Future of Don Davis subdivision discussed

The long-planned Don Davis subdivision just west of Lovell was the primary topic of both a work meeting and the ensuing regular meeting of the Lovell Town Council Tuesday, July 14.

The work meeting began one hour ahead of the stated meeting with Willie Bridges of Pryor Mountain Engineering representing Davis during the discussion.

How to provide water to the subdivision – promoted as the Sugar Farm Estates -- is the primary concern developers and the council are wrestling with. About half of the subdivision land is within the boundary of the Northwest Rural Water District, which has complicated efforts for Davis to move forward with the development.

Town administrator Jed Nebel said there are three options for water, two of which involve supplying the subdivision with Town of Lovell water, which would require boring under U.S. 14A/310 from the main line on the north side of the highway.

Option one is for the development to remain in and purchase water from the NW Rural Water District. Option two is for the Town of Lovell to own the system and lines to maintain the water system, and option three is for the developer to form a special water district and simply purchase water from the town while maintaining and managing the system.

Bridges said the NW Rural Water District would want all of the tap fees for the lots paid up front at $11,000 each, requiring Davis to come up with a significant amount of money before any lots are sold, though Lovell town administrator Jed Nebel said in a follow-up interview that five of the lots on the eastern edge of the subdivision along Wyoming Highway 32 would not require a tap fee because they would be close to the rural water district main line along the highway.

Lovell Public Works Director Adrin Mayes said there are some concerns with low water pressure when a large number of lots are hooked into the town system due to elevation and extended services.

“It would meet DEQ standards but would be on the lower side,” he said, and he said there was some consideration about filling the closest town water tank fuller to create a bit of extra water pressure.

Mayes added that it would not be a significant burden on the town staff to conduct the required water testing that the crew already performs in town.

After a question from Mayor Tom Newman, Mayes said the volume of water for fire suppression should be adequate.

Nebel said there are no water pressure concerns with the rural water district system.

Town councilman Bob Mangus said he wonders about whether people would want to live next to the sugar beet dump.

Another issue is an oil pipeline running through the edition, which has required the plan to be modified. Bridges said a street can cross the Enbridge pipeline but not cover it or run parallel to it. The pipeline route is envisioned as a greenway in the subdivision.

In answer to a question, Bridges said it wouldn’t cost the Town of Lovell anything to take over the system, stating that Davis would take care of any legal fees regarding the development.

Reetz speaks

Powell realtor Dave Reetz addressed the council during the regular meeting at 7 p.m. and said the Davis project is part of a longtime goal to provide affordable housing for North Big Horn County.

Reetz said there would be 17 lots sold in phase one of the project and 10 more in phase two.

“Affordable housing is a serious issue across the state -- in Lovell, in Powell, Cody, especially Park County,” Reetz said. “I’ve seen in my years of real estate such difficulty for people to afford housing. It’s a very, very difficult thing. So, when Don and I started this project, the idea was affordable housing, because we needed workforce development and opportunities for housing, and those come from the middle-income wage earners generally. There is a tremendous shortfall in Wyoming right now of affordable housing.

“State Treasurer Curt Meier came out and said it would take $6 billion in housing over the next 15 years in order to try to make up the absence of housing, especially affordable housing, in Wyoming. We need 28,000 new houses in Wyoming, and that’s a tremendous number.”

He added that there is a widening gap between Wyoming’s median income -- $75,500 – and the cost of housing, noting that someone making that income can afford a house of $333,000 “over time,” and many homes are listed for much more than that.

“Home ownership is a cornerstone of our communities,” Reetz said. “If you don’t have housing in your community there are longer commutes coming from some other places and delayed home purchases, lots of delayed home purchases. Wyoming loses 70 percent of our young people every year by the time they reach 30, and one of the big factors is affordable housing. So if we’re going to keep our young people, if we’re going to keep our economies vital -- we are one of the fastest aging states in the nation -- we’re going to have to deal with this. That’s why I have such a strong interest in it.”

Reetz said there is a strong employment base in North Big Horn County in the manufacturing/mining, healthcare and educational services sectors, but according to the Wyoming Department of Administration Information and Economic Analysis, 762 people work in Lovell but live outside of Lovell. More housing is needed, he said.

He said he has been helping put together the project to bring affordable housing to Lovell, to “hit the sweet spot” for housing costs.

“Don has never talked profit to me. He’s never talked about how much money he’s going to make, ever,” Reetz said. “He’s never talked about that. It’s all about what can I do for Lovell? … He’s putting it on the line. He and I are about the same age. I’m 81. He’s a little bit older than me. We’re both at the point in our lives we want to make something good happen for Lovell. We really do. We have every interest to try to make that happen.

“Don has also got this big heart, and I believe that as we put this together that there would be special discounts for health workers, for school workers, for first responders, for veterans, for people like that. Can you imagine trying to be a superintendent right now, trying to hire people to come here? Or the CEO of the hospital, and having people come here and seeing our housing crisis?”

Reetz explained in a later email to the Chronicle: “My research with help of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information showed that 60.9% of the higher wage earners in Lovell are in three big categories: Manufacturing (mines), educational services and health care and social assistance. And these employees are those we hope will benefit from our affordable housing project -- and in addition provide support for entities in Lovell to recruit and retain employees. … Don’s greatest motivation is to help Lovell grow and prosper through this project, the Sugar Home vacation rental and the barn project, and is intending to provide a lot price discount to those employees with the hospital, schools, first responders and veterans.

“The project is definitely geared to providing acreage for single family residences (commonly the purpose of subdivisions), but we are also open to multifamily in the six lots fronting Highway 310. Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes can make housing costs more affordable and very attractive for buyers if done right. Maybe even apartment rentals, whatever the need of the community.

“We are also hoping to attract retirees and those who wish to move back to Lovell. Many retirees are downsizing and looking for that nice, new forever home in their hometown or a great smaller community like Lovell.”

Cottonwood Canyon

There was no other business on the July agenda other than approving minutes and paying bills, but Nebel did provide a brief update on the Cottonwood Canyon Bike Trail project. He said the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund board met to consider requests for funding, with 86 applications and 21 grants awarded. He said Lovell applied for $450,000 for Cottonwood Canyon, and the board approved $300,000 but required no match, so the trust fund is asking the town to apply the $150,000 match to future funding opportunities through Wyoming State Parks.

“They’re very impressed with what we’re doing here regarding public input and government agencies and stakeholders working together,” he said. “This has put Lovell on the map. We can get about half of the system started. They understand the hard work we’ve put into it.”

Nebel said the National Environmental Policy Act cultural survey process came in under budget with permitting taking place in July and the survey to be done in September and wrapping up by November.

He said a trail builder who has worked with the Red Bull Rampage organization visited the Cottonwood Canyon site and was “blown away by the opportunity we have in this area.” Using the man’s vernacular, Nebel said “the stoke is high” for the project and that many believe that “people will travel here from all over.”