The City of Ketchum is initiating a targeted update to its existing comprehensive plan (2014 Plan) and the land use regulations that implement the goals and policies of the plan (Code). The Plan and Code Update is being led by the Planning and Building Department staff with support Clarion Associates, a consulting firm with extensive experience in comprehensive planning and zoning ordinance development. The full project is being executed in three phases and is anticipated to last for approximately two years. Phase 1 kicked off in August and includes an audit of the 2014 Plan, limited stakeholder engagement, input from the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council, and development of a detailed Scope of Work for Phase 2 based on the results of the Phase 1 work.
Phase 2 is expected to begin in November with the necessary technical analysis components closely followed by a public engagement process to inform targeted updates as identified in the Plan Audit from Phase 1. In addition, Phase 2 includes a parallel process of modifications to the Code beginning with a reorganization and reformatting of the existing content, a revamping of the processes and procedures, and an assessment of the existing land use districts and the attendant development regulations and standards.
Phase 3 is anticipated to begin in early 2024 and will build on the Code work from Phase 2 resulting in a modernized and consolidated Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance. Both the Phase 2 and Phase 3 code work will include public engagement throughout the process. The graphic below summarizes all three phases of work.
Project Objectives
- Achieve alignment between the updated comprehensive plan, other adopted plans, and the code to support the community’s vision, goals, and policies.
- Integrate progressive and sustainable policies and practices to support sustainable growth and environmental stewardship.
- Develop regulations that improve the citizen experience by making the code user friendly, in plain English, streamlined, and fair with high-quality visual references (images, graphics, tables, etc.).
- Develop design review guidelines and processes that foster creativity and quality design.
What is the role of the Comprehensive Plan?
The Comprehensive Plan is the city’s future vision of itself! It is intended to create a high-level policy framework that guides and informs the development of the built environment and acts as a foundation for more detailed planning for housing, mobility, sustainability, and the provision of municipal services such as utilities, parks, libraries, and emergency services.
Why update the Plan now?
The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range planning tool with a 10- to 20-year planning horizon. The current plan was adopted in 2014 and much has changed over the last decade. Demographic shifts experienced during the pandemic and increased development pressures have spurred discussions about Ketchum’s future growth, housing, transportation, disaster preparedness, and resource management. This targeted update is needed to freshen the data and demographics that inform the Plan and to recalibrate and align with subsequent work and planning for housing, mobility, sustainability, and to guide and inform the updates to the Land Use Regulations.
What is the role of the Land Use Regulations?
Ketchum’s land use regulations—which include Title 17 – Zoning Regulations and Title 16 – Subdivision Regulations establish the regulations and standards for land use and development within the City of Ketchum. Other Titles that intersect with land use regulations are the streets standards (Title 12) and the building and construction standards (Title 15). Collectively these Titles are referred to as “the Code.”
Why update the Land Use Regulations now?
The Idaho Statutes mandate that every city has both a comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance to regulate the built environment and to implement the provisions of the comprehensive plan. Ketchum’s existing zoning and subdivision ordinances were developed and adopted in the 1970’s and have experienced piecemeal updates and amendments over time, resulting in a patchwork of rules and regulations that are outdated, internally inconsistent, and difficult to use and administer. The code update will focus on making the land use regulations clearer and more user friendly by eliminating inconsistencies and redundancies in addition to developing new provisions to achieve the city’s goals and policies as articulated in the updated comprehensive plan.
Phase 1: Scope of Work
banner photo credit: Spencer Cordovano