Commission to weigh Teton Science School tunnel fee waiver

Teton County commissioners on Aug. 11 will decide whether to waive up to $3,355 in county fees for Teton Science School's planned multimodal tunnel under Highway 22 at Coyote Canyon Road and Indian Springs Drive. The request covers a pre-application conference, environmental assessment, and grading and erosion control permit fees, according to the staff report and the meeting agenda.

For families driving or biking through that area, the pitch is pretty simple: the project is supposed to reduce left-turn conflicts and make it easier to move between neighborhoods and the school area without crossing Highway 22 at grade. Staff wrote that the project is intended to "improve public safety," replace an aging county-maintained cattle underpass, maintain property access, and support future wildlife connectivity planning. The county's fee waiver policy allows waivers when an application shows "a bona-fide community benefit for the whole of Teton County," but commissioners could also choose a partial waiver instead of the full amount.