Jackson town and county officials have halted the 90 Virginian Lane project, ending their partnership with developer Pennrose, LLC. The decision was made at a special joint meeting between the Board of County Commissioners and the Town Council.

Project Details

The project, which had been in the works for over three years, aimed to provide housing for various household types, including singles, couples, young families, seniors, and people with disabilities. However, concerns over affordability and the project’s compliance with the 2023 request for proposal requirements led to the decision to terminate the partnership.

During the meeting, a list of pros and cons for the partnership was presented, with arguments in favor of the project including the potential for housing to be delivered sooner and a product mix that would complement other housing projects in the community. However, the only con mentioned was the significant time and resources already committed to the project.

Public Comment and Debate

The meeting was marked by heated public debate, with some speakers urging officials to scrap the current proposal and others arguing that restarting the project would only worsen the community’s housing shortage. Resident Margaret Mary Aeckerle expressed her opposition to the project, stating that she would prefer not to build anything at all on the RV park location, citing concerns over the loss of the area’s charm.

Others, such as Executive Director of Shelter JH Clare Stumpf, spoke in support of the project, stating that it might not be everyone’s dream home, but it is someone’s dream. Jean Day, a long-time resident of Jackson, also voiced her support for moving ahead with the Virginian project.

The subject of affordability resurfaced during the discussion, with Commissioner Wes Gardner stating that he could not find a way to move forward with Pennrose due to concerns over the cost of a one-bedroom unit in the completed project, which would be $3,119 per month.

The meeting ended with both the Board of County Commissioners and the Town Council agreeing to discuss in a future joint meeting what to do with the land at 90 Virginian Lane.

Original reporting: Buckrail (Jackson WY) — read the source article.