Blackfoot Planning and Zoning Commission rejects rezoning proposal
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BLACKFOOT — The Blackfoot Planning and Zoning Commission voted and gave a ‘do not pass’ recommendation to the City Council on a proposal to rezone a portion of a parcel of land.
A crowd of residents and neighbors filled the City Council chambers on Jan. 23 and spoke against the zone change, which would rezone the area between Harborside Loop, Lilac Street and Ridgecrest Avenue from a medium-density residential area to a commercial area. No people spoke in favor of the zone change.
“A small neighborhood is essential for preserving the character and quality and well-being of the community,” Gary Cooper, a neighborhood resident, said.
The zone change was proposed due to a previous clerical error in 2018. In 2019, the city made a number of zone changes to implement a planned approach to development. One of these changes was to zone the area up for debate on Tuesday’s meeting as commercial.
When a city proposes a zone change, it must notify local residents of the change and the accompanying public hearing. The city discovered the clerical error When going through city records due to a public records request.
“We found that we could not prove that it was recorded by an ordinance and the public was properly noticed,” said Julie Conan, Planning and Zoning Administrator.
This zone change that came under scrutiny was just one in many the city had done over the past year, “so they’re all properly recorded as ordinances and noticed by the public.”
The owner of the property in question is Blackfoot Motor Sports. A representative of the company wasn’t present at the public hearing.
“It was really unclear what we have and what we are currently zoned for based on what is actually the reality of this community,” said Jeremy Wood, a resident of the area.
Wood said the previous zone change occurred before anybody at the public hearing lived in that area.
“The demographics of what we have now are very different,” Wood said.
Wood also pointed out how close the property is to the Jensen Grove Greenbelt loop. He said they all walk there and enjoy the serenity and calm the trail provides.
Wood felt that making this zone change shouldn’t be voted on in a hurry.
“I feel like it’s up to planning and zoning to understand that that Greenbelt represents our entire community,” Wood said.
The people who spoke did not want to see their neighborhood changed by commercial development.
Cooper said that more businesses in the area could lead to a decline in green spaces and more concrete structures.
“Residential areas typically boast greenery and open spaces contributing to a healthier environment and then improve quality of life,” Cooper said.
In addition to maintaining the character of the neighborhood, another point raised by Cooper was that introducing commercial activities could lead to a decline in property values.
“Homebuyers may perceive the area as less desirable due to increased noise congestion and changes in the neighborhood’s character,” Cooper said.
Other parents raised concerns about the traffic a commercial property would bring through the area and possible crime.
After the public hearing, Conan pointed out to everyone that the neighborhood between Harborside Loop and Lilac Street was zoned as a commercial area before the changes in 2018. A residential neighborhood was built in the area through a conditional-use permit.
“Harborside is zoned commercial; it will have no effect on your property taxes,” Conan said.
Conan also wanted to point out that any business built in the area will have to follow city ordinance standards.
“Each superintendent from every department goes through their list of the things that are required for whatever type of business that may go in there,” Conan said. “That’s how we want to protect the land around it.”