Dear Teton Climber,
In the November 2019 election, Teton County voters approved $22,000,000, via the SPET initiative’s Proposition #9, for an expansion of the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center.
This expansion includes a community climbing gym. Town and county decision makers are now making final decisions about various elements of the gym, including its size.
The Teton Climbers Coalition (TCC) is advocating for adequate space in the gym to meet our community’s needs. Current plans for the gym call for ca. 9,000 square feet overall, including restrooms and check-in desks. This translates to roughly 7,000 square feet of climbing area.
The Enclosure Climbing Gym, which closed in 2014, had 10,000 square feet of climbing area. It also had 700 annual members, and 50-100 people in the facility at any given time.
Given the increase in Teton County’s population and in climbing’s popularity, as well as the number of users a public facility—particularly one located close to downtown tourist traffic—will attract, it is safe to assume the Rec Center climbing gym will have more users than The Enclosure did.
For this reason, the TCC is advocating for a MINIMUM of 10,000 to 12,000 square feet of climbing area.
To demonstrate that there is community support for a climbing gym with sufficient space, TCC is soliciting letters from folks like you: family members, businesses, non-profits, and local climbers.
Hence, we ask that you please take a minute, draw on the boilerplate text below (or use these key takeaways to compose your your own letter), and express your support for the gym in writing. Please send your letter on your letterhead to info@tetonclimbers.com.
The TCC will compile all letters received and share them with Teton County Parks and Rec, as well as Town and County elected officials.
Please dash off a letter and send it at your earliest convenience.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Teton Climbers’ Coalition
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Draft Letter Example:
Dear Jackson Town Council, Teton County Commissioners and Teton County Parks and Recreation Department,
[On behalf of YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OR PERSONAL NAME,] I strongly support the inclusion of a climbing gym as part of the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center expansion. I also support a gym large enough to accommodate the community’s needs.
Jackson Hole is first and foremost a mountain community, with much of its history and culture steeped in climbing and mountaineering. A climbing gym at the Teton County / Jackson Recreation center will not only be a tribute to this heritage; it will also be an invaluable asset for our entire community—kids, families, guides, search and rescue members and veteran climbers alike.
Key to a great gym is enough space to accommodate our community’s needs.
Current plans for the Rec Center climbing gym call for ca. 9,000 square feet for the climbing gym, which translates to roughly 7,000 square feet of climbing area.
The Enclosure Climbing Gym, which closed in 2014, had 10,000 square feet of climbing area. Given the increase in Teton County population and in climbing’s popularity, demand today is higher than it was when The Enclosure closed.
For this reason, I’m writing in support of a MINIMUM of 10,000 to 12,000 square feet of climbing area for the Rec Center climbing gym.
An appropriately sized rec center climbing gym will not only contribute to our community’s physical and mental wellbeing. It will create a safe venue for our kids, one that connects them to positive role models and a lifestyle that’s aligned with Jackson Hole’s legacy as the epicenter of American mountaineering. These connections will last the rest of their lives. Allocating an appropriate amount of space to the gym is essential to making this happen.
Thank you for considering my support for an appropriately sized gym.
Sincerely,
Your name
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