Ketchum is in the middle of a class conflict over the potential development of a new four-star hotel on Main Street that could strangle a more stable economic future.
Mountain resort towns are collections of uneasy neighbors with starkly contrasting interests. Some operate in the economic realities of the recreation industry and some live in rose-colored dreams.
It’s easy for residents and part-time residents with incomes secured by inheritance, lucrative pensions or income derived primarily from outside Blaine County to say no to economic growth that may come from additional hotels in Ketchum.
It’s easy to take the position that the use of publicly owned Bald Mountain that is leased to Sun Valley Resort for skiing should be kept secret in order to reserve its use for a privileged few.
It’s easy to take the position that the city should not allow high land prices to be offset with higher densities in the downtown core when it makes no difference to opponents’ pocketbooks.
It’s easy to drag out the tired old arguments that traffic, noise and hotel heights make development unacceptable.
It’s easy to look backward to the days of tumbledown buildings, vacant lots, few jobs with crummy wages, and constant business turnover and call them the “good old days.” It’s easy because the majority of hotel opponents never depended on the local economy for their livelihoods.
Opposing new hotels is easy. Coming up with solutions that balance competing interests in the local community and the economy is hard.
That is where the Ketchum City Council should come in. It must do the hard work and refuse to be cowed by arguments disconnected from local economic reality.
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(16) comments
None of what made this community great would be allowed to happen again given todays anti growth anti development anti business political mob mentality; and none of you would be here! The Sun Valley Lodge, Dollar Mountain and Bald Mountain Ski Areas wouldn't exist. Freedom and private enterprise made it and liberal politics, protectionism and mob rule ruined it. You turned land use into who's who, rich verses poor; haves vs. have nots and killed the value of mutual respect. The first chair lift and destination ski resort, Warren Miller, Scott USA and Smith Optics and world famous athletes from Sun Valley would have never been heard of. Liberal obstructionists think no one was here before they arrived and they have saved everything with their constant interference and resistance... when in reality they have ruined it all for everyone.
"Freedom and private enterprise made it and liberal politics, protectionism and mob rule ruined it." Your comment is unfortunate. What made this Valley great from the beginning was the liberal valuees of Averell Harriman and Bill Janss. They directly supported the community's character growth as down-to-earth and authentic. The Marriott (and other preceding projects) are ruining that. It's not the wealthy here - both the haves and have-nots hate this hotel proposal. Its the realtors and those spouting the tourism mantra who are ruining what we have in order to accumulate their own wealth. And, at this point, the Valley's economy is functioning independently of the Resort. You should attend the Sun Valley's Center's meeting tomorrow at 6 pm about the robustness of local businesses and their increasingly global markets. You would benefit from broadening your perspective!
Unfortunately Jima, there is no evidence you are correct regarding the motivations of Harriman or Janss. Both were greedy developers if not super developers. Regulation was scant and social opinions favored development as a means of survival. Your timeline is incorrect as they were not first to be here or create local commerce (trickle down). The development of Sun Valley allowed poor local farmers and ranchers a choice from seasonal drudgery and mining; providing them and even many outsiders a chance to be a self made success. This dynamic no longer exists in Blaine.
This sad editorial about "class conflict" is way out of line. Among the more than 450 people I spoke with who oppose the Marriott proposal were several wealthy people, service workers, medical personnel, educators, non-profit workers, library personnel, waitpeople, middle-class retirees, and more. None of these people want to "lock up" the Valley. They want to preserve some of what used to be - and they don't remember tumble-down buildings, empty lots, a jobless future, etc. They remember finding a way to make it here because of the quality of life, the charm, the historic character that is so frequently written about in positive reviews of the Valley, and a close community not sullied by hundreds of transient people wandering and driving here and there in a rush. Time to take your head out of the past. And by the way, the proposed hotel is in the Tourist Zone, not the Commercial Core.
wow,someone is being paid off (the author of this repugnant viewpoint ) hotels will do nothing but create a few low paying jobs for people that will never make enough money to even stay a weekend in one of these expensive hotels. the contractor will bring in his own people to build it and hire a few locals for show. in the mean time our taffic woes continue to grow and the satisfaction of living in a peaceful mountain community is traded for frustrating traffic jams and anxiety. not one person that cares about the quality of life in the Wood River Valley wants this kind of progress. it makes Driggs look better every day.
Driggs is nothing like it was in the 70’s. Ruined by Biff and Todd. Spud drive in rocks!
The city should eliminate waivers, allow hardship variances and make all projects conform to the building code and zoning ordinances. The Mayor stated that the city would give some guidance to the hotel. However, that is unnecessary since the building code, zoning ordinances, and other city ordinances is all they need for guidance.
JAKE JACOBY
Write the Ordinance and stand by it. Waivers, exceptions, are all corrupt.
Carmex . . . Banksy
Put a name behind this and I'll take it seriously.
This is amazing, IME just won't give up. Now their taking to belittling the population as some kind of alien group trying to perserve what's left of the community. "Majority of hotel opponents never depended on the local economy for their livelihoods.", that's right and so their not obliged to trash the place to make a living And anyway how do you know what the rest of us think. Your argument sound more Trumpian in the Us vs Them mentality, so now your attacking your readers to justify your greed and lack of vision. And why shouldn't the city counsel listen to a packed room of citizens. And where are all these business people you keep referring to? What rooms are they filling? And who and what competing interest are you speaking of you and the real estate industry against everybody else.
"That is where the Ketchum City Council should come in. It must do the hard work and refuse to be cowed by arguments disconnected from local economic reality." and for this statement I give the IME the pretentious jerk award .
sounds like they nailed you there buddy....get a job
I can't believe the Editor dismisses those who oppose these massive hotels by stating they live off inheritances, etc. I guess that when you can't argue your point, the best path is to belittle and denigrate your opponent.
The facts are that Ketchum's attraction is largely based upon it's location and connection to the mountains and surrounding areas. That has been changing due to the myopic view of their city government. It began with granting banks and others a height variance on Main Street - the beginning of blocking out the mountains. It got even worse with the travesty of the Limelight. Main Street is beginning to look like Wall Street. Then the Bariteau fiasco, now the Marriott blight. Why are you folks destroying one of the major reasons that folks love the town?
Sun Valley has been a 400,000 skier day resort (plus and minus) for many years. That number is a function of accessibility and the relative difficulty of the slopes, among other reasons, of course. Hotels alone will not change that equation.
Next, since number of skiers are a zero sum game, any expansion will reduce attendance at the Lodge and other SVCo. facilities. Were the SVCo.to become less profitable, why would they continue to invest in the area? And what impact will that have on the community?
Really folks, do we need another ski shop or restaurant? Do we want SV to become like all the other ski areas?
Please think about that.
nice
It's all about money, who can influence who. They don't care about ambiance or any of that "good ol days Ernest Hemingway sh**." This is about getting rich and buying a beach house. It's the American way.
This is why the IME is behind open borders.
Welcome to the discussion.
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