HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z MINUTES NOVEMBER 18, 1992/a~~
Planning & Zoning
11/18/92
Members Present: Chairman: John Millar
Members: Dave Pincock
Jerry Jeppesen
Mary Ann Mounts
Richard Smith
Jim Long
Scott Mortensen
Jeff Walters
Excused: Marsha Bjornn
Davawn Beattie
City Clerk: Rose Bagley
Attorney: J. D. Hancock
RE: LAUNDRY ON 1ST WEST --- (JIM & PAT NILSSON)
Jim and Pat Nilsson were at the meeting with plans for a Laundry on 1st
West, across West from Broulims Parking Lot. It is zoned HBD, they
have two sets of plans. They would need 3 parking spaces per 1000
square feet of floor area. There is plenty of parking on the plans.
John Millar told them it appears to meet the criteria. The plans will
have to be checked by an architect prior to getting a building permit.
~~ A motion was made by Mary Ann Mounts and seconded by Jim Long to
` approve the minutes.
RE: EXTENSION OF RAY LOVELAND'S TRAILER COURT (STONE'S TOWN & COUNTRY)
Ray Loveland was at the meeting to request extending his trailer
court. (Stone's Town and Country Trailer Court on S. 5th W.) He
wanted to expand it North between them and Ford Garage. It is zoned
HDR. He showed plans to the board. They told him they would need to
look and make sure it is in compliance with the existing Ordinance.
John Millar told him to leave the copies of the plan and he would look
at it and get back with him.
Discussion on the Impact Zone meeting.
Meeting adjourned
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Impact Zone Public Hearing
11/18/92
Those Present:
Planning Board Members: John Millar, Jeff Walters, Jerry Jeppesen,
Dave Pincock, Mary Ann Mounts, Jim Long, Richard Smith, Scott
Mortensen, Marsha Bjornn arriving at 8:45, Davawn Beattie excused
Mayor and City Council: Mayor Nile Boyle, Farrell Young, Bruce
Sutherland, J. D. Hancock - Attorney, Rose Bagley - City Clerk
County: Dell Barney, Dave Rasmussen, Reed Sommers, Karen Rogers -
Attorney, Beth Reese - County Clerk
Richard Smith gave the purpose of the hearing and history of decision
to implement the impact zone. He asked everyone to hold their
questions until the end of the hearing. The County Commissioners,
Planning & Zoning and City Council are here to answers all of your
questions. The hearing will last for two hours and we invite everyone
to participate. He asked everyone to limit their response to three to
five minutes. There will be another hearing to discuss the issues
before the City Council, December 9, at 7:00 P. M.. Feel free to
participate. Giving history of the Impact Zone. We had an initial
hearing and there was some controversy, so the city council decided it
would be appropriate to delay the implementation of the Impact Zone and
involve the County Commissioners. A year ago we formed a committee
consisting of three city councilmen, three county commissioners, three
residents residing within the Impact Zone, and both county attorneys.
We discussed the land and the residents. We worked hard trying to
establish what rules should be imposed in that Impact Area which could
be annexed into the city within the next five to ten years. We did
define the area of the Impact Zone. The County Commissioners, Planning
& Zoning, the City Council and the residents agreed on how this area
should be regulated and the rules that should be followed. They have
instituted an appeals process and safeguards to assure people in the
Impact Zone that they would not be bulldozed over the top of by the
City of Rexburg.
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Reed Sommers explained some of the reasons to create the impact zone.
He stated that there are some people here tonight that have ground or
homes in the Impact Zone and wonder why we should even be involved with
this. (1) to provide orderly growth around the city and the reason for
orderly growth would mainly be for the development of sub divisions
that might take place in the area directly surrounding the city. The
city in the past has had experience with sub divisions that have
requested to be annexed into the city and because of the way it was
taken care of by the developer at that time, the construction of the
streets and the intrastructure of the sub division it is not compatible
with the requirements that the city has, so when annexation takes place
there is a considerable amount of money has to be spent by the
residents in those particular developments before they come into
compliance to be annexed into the city. (2) In an Impact Zone we want
to be able to protect the residents of the Impact Zone from something
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• coming in next to them that they don't want to have. When they do
request a development in their area they won't have to fight something
coming in next to them that they don't want to have and they don't have
something in their area that will give them some problems in their
particular neighborhood. The real reason the city wants to have a
Impact Area is so they can provide for that development to be
compatible with the city regulations and ordinances as it becomes part
of the city. As the city grows and develops these areas will want to
come into the city and be annexed. This will provide for when the
developments are built, so they can be annexed when the time comes to
be annexed into the city.
