NEW MEADOWS — Brundage Mountain Resort has purchased a building in New Meadows to be used for employee housing, the resort said.
The 10,000-square-foot stucco building on Virginia Street just east of U.S. Highway 95 will be remodeled to house up to 20 employees with the goal to be completed by the start of the 2022-23 ski season.
“It’s set up nicely for a conversion to dorm-style housing units,” Brundage Mountain General Manager Ken Rider said of the building, which most recently served as a church.
“It also has large spaces to use as common areas and for other uses and provides easy access to amenities in New Meadows,” Rider said
The resort will also consider putting park-and-ride shuttle parking to the resort on the site as well as “tiny homes,” which are homes of 400 square feet or less, behind main building.
“Some employees are single and well suited for dorm-style housing, many have spouses, children, and some have their own RVs but need a secure place to hook up,” Rider said.
The resort plans to submit plans this spring to the city of New Meadows for approval, he said.
The building was originally built as Meadows Valley High School and was completed in 1940, according to the Adams County Historical Society.
The current Meadows Valley School was completed in 1970 and the former high school was occupied by students in fifth through eighth grades during the 1970s until they moved into the new building after a few years.
Brundage currently provides housing for about 40 of its employees in the winter and fewer in the summer.
The resort has 33 year-round employees and adds as many as 140 full-time employees in the winter and additional 38 full-time workers in the summer, according to information provided by the resort.
Brundage first started providing employee housing in 2017 through a partnership with Shore Lodge to rent part of the lodge’s employee housing on Lakeside Avenue.
— Tom Grote, The Star-News (McCall), Thursday
Lewis County population jumps 5.2%
Everyone’s heard it, now the numbers confirm it. Gem State population saw growth in every county from 2020 to 2021, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, with those increases because of migration from other states.
While the largest numerical growth was concentrated in urban counties, most of Idaho’s rural counties experienced proportional growth. According to the Idaho Department of Labor, in all, 38 of Idaho’s 44 counties grew by at least 1%, and every county grew faster than the national average growth rate, except for Clark County, which is Idaho’s least populous county.
North central Idaho factored into those increases, with Lewis County showing more than a 5% jump, ranking second in the state for annual change.
Idaho County:
2.9% increase
Idaho County saw a 2.9% population increase from 2020 to 2021 (figures as of July 1), going from 16,561 to 17,040. For population total, Idaho County has remained ranked 20 out of the state’s 44 counties. However, for percent of change, the county decreased from 15th to 20th in the state.
Lewis County:
5.2% increase
Lewis County saw a 5.2% population increase from 2020 to 2021, going from 3,531 to 3,715. For population total, Lewis County’s ranking remains at 41st in the state. However, for percentage of change, the county jumped substantially in state rankings, going from 32nd in 2020 to second in 2021.
Net migration is the main driver of Idaho’s growth, primarily from other states rather than foreign countries. Natural growth (the difference between births and deaths) remains very low for most Idaho counties. Net migration accounted for more than 75% of total population growth in 41 of Idaho’s 44 counties.
In many Idaho counties, deaths outnumbered births, resulting in negative natural change, according to IDOL. In all, 17 counties had negative natural growth, including all five counties in northern Idaho.
“From 2015-2019, Idaho County realized population growth of 1,349 new residents from domestic migration (average of 270 per year), lost 1,193 residents to moving out of county/state (avg. 239/yr), and gained 15 new residents from an international destination (avg three per year), according to Lisa Grigg, IDOL regional labor economist, in an email interview. “This works out to a net migration gain of 171 residents over the 5-year period of 2015-2019 (avg 34/year).
“This migration increase to Idaho County is 16 times higher than the average migration of the previous five years from 2015-2019,” she continued; however, the sources for that are not determined at this time.
Idaho County: 562 from migration
For Idaho County from 2020 to 2021, a total 562 in domestic migration was reported. During that same time, the county experienced a net loss in natural change with 136 births and 210 deaths.
Lewis County: 196 from migration
For Lewis County, 2020-2021, a total 196 in domestic migration was reported. During that same time, the county experienced a net loss in natural change with 33 births and 42 deaths.
“Births have been lower than deaths in nine of the last 10 years, with 2012 being the exception having 175 births and 170 deaths,” said Grigg. “In 2020, Idaho County recorded 121 births and 209 deaths (Source: Idaho Department of Welfare Annual Vital Statistics Report) for a net loss of 88 people. Between 2011-2020, total deaths exceeded births by a ratio of 1.26 to 1 (meaning for every birth in the county there were 1.26 deaths, or five deaths for every four births). The 2011-2020 totals: deaths 1,900, births 1,509.”
— David Rauzi, Editor, The Clearwater Progress (Kamiah), Thursday
