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Jackson and Teton County officials pledged an additional $10 million on Monday toward the valley’s most ambitious housing project to date.
But turning the Virginian RV Park into more than 200 affordable units remains a steep climb as residents are desperate for new supply.
“I think it’s a good proposal despite the complexity,” said Bob Weiss, a longtime resident who serves on the Teton County Planning Commission.
He joined nearly a dozen advocates who packed a four-hour discussion Monday that capped years of negotiations about the Virginian Lane conversion.
The 5-acre lot will still be an RV park this summer. But the added $10 million should help finalize a development agreement that will provide stricter construction timelines and secure housing for government workers.
Those rooms can’t come soon enough for workers like 40-year-old Ariel Kazunas, who is being kicked out of her apartment in Victor, Idaho.
“Unfortunately the housing crisis is spilling over into neighboring communities because so many people have been pushed out of Jackson,” she told KHOL.
Nobody spoke against the project, and Pennrose Development managed to win over most electeds who came to the meeting with reservations. Councilman Jonathan Schechter was opposed to providing additional public funds mostly because of the project’s complexity.
Longtime resident Georgie Stanley was overwhelmed too.
“Trying to figure out how many one bedrooms, how many three bedrooms, how many workforce, how much affordable — it’s mind boggling,” she told KHOL.
But hashing out the specifics is also necessary, she said. With so few opportunities to build affordable housing options in Jackson, community members and elected officials want to maximize the impact of each project.
Town and county leaders first bought the RV park lot for $28 million in 2023.
“It’s the right project in the right place,” said Housing Supply Board chair Laura Bonich.
Jackson’s affordable housing crisis mirrors the same fundamental challenge facing communities across the country, Pennrose regional vice president Shannon Cox Baker said.
Still, the Virginian represents an “extraordinary” project by local standards. The mix of household types is uncommon too, she said, suggesting it could be a model for future developments in town.
Housing Director April Norton said there is overwhelming demand for apartments at every income level. The same home she rented for $450 a month in 2005 has now been renovated and is listed for 10 times as much. Those economics make it hard to raise a family in the valley and have pushed many residents to leave, she said.
Kazunas, the Victor resident, said living here means dealing with constant “roommate shuffles and kerfuffles.”
Councilman Kevin Regan said he overcame his initial sticker shock from the $10 million request as he heard more from the developer. Pennrose claims to have never failed to complete a project. The public contribution is proportional to most other projects in town, Norton said.
Commissioner Luther Propst said he has heard concerns that new units will mostly be rented by seasonal workers that benefit the valley’s big tourism companies. The developer plans to work with local housing staff to set preferences on who rents the units.
Councilwoman Devon Viehman was frustrated she had to attend the meeting remotely while visiting her 90-year-old grandmother, but said her unease about the project had melted away.
Jackson Mayor Arne Jorgensen said the all-too-familiar project finally feels like it’s nearing the finish line. He pushed for more comprehensive policy questions to be hashed out in future discussions.
Blanca Moye, bilingual coordinator for the advocacy group Shelter JH, expressed her support for the project in English and Spanish. She told KHOL that many Latino residents who have lived here for years still don’t have an established home.
“The prices are super, super high […] everybody is having like three to four jobs right now. And for a long period of time, I think everybody has been tired,” she said.
“They wish for something everybody can afford and can feel that peace.”
The engagement from elected officials in Jackson has been significant, said Charlie Adams, who oversees projects all over the country as president of development at the Philadelphia-based Pennrose.
“They’re very concerned about what the project looks like, how the public is protected and I think they’ve gone about in a really thoughtful way to make sure that the project that they are envisioning is what’s actually delivered,” he told KHOL.
It’s been a balancing act to protect those interests while still moving the project forward, he said, because “time kills all deals.”
Affordable housing is a “national crisis” but the dearth of inventory in Jackson may be “deeper and wider” than most of the country, Adams said. He was particularly struck by Jackson’s priority to house government employees, which is “not something that you necessarily see in other municipalities.”
“The focus here is on the employees first and foremost,” he said, adding “that’s incredibly valiant.”
The next chance to lock in recommendations will come May 4 at a joint town and county meeting. If that goes well, Pennrose hopes to break ground this fall.