Richard Smith explained that one of the reasons the Impact Zone needs
to be placed in effect is in 1975 the Legislature passed a law to
mandate all cities and counties to set down and negotiate the Impact
Zone. There were a number of Cities and Counties that did not intact
the Impact Zone, never the less it is a state law and any individual
could at any time make a request to the courts that the Impact Zone be
defined and established. It is the law and we can be forced by any
individual to implement the Impact Zone. The Impact Committee got
together with the City Council and the County Commissioner and
established an agreement in the late fall to establish the Impact
Zone. First of all that group established the boundaries of the Impact
Zone. Second they agreed to appoint the City Planning & Zoning
Commission to administer the rules and regulations. Not all city
ordinances will apply to the Impact Zone. Any ordinance that this
group agrees upon will be imposed on the Impact Area. It was agreed
that the County would appoint three members to the Rexburg Planning &
Zoning Commission. Those three members would be residents of the
Impact Area. Those three members have been appointed- Richard Smith,
Jerry Jeppesen and Scott Mortensen. Those three members have voting
authority on the Rexburg Planning & Zoning Commission. On any matter
that comes up regarding the Impact Zone or any regulation that will be
imposed on the Impact Zone, those three individuals will have the same
voting power as the entire rest of the Planning & Zoning Commission.
They did not have to do that by law, but both the City and the County
felt very strongly that the input of the people living in the Impact
Area and responsibility of the County Commissioners must remain high.
In addition to that at, the request of the County Commissioners, there
is an appeal process placed in effect. That provides that any person
in the Impact Area is grieved by any decision that this Planning &
Zoning makes, they can directly take it to the appeals court which
consists of two members of the County Commission and two members of the
Rexburg City Council. If they still are grieved they can take the
matter to the District Court.
John Millar explained the impact zone map, the creation of the map and
designated arterials. He explained the process of the Impact. In
order to develop the zones for the Impact area we inventoried the
entire area. As you can see from the map the primary use is
agriculture. The zones shown on the map are basically the existing
. use. If the existing use is industrial the map shows industrial, if
the use is commercial it shows commercial, if it is a house on a farm
we showed that as agricultural. After discussing it with the County
Commissioners, there are six roads that are designated as arterial .
roads, 2000 West, Moody, Salem, Barney Dairy Road, Millhollow Road and
the Poleline Road. These are basically the farm to market roads. Those
roads were designated as major arterials.
J. D. Hancock discussed the definitions of initial zone designations.
A draft of the definitions was prepared and handed out to the people.
