Kanye West plans ‘meditation space’

70,000-square-foot structure proposed at Cody area ranch

Posted 11/14/19

Assuming he can secure the blessing of the Park County government, Kanye West plans to build a more than 70,000-square-foot “meditation space” on his ranch south of Cody.

Last month, …

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Kanye West plans ‘meditation space’

70,000-square-foot structure proposed at Cody area ranch

Posted

Assuming he can secure the blessing of the Park County government, Kanye West plans to build a more than 70,000-square-foot “meditation space” on his ranch south of Cody.

Last month, West’s representatives submitted an application to build a doughnut-shaped structure out of compacted earth and a concrete shell. Entering the space will involve passing through an entrance tube into a saucer-shaped area that’s mostly open to the sky.

The roughly 43-foot high by 287-foot wide space “is to be used for meditation,” owner’s representative John Skolnick wrote on West’s behalf. Point Architects of Cody, which is also assisting with the project, told county officials it will be a private area for personal use.

“We consider that [personal use] to be available for family and friends, but not commercial [use], not for the public,” said Park County planner Kim Dillivan. “It’s going to be a structure for meditation.”

Because the project is larger than 10,000 square feet, West needs a special use permit from the county before moving forward with construction of the actual structure.

To get the permit, county regulations say West’s representatives will ultimately need to show that the project is “in harmony and compatible with surrounding land uses and with the neighborhood” while not creating a “substantial adverse impact on adjacent properties.”

The application — submitted on behalf of a West-controlled LLC called Psalm 2019 — says the project will not only have a minimal impact on neighbors, but also on the 3,248-acre West Lake Ranch, which lies roughly 8 miles south of Cody. It’s set to be built at the foot of some steep bluffs on the north side of the ranch.

“With no lighting or other utilities, the project will disappear amongst the native topography,” Point Architects wrote. Skolnick also said that the construction of the 70,684-square-foot space should not result in an increase in traffic to the property, which is located off Wyo. Highway 120.

At Fast Company’s Innovation Festival last week, West told a large audience that “the building restrictions are way lax in Cody.”

“That’s one of the reasons why we got the land there,” West said, “so we can think.”

The Wright brothers — who helped create the first airplane — similarly needed a chance to think, West said, “or we wouldn’t have flight today.”

Some earth has already been moved on West’s ranch in anticipation of the meditation space being constructed, which Dillivan said is allowed.

However, the Park County Planning and Zoning Department’s staff report on the project indicates that several items will need to be addressed before the meditation space gets final approval.

For instance, based on the square footage of the floor area, county staff say at least 86 or 87 parking spaces will need to be identified and a runoff and erosion control plan completed. Additionally, the Wyoming State Fire Marshal’s office is requiring a plan review and construction inspections while the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says they’ll need to review the project, too.

With the ranch falling within a sage grouse core population area, the Game and Fish says the proposal must be “assessed for compliance” with the State of Wyoming’s latest Sage Grouse Executive Order. The ranchland also lies within crucial winter range for mule deer, the department says. For that reason, the Game and Fish is recommending that no construction take place between Nov. 15 and April 30 “to protect mule deer and other big game animals when they are the most vulnerable to disturbance from human activity.”

The Park County Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to consider West’s project at its Tuesday evening meeting beginning at 6 p.m. at the courthouse in Cody. The board will make recommendations to the county commission, which has the final say on the permit and any conditions.

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