On Monday, Oct. 25, at 1:30 p.m., the Jackson Town Council and the Board of Teton County Commissioners will vote on the rec center expansion, including the development of the community climbing gym. An agenda and call-in information for the meeting may be found here.
As noted in the Jackson Hole News and Guide, Monday’s meeting represents a continuation of a discussion that began on Oct. 4, when Jackson/Teton County Parks and Recreation Department Director Steve Ashworth presented preliminary designs for the rec center expansion. Public comment was deferred until after Director Ashworth’s presentation. When the meeting ran out of time, the vote on the preliminary designs was moved to Oct. 25.
Per the staff report, on Oct. 25, the Jackson/Teton County Parks and Recreation Department will recommend that elected officials “[m]ove to direct staff to proceed through design development to construction documents on the recreation center renovation and expansion project with the program as presented at schematic design.”
The “program as presented” includes plans for a 8,500 square foot climbing gym. The Teton Climbers’ Coalition (TCC) supports the staff recommendations, particularly as it pertains to the climbing gym.
While we continue to advocate for a larger gym that would provide multiple benefits to the community, including the generation of additional revenue that could be used to offset other Parks and Rec programming, we recognize the gym’s development must be balanced with that of other programmatic priorities.
We have been encouraged by the retention of Entre-Prises (EP) as an independent climbing wall consultant. EP’s involvement has helped ensure that the gym’s design is creative and efficient, and that it maximizes square footage while still incorporating community space—a key ingredient for a successful gym.
We’re also encouraged by the increase of the gym’s size from the initial plans for 5,750 square feet to the current design of 8,500 square feet.
Following the Oct. 4 presentation, the TCC wrote to Town and County elected officials in support of the climbing gym.
We encourage Teton climbers to join us in urging elected officials to approve building the gym right the first time, as currently proposed.
Public comment may be made during the Oct. 25 meeting. To join:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86326446758
or
Dial 1.669.900.6833 Webinar ID: 863 2644 6758