There are five zones designated which are on the sheet. This was
prepared by the Planning & Zoning Board, City Council and County
Commissioners. The zones are Rural Residential Zone and Agricultural
Zone "A". This does not include commercial enterprises or businesses
such as produce packing plants or fur farms. The businesses will be
in the Highway Business District, which is defined in the existing
ordinance. The next area is defined as O.S. which is open space. This
includes such areas as the golf course or cemetery. The Industrial
Zone, for major and extensive operations, requires large level sites
with open storage and service areas, and utilizes regional
transportation such as Basic American Foods. The five zones in the
impact area are Agricultural Zone "A", Rural Residential Zone, Highway
Business District, Open Space, and Industrial. (sheet attached)
Arterial designation and purpose was discussed by Dell Barney. We
tried to identify and address any problems that we already have and-the
problems that we see could get much worse that we might have in the
area of impact. In the arterial we want to address the problem that we
have had for years and no one has done anything about it because we
have not had any planning. On many of our arterial roads we have homes
built with driveways that come right out on the road. With the density
of the homes along the roads and individual driveways that come out on
the road, in time that presents a nuisance and we have a safety
hazard. The setbacks are so close to the road, if-you stumbled and
fell you would be right out on the road. Those types of things we
thought needed to be addressed. On the Poleline road the houses are
built too close to the road. As trucks and traffic come down that
road, if someone is backing out on the road it causes a traffic hazard
and congestion on the road. With a little bit of planning years ago
that could have been prevented. The Lyman area is an example of rapid
growth with lots of homes. In the designated arterial areas, there are
things we thought needed to be addressed and get your input. From this
point on the lots with depth on those arterial roads need to have
Reverse Frontage. This would prevent more homes being built right out
on the public highways with driveways backing out on the roads. A
person building a home next to you is in compliance, or if several
homes are being built, they. need to use the same access with reverse
frontage. The buffer could be a combination of lot depth, earth berms,
vegetation, walls or fences, and structural soundproofing. What is
already there will stay as it is, but new development will have to
comply. The minimum lot depth will be 200 feet. Site plane on new
development will need to conform with the Planning & Zoning that
applies to development. We have in the county where people have built
homes off the road quite a distance and they don't have the right-a-way
so the county can assume those roads and service the roads. That is
another area where a good plan would help. From start to finish all the
way through we have tried to address the problems and future problems
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• in our best knowledge and have tried to address those problems and
bring it to you for your input and suggestions to make it right.
Jerry Jeppesen addressed the animal density restrictions. The things
we talk about tonight only apply to new development. Those who are
living here and have existing uses, those things are protected and will
be addressed by J. D. Hancock. As we talked about this, Commissioner
Rasmussen brought up the fact that the reason that we live in the
county is because the city does not allow animals in the city. We have
tried to design this so that people would be allowed to have animals as
they live in the Impact Area. Specifically we talked about the
agricultural areas. Right now we have a lot of animals in the Impact
Area. We have six major cow - calf operations, whose number could run
from 100 cows to 600 or 700 cows. We do have the majority of those
operations in the area. We want to protect those at their current
use. We want those people to feel safe when development comes in
around them and protect them, that they will know those operations are
there and are pre-existing uses and will be protected and allowed to
stay until they decide to change it or do something different.
The specific regulation that we talked about is if someone comes in to
that impact area and wants to have a cow - calf operation or a dairy
farm they need to come to the Impact Committee and discuss it with us.
There might be an area out there that we would rather see them buy out
an operation that already exists or consider having that operation
where there is a large number of cattle or animals outside the Impact
Area because that area is going to be developed in. In the Rural
Residential Zone, when those people come into that area and want to
have a 4H project or something else we have allowed them to have two
animals per acre, that takes care of a cow and calf. If they want to
do more than that then they need to make plans to provide for that with
more acreage. Those are the kind of things that helped us develop
these rules and regulations for the new people that want to come into
this area. Look at these regulations as a protection so that people who
move in around you will know what is permitted in this area.
J. D. Hancock explained the pre-existing uses. Apre-existing use is
anything that exists before the adoption of the ordinance. All of you
who have existing uses are going to be protected. They are recorded
and indexed. In order to prepare the map, we had a member of the
Planning & Zoning Commission, who has a college degree in Planning &
Zoning, inventory all the existing ownership uses. Any existing use
can continue as long as the use continues. If you sell your farm or
particular type of operation, as long as the new owner continues the
same use that use may continue forever. However, if you abandon that
use and if you do not for example have a livestock operation for three
years, then it will be presumed to be abandoned and you will have to
come back in because it does not conform to use in that zone. You will
have to get permission from Planning & Zoning to have the use. That is
more generous than Fremont County or the City of Rexburg. We felt that
would give some latitude especially to the fluctuation in cattle
• operations. For those who have cattle operations your minimum and
maximum uses will be specifically identified and protected. Some years
you might only have 50 head of cattle and some years you might have 500
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head. What ever your capacity is will be indexed. In the paper last
night there was an article about the Skaar Feedlot and he was ordered
to reduce his heard because he had expanded his use from the time the
people bought homes in sub divisions around his operation from what the
particular use was at that time. He had expanded his operation to
impose a nuisance on the people who live around his operation. A non
conforming use is the use does not conform to the existing zone. You
can't build a business in an agricultural zone unless the property is
rezoned.
