What to Include in Your Public Comment to City Council 📝 Hi Fit Me SV supporters, As we prepare for the next step in our Text Amendment journey, I want to share a few key points to help you craft your public comment in support of removing Footnote 37 in the LI-1 district. Your voice made all the difference at the P&Z meeting — now we need to show up strong again for City Council. While my original request was to remove Footnote 37 from all three LI zones (LI-1, LI-2, and LI-3), the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended removing it only in LI-1 — which is where I’m hoping to relocate Fit Me SV. So now, our main focus is on why Footnote 37 should be removed specifically in the LI-1 District. Please emphasize the following in your comment: ✅ LI-1 is a transitional zone between the Community Core and the broader LI area. It’s the most appropriate place for community-serving, low-impact businesses like wellness-focused fitness studios. ✅ This amendment affects more than just Fit Me SV. Council will be looking at this holistically — removal of Footnote 37 would apply to all qualifying wellness businesses. So it’s important to frame your comment around the broader community benefit, not just support for Fit Me. ✅ Local businesses thrive in LI-1. National or corporate chains tend to require visibility and foot traffic, which makes them better suited to the Community Core. LI-1, on the other hand, is ideal for small, local businesses that have a loyal following and can operate successfully without prime downtown frontage. ✅ The amendment aligns with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map, which supports local entrepreneurship, accessible wellness options, and better use of underutilized LI spaces. ✅ We’re not asking to change all LI zones — just LI-1. This is a reasonable, focused compromise that balances city interests and local business needs. Thank you again for your continued support! If you haven’t yet, please submit your public comment to participate@ketchumidaho.org by Thursday, May 15 at 12:00 PM MDT for inclusion in the official City Council packet. We’ve got this 💪 Xx, Kat Owner, Fit Me SV · Modern Pilates 📧 Public Comment Email Template (For Anyone Who Hasn’t Sent One Yet): Instructions: ✔️ Copy + paste the text below into the email body section below. ✍️ Personalize it with your voice — the City appreciates genuine messages ⚠️ Add your name at the bottom and "Ketchum Community Member" Dear City Council, I am writing to submit my public comment in support of the proposed text amendment to remove Footnote 37 in KMC 17.12.020 – District Use Matrix, specifically for the Health & Fitness Facility—Wellness Focus use in the LI-1 district. This amendment is important because it allows small, local businesses like wellness studios to operate in appropriate ground-floor spaces in the LI-1 zone, without changing the overall intent of the Light Industrial district. The LI-1 zone is designed to provide suitable locations for limited business and services that are not reliant on pedestrian traffic or high downtown visibility. This amendment honors that purpose while allowing wellness-based businesses to serve the community where space is otherwise underutilized. Removing Footnote 37 for the LI-1 zone would: 1. Support year-round community health, longevity, and injury prevention. 2. Provide safe, accessible wellness spaces for seniors, injured, disabled, and aging populations. 3. Activate underused LI-1 spaces, bringing life and energy to these areas. 4. Strengthen Ketchum’s economy beyond tourism with stable, year-round jobs. 5. Encourage healthy commuting via bike paths and public transit connections, as LI-1 is established as a transition area between the Community Core and the LI-2 District. 6. Support local entrepreneurship and keep dollars circulating within the Ketchum community. 7. Align with the 2014 Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map goals of economic diversity, startup support, and appropriate mixed-use development. This amendment has already received broad community support, with numerous written comments, a strong in-person turnout at the P&Z meeting, and P&Z’s official recommendation to remove Footnote 37 from the LI-1 district. Please help keep Ketchum a place where small, local businesses can thrive, the character of our town stays true, our community’s voice is heard, and our active locals have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,