Affordable housing subdivision proposed in Island Park
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ISLAND PARK — A local businessman is proposing a new subdivision aimed at easing the housing crunch for workers in Island Park and nearby West Yellowstone.
Ray Ball, owner of On the Ball Homes, Inc., presented plans to the Fremont County Planning and Zoning Commission last week for a 13-acre development with 16 lots and a small clubhouse in the Shotgun area of Island Park.
Ball, a firefighter in West Yellowstone, said his goal is to create affordable housing for employees who struggle to find housing in the area’s tight market.
He is partnering with Island Park Realtor Karen Cameron on the project, which is planned on a property off Yale-Kilgore Road along Old Shotgun Road.
In a letter to the county, Ball emphasized the need for flexibility to make the project viable.
“We need this housing and are willing to do what is necessary to make it happen,” he wrote, asking for a variance or potential changes to development rules.
To make the development financially feasible, Ball is requesting approval for half-acre lots. He said that would allow him to build smaller homes — about 600 square feet with one bedroom and a loft — that could sell for around $100,000, including the land.
While larger homes could bring higher profits, Ball said that is not his focus.
“I could build bigger homes and make more money, but we need housing for workers,” Ball told the commission. “Higher-end homes in the subdivision, if built on larger lots, could range from about 1,600 square feet and sell for $300,000 to $350,000.”
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Ball added that his preferred plan is to pursue state assistance to develop low-income housing as part of the project.
While infrastructure details are still being worked out, according to application materials, the development would likely rely on individual septic systems with a shared drain field and a community well.
Additionally, state regulators would need to review and approve plans if the project qualifies as a public water or sewer system.
Commissioners raised questions about water use restrictions, particularly recent rulings from the Idaho Department of Water Resources that limit how water from new domestic wells can be used.
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Ball said all the details have not been finalized and the proposal is still in the early stages; however, sketch plans are the first step in the county’s review process and do not require approval.
Developers must next submit a preliminary plan, followed by a public hearing before any final decisions are made.
Planning and Building Administrator Tom Cluff encouraged commissioners to carefully review the project now to avoid issues later in the process.