John Millar explained the reasons for building restrictions in rural
residential. One of the things that brought this to our attention was
when Walmart and Albertsors were to be developed that area was outside
the city limits. If they had chosen to, they could have gone out there
and built whatever they wanted and the city and county could not have
done anything about it. That said to the city we need to be looking at
what is happening adjacent to the city. As part of that they have
developed Rural Residential zones. The group that developed this tried
not to be over restrictive. Basically we selected a minimal lot size.
If you choose to go below that you will have to have a community water
and sewer system and get into a sub division. If a sub division is
developed, that will fall under a separate set of requirements which
will have to follow restrictive guidelines on lot size. We looked
primarily at what our existing uses are and immediate potential. The
minimum lot size, 150 feet minimum frontage, the house has to be 60
feet from the property line. The reason for this is to keep the site
~ distance available on roads. It would be required to have a minimum 30
feet rear yard and_ a 10 foot side yard. The other restrictions we have
are livestock and reverse frontage.
Dave Rasmussen explained not all city ordinances immediately
applicable. As I sat in on these Planning & Zoning meetings, there has
been a very conscientious effort to represent the needs of the people
and at the same time try to develops a plan to accommodate the growth
of the City of Rexburg. The Zoning Ordinance for the City of Rexburg
will not apply in the Impact Zone and will not be enforced in the
Impact Zone until the property is annexed into the city. Property
cannot be annexed into the city unless the owner of that property
requests that property be in the city. The county ordinances and the
county rules will apply and will be enforced in the Impact Zone to see
that the proper regulations are followed. The rules that will apply
are the ones in the handout that applies to the different
classifications of the property. There will be a chapter in the Zoning
Ordinance for the Impact Zone where the definitions will be clarified.
It is our desire as County Commissioners to protect the rights of the
people. We don't want a lot of rules and regulations that restrict the
things you can do with your property. We also want to represent the
growth and expansion of the City of Rexburg.
Mayor Boyle had some comments on the necessity of the Impact Zone. A
couple of months ago he had gone to a meeting in Sugar City when they
thought a Work Camp was going in the Impact Area. A lot of the people
were opposed to the Work Camp. If that had been in the Impact Zone in
Sugar City, that area would have been designated for what ever it was
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• Residential or Commercial. We do not have a designation for a Prison
Work Camp. If they wanted to put it there the people could not have
legally stopped them from putting it there. In the Impact Zone, we
could stop it. It would have had to gone to the Planning & Zoning
Committee and if they turned it down, they could not legally put it
there. It does protect the existing use.
Another example, when Rexburg Heights was built, it must have been
built from the standards of the District 7 Health. When homes were
built and after a few years every septic tank was leaking on the person
just below them. At that time they had no way to take care of that
problem, so they came to the city and asked us if we would annex them.
We told them we would annex them if they bring their roads with curb
and gutter up to city standards and if you hook onto city sewer. They
did not want to go to the expense of doing the roads and curb and
gutter to city standards, so we would not annex Rexburg Heights. It
wouldn't be fair to the residents of the city to pay to keep up their
roads. Every road we take into the City of Rexburg, we take in already
improved. It would not be fair to the citizens of Rexburg who have
been paying taxes to upkeep roads and then annex a development that is
not up to standards to come in and from then on would have to be taken
care of with city tax funds. We did allow them to hook on to the city
sewer but they are not annexed. It will not allow something to come in
next to you without being approved by the committee.
