Biz ‘Bite:’ Ketchum buys last large open space left in the Sun Valley region for preserve

The City of Ketchum announced that it closed the deal on the purchase of the 65-acre Warm Springs Ranch property on April 14. The property was the last large undeveloped land parcel in the Sun Valley region. It will now become the Warm Springs Preserve, a public park that will maintain its open space character in perpetuity.

Sun Valley area developer Bob Brennan gave the City of Ketchum the option to purchase the property last August if it could raise the $10 million purchase price by April 28. Donations raised money faster than expected, leading to a revised price of $9 million in December.

Brennan originally offered the property to the Wood River Trust, but the two parties could not come to an agreement over the future uses of the property. Brennan was opposed to uses he viewed detrimental to the open space reserve he envisioned, such as commercial, reserved-space events and organized sports. The sale agreement with the City of Ketchum includes deed restrictions disallowing commercial and large event uses. The preserve will include off-leash dog access, walking trails, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and public restrooms.

The City received over 1,000 donations that made the purchase possible. The Blaine County Assessor’s Office lists a tax appraisal of $12.5 million for the nine parcels that make up the property.

“I am thrilled with the participation of this amazing community,” said Mayor Neil Bradshaw. “Without them, we could not have made this a reality. Again, I would like to thank Bob Brennan, our city council, the Spur Community Foundation, the tireless efforts of the Warm Springs Preserve campaign committee, and the many other people who were involved in this effort.”