as soon as possible before the snow hits.

Stuessi said he'd like to get the buildings and fence down before winter season crowds roll in. Plants won't be in the ground, but the land should be flattened and trash disposed of.

"It's not just an eyesore, it's also dangerous," he said in an interview while walking the property.

Broken glass bottles and trash spotted the ground.

Stuessi said he also wants to disperse sculptures throughout the property to create a visual highlight during winter months, and said sculpture designs would be decided on after he gets the go-ahead from the city and URA.

The mayor and council, whose members entirely make up the URA, gave him their approval Monday, but Councilman Curtis Kemp said there are still "some hoops" that Stuessi must jump through.

The URA needs to agree on a contract with Stuessi, which should be drawn up and signed by mid-November. After a few other little technicalities, Stuessi can begin his work.

But Councilman Charles Conn had a few words of advice for Stuessi.

"Once you bite this apple, you've got to eat it," he said.

Even if Stuessi finds a worm or two.

"I'm willing to put pen to paper," Stuessi said.

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com