Richard Smith made some comments. He stated he was sure those of you
who run farming, ranching operations close to the city of Rexburg must
feel the growth of Rexburg. There are some benefits to the plan of the
Impact Area. Once you plan the Impact Zone, it will protect your use
and protect the agricultural uses. in the Fremont County Zone, before
a sub division or a residence is sold in Fremont County, the person
that is selling that lot has to give an easement to everyone of his
agricultural neighbors. It basically says that I recognize that your
running a dairy operation or an agriculture operation and I can built
my house there and in so doing that I am not going to complain about
smoke, dust,-noise or all the things that come with the agriculture
uses. I suggest to you that is a real strong factor and that everybody
involved in agriculture will be locked in. That is the same sort of
rights that can be protected. No one wants undue restrictions on their
ground. In the same token those restrictions come. They come not
through statues or not from rules made by the Planning & Zoning, County
Commissioners, and City Council but from growth, by sub divisions being
built next to your farms. I am concerned about the preservation of the
arterial roads. It use to be he would drive a truck from Rexburg Bench
down to Steiner Elevator and he does not do that any more. I will not
take a loaded truck down Millhollow Road. Reverse Frontage will help
keep this type of thing from happening. A lot of people will suggest
it is not fair that you are restricting my building on county road. I
suggest to you on the county roads especially these major arterials are
roads for everyone in the county, all the tax payers pay for them. It
is unfair that we allow indiscriminately building on these roads
creating unsafe situations. There are some real benefits of this
Impact Zone in the agricultural operations. In valuing the Impact Zone
please weight it out on what it will do for you and what it will do
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against you. In the long run if this plan is done properly it can •
benefit everybody.
.Ray Walker - 1270 Barney Dairy Road - He asked John Millar if this was
the final map or in two or three weeks later will there be another
map. John stated that unless there are changes that develope here
tonight, it will be the final map. He had talked to Dell, Richard,
Dave, he did not have a quarrel with the Impact Zone. If it is involved
with your property you should get a written letter from the city and
the county telling you what is happening to your property. I think you
deserve that much as citizens of the community. I don't take the
Rexburg paper and I have to have neighbors and friends call me to tell
me about this meeting. I have had experience with the city and the
engineers because we are developing some property on Barney Dairy
Road. I learned we charged $32,000 for an acre of ground and when we
got through with the sewer and water the family netted $16,000. We
then got into all the zoning that we were not aware of. We should be
notified of these things. If the city council is talking about doing
some changes to your property, they need to let you know with a
letter. Will this zoning be changed? When Walmart came in, the city
changed the zoning and zoned my property Industrial and our property
use to be industrial. We were not told about it. It was zoned
industrial and I could have put a hog farm in there and they couldn't
have stopped me. They changed it without letting us know. John Millar
told him the zoning on the Impact Map are only existing uses. I am
saying if an individual has property we have the right to be informed.
Reed Hill - 279 Rodney - I think the form is good. I have a few
concerns. I appreciate what Ray Walker said. You need to inform those
who have agricultural property. I talked to a neighbor when I got home
and that was the first information I had of this meeting. I am
concerned, there is a law which I am sure the city council and county
commissioners are aware of Section 67-6529 quoting section. He
emphasized the full and complete use of agricultural property. My
concern is those who own property in the Impact Zone as outlined, there
are property owners who have 160 acres to a quarter of a section or a
half section. When the property owner decided they want to sell off 40
acres or 100 acres but they are restricted as to who they can sell it
to. A party coming in that may have livestock and they want to move
in, it appears from the sounds of this it cannot happen unless they go
through a series of hearings or appeals. It sounds very difficult for
a party to buy 40 acres and have 40 head of livestock. I am concerned
about the size of the Impact Zone for that reason, what the producer or
owner of that property can do.
Richard - That law was passed in 1975 by the legislature before this
entire act was inacted. There is a Boise court case that talks about
that particular subject. You have to take Legislative intent. The
Legislature did not intend to give agricultural land allegedly being
used for agriculture purposes exempt from all zoning county ordinances.
What they are saying is they do want to preserve agricultural land not
only in the Impact Zone but throughout the county zoning class. In the •
same token we recognize that in some uses, it has to be a give and take
situation. I guarantee that these people on the Planning & Zoning
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• Commission, City Council, and County Commissioners have been concerned.
In the same token we don't want to find ourselves down the road with a
4000 head feed lot right next to the city limits. This is the reason
to establish the Impact Zone. In those areas that it does not appear
to be massive residential pressure by sub divisions, it may be very
well appropriate to have a cattle ranch move in. What we are saying is
somebody needs to take a look at it before that happens. It will not
effect what is already there now.
