The Valley Signal

The Week Ahead

Week Ahead: Targhee Open House, Victor P&Z Hearings, and the Evans Property Vote

By The Valley Signal Editorial Board ·

Victor P&Z commissioners will hear two continued applications Wednesday night, the council faces a critical vote on the Evans property closing April 22, and the Grand Targhee expansion open house anchors a week packed with public input sessions across Teton Valley.

Wednesday, April 16 — Victor Planning & Zoning Commission

Time: 7 PM
Location: Victor City Hall, 138 N. Main Street, Suite 201

Key agenda items:

  • Sweet Hollow Farm conditional use permit (LU2025-14): The application at 545 Cemetery Road for a guest ranch/dude ranch operation returns as a continued public hearing. The commission will also consider findings for the associated concept plan (SD2025-12).
  • D&B Partners LLC annexation and rezone (LU2026-01 and LU2026-02): The Spokane-based developer's proposal to annex and rezone 13.38 acres between Birch Street and Baseline Avenue returns for a continued public hearing. The developer held a neighborhood open house April 9.
  • Commission bylaws discussion.

Victor's wastewater capacity constraints have dominated recent land use decisions. The city council rejected the East Idaho Holdings rezone 3-0 on April 8, and the Victor P&Z rejected Birch Crossing's 172-unit proposal the day after. Both actions cited sewer limitations and resident opposition to growth. Whether the commission finds a path forward on either application or signals the same caution will set the tone for spring development season.

The Trails subdivision preliminary plat (SD2025-15) does not appear on the posted agenda.

Thursday, April 17 — Grand Targhee Expansion Open House

Time: 5-8 PM
Location: Driggs Community Center, 60 S. Main Street, Suite 200

The U.S. Forest Service will present the proposed Grand Targhee Master Development Plan: three new lifts, 850 acres of new terrain, expanded snowmaking, and guest service facilities. The Forest Service expects to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement this summer. A final decision has been pushed to July 2027.

Public comment runs through June 20. Submit comments by email to District Ranger Jay Pence at [email protected] with "Grand Targhee Master Development Plan Projects" in the subject line.

Previous open house sessions drew 300 people. This is the first major public forum since the Forest Service extended the timeline.

Thursday, April 17 — Economic Development Plan Open House

Time: 5-7 PM
Location: Geo Center, 60 S. Main Street, Driggs

The county is soliciting public input on the Teton Valley Economic Development Plan. Runs concurrently with the Targhee open house across the hall.

Tuesday, April 22 — Victor City Council

Time: 6 PM
Location: Victor City Hall, 138 N. Main Street, Suite 201

Key agenda items:

  • Evans property closing and budget amendment (Ordinance 651 amending Ordinance 640): Staff is recommending the council authorize closing on the 40-acre Evans property for the wastewater treatment plant site, funding the $2 million purchase from the local option tax and general fund. The city faces an April 30 contractual deadline. The property is at the center of a residents' lawsuit alleging the city predetermined the annexation outcome and promised zoning concessions to landowner Paul Evans. A separate judicial confirmation hearing on Victor's $35 million borrowing plan is scheduled for September 11-13.
  • Baseline/HWY 33 rezone continued hearing (SD2025-16 and LU2025-17): East Idaho Holdings LLC's rezone to RM2 and CX at the northwest corner of Baseline Road and Highway 33 returns after the council rejected it 3-0 on April 8.

Tuesday, April 22 — Parks & Recreation Master Plan Open House

Time: 5-7 PM
Location: Driggs City Center, 60 S. Main Street

The Teton Valley Parks and Recreation District will present proposed concepts for the Teton County Recreation and Public Access Master Plan Update. The plan guides future parks, trails, and recreational infrastructure across the valley.

Saturday, April 25 — Teton Valley Earth Day Celebration

Time: 10 AM - 1 PM
Location: Teton County Fairgrounds, Driggs

Free, family-friendly event with 15 local organizations offering activities on sustainability, conservation, and environmental stewardship.

Sunday-Tuesday, April 27-29 — Tetonia Arbor Day

  • April 27-28: Community cleanup, 9 AM - 5 PM. Trash bags and gloves available at Tetonia City Hall.
  • April 29 (Arbor Day): Shrub planting ceremony with Tetonia Elementary students. MD Nursery will distribute Douglas fir seedlings funded by a $300 grant from the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association.

Coming up next week

  • April 21: Driggs City Council (6 PM, City Council Chambers, 60 S. Main Street). Agenda not yet posted.
  • April 27: Teton County Board of Commissioners (9 AM, Courthouse). Agenda not yet posted.
  • April 28: LDC Update Workshop, 4th Tuesday. Teton County Planning and Zoning is accepting public input on subdivision procedures, special use permit standards, and natural resource protections. Written comment deadline is May 11; public hearing is May 18.
  • April 29: Teton Valley Health Care SWOT update at Seniors West of the Tetons.
  • April 30: Deadline for reproductive rights ballot initiative signatures. District 35, which includes Teton County, needs roughly 900 more signatures to meet its threshold. The statewide campaign needs 100,000 total.
  • April 30: Victor must close on the 40-acre Evans property for its planned wastewater treatment plant.

What We're Watching

The April 22 Victor City Council meeting is the one to circle. Staff is recommending the council fund the Evans property closing from the local option tax and general fund, eight days before the April 30 contractual deadline. The property sits at the center of two legal proceedings: a residents' lawsuit challenging the annexation process, and the $35 million judicial confirmation hearing now set for September. How the council votes will determine whether Victor locks in its wastewater independence or faces renegotiation under legal pressure.

Victor P&Z meets the night before, with Sweet Hollow Farm's guest ranch application and the D&B Partners annexation both testing the commission's willingness to approve new uses while the city's sewer future remains unresolved.

The Targhee open house on Thursday is the largest public engagement opportunity before the June 20 comment deadline on the biggest development proposal in the valley.

Sources: Victor P&Z agenda (victoridaho.gov), Victor City Council public notice (victoridaho.gov), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Community Foundation of Teton Valley, Teton Valley News, Teton County Planning & Zoning Department