Ammon City Council denies rezone of lot on Greenwillow Lane
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AMMON – The Ammon City Council voted not to rezone a 4.467-acre lot in the Bridgewater neighborhood due to proposed plans to build higher density homes not fitting the surrounding properties.
The lot at 3445 East Greenwillow Lane has been the subject of debate regarding its future use. At the beginning of 2024, GEM Prep Charter School bought it with plans to break ground on a 45,000-square-foot building. The land was later sold to Caliber Customs LLC, a home construction business that hopes to build 17 units on the property.
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In November, Ammon’s City Council voted to rezone the lot from Parks, Schools, and Churches to R-1 and R1-A.
According to the city’s codified ordinances, R-1 allows for traditional single-family style homes where up to four units can be within one acre. R1-A allow more higher density units like townhomes to exist. It also allows four units on one acre.
The applicant proposed up to 17 units, with five being R-1 and 12 falling under R1-A units.
Council members Heidi Boyle and Kris Oswald voted against the initial rezone in November due to concerns the proposed homes would not match the rest of the neighborhood, which falls under an RP-A zone. RP-A allows for bigger single-family homes, where only 2.5 units can occupy one acre.
Before the council’s meeting on Feb. 6, Council President Russell Slack said there had been two public hearings to ensure the public could express their concerns. However, the attendance was small, with about 2% of residents who live in the affected area giving feedback.
Slack told the other council members that it’s their job to hear from neighbors when reviewing applications and to ensure they are harmonious with the city’s comprehensive plan. He said the proposed rezoning does not violate that plan and is in compliance.
He said concerns about traffic or construction can be addressed within the development agreements.
“This is a wonderful development. I think it fits inside of our city. I think it has minimal negative impacts, and any concerns about the construction can be mitigated in our development agreement,” Slack said.
Councilman Scott Wessel did not see this in the same light as Slack.
“I don’t believe it’s fair to drop this zone right in the middle of a zone that has been established,” Wessel said.
He argued the proposed rezoning would not work as it functions more as a spot zone than a transitional zone, which he claims is a vital part of the city’s comprehensive plan. He said transitional zoning allows for density leveled out the further into the development is, or vice versa.
Slack disagreed with this idea and said density doesn’t play a factor.
“Having an R1 or RP or these gradations inside of residential zonings that are mutually compatible with each other is not spot zoning,” Slack said.
Mayor Sean Coletti agreed that the comprehensive plan encourages infill development, which the proposed rezone fits.
“What you have here is a development that’s compact, economic and efficient,” Coletti said. “The other thing that we do in new developments … density declines as development moves further away from the arterial collector streets with higher densities, transit transitioning to lower densities.”
He said that while the higher density is on the arterial road, it flows into a lower-density area. Farther into the Bridgewater neighborhood, there is areas of R1 zoning.
“I would uphold the decision of Planning and Zoning,” Coletti said.
Slack made a motion to approve the rezoning application to R1 and R1-A, but it died without a second.
Oswald moved to deny the rezone, finding it incompatible with the city’s comprehensive plan due to its original designation of PSC. She also stated that the lot should revert to RP-A and any discrepancies need to be fixed to support the surrounding properties.
Wessel, Oswald, Jeff Fullmer, Boyle and Sid Hamberlin voted to pass the denial. Slack voted against it.
On Feb. 20, the City Council voted unanimously to approve a finding of facts in which it details its denial of the rezone.
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