Boyd Carden - 1535 West 190 - I would like to commend the committee
that put together the good ideas on the Impact Zone. He asked Jim Long
if in the Impact Area if there was Land designated for development of a
park or a green belt. I think we are short sided not to have that in
the plan. Jim replied he had both hands with red flags to identify the
open spaces for that type of thing. He asked John Millar, I think we
have a traffic problem around the community and arterials. He asked if
in the Impact Zone they had designated the streets and arteries. There
are some dangerous areas for the farm to market roads. John Millar
told him those were not anticipated or included in the plan we have
now. There was a master plan done in 1978. That plan was never
adopted by the county. There has been some discussion on a master plan
for the county with some additional arterial roads through out the
county. Boyd said he had some concern on the Rural Residential with
the curb and gutter. He understood the intent, but it could be a
Hodgepodge. John Millar told him we will have to look at the wording,
• if they are contiguous to the city they will have to have curb and
gutter or address the drainage. The developer can not design the runoff
so it will have an unfavorable impact on your neighbors so he will need
to do what ever that takes.
Glen Walker - 105 East 3000 North - I have a question on the dwelling
per lot, it shows a single family dwelling per lot. Please explain
it. The reason he questioned it is there are young people who are just
starting out and want to pull a trailer at their parents home to
survive. That is the only way they can live. John Millar told him
that very issue took up about 1 1/2 hour of our time for discussion.
Tentatively this will be an ordinance that will be drawn up after the
Impact Zone is set. We will set up the criteria as to what rules there
will be. What we have talked about is allowing a trailer on a
temporary basis possibly 1, 2, 3 years period that is possible to be
removable. If you move in 2 or 3 trailers on a lot soon the concept of
Rural Residential is lost.
Mr Walker asked about apartments that are in that area or if some are
built. John told him we have not addressed that yet.
Richard told him those uses could come under conditional use permit or
we will have to create a zone.
Lee Munns 1825 North 1000 West- I think the Planning is a good thing.
I am a little disturbed on how you arrived at the 3 year without
• animals that your rights are lost. After the last meeting, we are
facing some problems that are out of control. I think that 3 years is
a little restrictive as to how long cattle can be off the property. We
discussed before diseases that cattle can get to prevent them from •
being on the property for a length of time. Richard told him we
discussed it at length at the last meeting. We don't really have all
the answers for that, although there are a lot of cattle operations in
the Impact Zone. The 3 year period is for discontinued use. My opinion
is that those larger dairy operations or cattle existing in the Impact
Zone will come in pre-existing use. I see that pre-existing use as
having a given footnote in the new chapter of the zoning ordinance.
There will be a footnote regarding these particular areas. I would
think they will say something like these are real cattle operations and
not just an operation that has three or four head of cattle. These are
the operations that make farming their business. The discontinuing of
having animals on the property being because of government regulations
or disease, or current market prices. Those things would be totally
precluded from this time limit. What is important is the people who
find themselves in those circumstances. simply come to the Planning &
Zoning Commission and say here is my pre-existing use. I raise cattle
and I have been out of the business for this amount of time because of
and I want to get back in to the business, it is just a temporary
situation. I view that as a totally different situation than a person
that has 3 or 4 head of cattle and abandon that use because he is tired
of raising cows for a three year period and during that three year
period a sub division has developed next to his house. I see that
situation a lot different than your situation and the other major dairy.
operations in the county. I think in this point in time those in this
situation has to have faith in the Planning & Zoning, the City Council
and County Commissioners. The communication and talking with the
Planning & Zoning, I think will resolve the problem. I do not view
that three year period as strictly being you cannot have cattle after
that time. I think a footnote in the chapter would take care of that
and it can be done legally without a problem. Mr Munns said he
appreciated the concern and proposal. He suggested that something that
could be done is that something could be drafted in the by-laws where
in ten or fifteen years from now when you gentlemen and ladies are gone
when we have new people and they may not be as sympathetic to the
concerns that you have at this time.
Marlin Hill - I am yet to be convinced of the benefits of it for two
reasons, there was a prison work camp that the state decided they
needed to build over in the area of Twin Falls. The residents were
against that going in their area, however there was zoning in place so
the state said this property is zoned and so they put the work camp
there. The residents did not want the work camp there, but now there
is a work camp there. Near Sugar City the state wanted to put a prison
work camp in place, there was no zoning. The residents got together and
said they would file a suit, the state backed down. Mayor Boyle said
he did not know anything about the zoning in Twin Falls, but under this
zoning they would not be able to do that unless this group changed it,
because everything is zoned for existing use. If a work camp wanted to
come anywhere in the City of Rexburg, they could not come in unless it
was re-zoned because there is not any zoning in any of the areas that
would allow it. In St Anthony, the mayor and council voted to do it. •
I don't know if it was legal. There were questions on whether the
zoning was right or wrong. If the mayor and council would have been
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• opposed to the one in St Anthony, it would never have gone. Marlin
Hill said he felt that with zoning we as citizens tend to surrender our
rights and jurisdiction and turn it over to the city or whoever is in
control of that zoning. The other question mentioned was made of fear
of coming down Millhollow Drive because the homes are built too close
to the street. In the last ten years there has been a great amount of
development on that street that has been annexed into the city under
the direction of Planning & Zoning for approximately 20 years. John
Millar said the part of Millhollow that is in the city has been in for
20 or 30 years. A lot of the building on the south end has been
outside of the city limits and the development is moving further south
and possibly will continue. Sometime we need a plan for that
development.
Ray Walker - Something needs to be done on Millhollow. There are no
sidewalks and a kid is going to be killed.
Jack Jeppesen - 787 East 2000 North - I live on the Moody, and I don't
think this will concern me much. I want to know if the red line on the
map is where the Impact Zone is, and if we have to take the traffic
from our property off the main road like a frontage road.
Dell Barnery - The purpose of this is if you sell your frontage off as
individual lots, we don't want each individual lot to have their own
access to the arterial. If it is done in an orderly manner, you could
,, • have one road onto the main road to bring all those people out rather
than have eight or ten separate driveways you could have one and have a
controlled access onto the road. Jack asked about his two driveways
out one for the house and one for his farm. Dell told him he is
already there a.^~d the driveways will stay as they are.
Roger Muir - 666 West 1500 North - Why wasn't there a frontage road in
front of Walmart instead of three entrances. Mayor Boyle told him the
state Highway Department approved it and we had no say. Roger said if
the city has no say, what good is zoning? If it was a city road we
would have had a say, because it is a State Highway. Mr Muir asked if
there was further development will they be allowed to have more
entrances. The mayor told him their site plan would have to be
approved by the State Highway department. There has been another
additional acreage with one more entrance.
Mr Muir said he agreed with Richard about the houses being built close
to the road. I transport machinery from north of town to Rexburg
Bench. Going on Millhollow road with a twenty foot combine is a little
tricky with the joggers giving no respect. He addressed Richard and
asked about the three year waiting period. On your ground if you don't
raise potatoes for three years, so they tell you you can't raise
potatoes after that and your out. It is the same with cattle. If we
get bangs in-our cattle and are forced to sell out and cannot have
anymore cattle on our place for three years, I understand you people are
sympathetic with that, but it needs to be in writing. Richard said it
• will be put in writing in the footnotes. Mr Muir said if he saw a
crash in the beef prices, he ie not going to feed those cattle just for
the fun of it. Maybe 5 years down the road the cattle prices are good
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and I want something in writing so I can feed cattle again and increase •
the heard. Richard said he can appreciate what your saying, the problem
is whether you have an Impact Zone or no zoning, and you get out of the
cattle business for five years and your neighbor comes in and says I'm
out of the cattle business too and I am going to sell lots and build a
sub division. Whether you have zoning or not and you try to put those
cattle back in, there will be a problem. Mr Muir said what if the
realtor has to make known these pre-existing rights. Richard said in
some point in time we have to draw the line, at sometime it has to be
defined as abandonment of use. Mr Muir said he thought 3 years for our
situation might not be long enough. Richard asked him what time period
he thought would be sufficient. Mr Muir said he felt 5 years would be
the better time. In the draft that was handed out it tells a lot of
restrictions, why not make a draft with the benefits with the
protections.
Richard Smith - Explained the process - The city and county got.
together and developed this, it was not an easy process, because I want
you to know the county commissioners wanted to protect the existing
uses. When everyone agreed to it we decided upon the five zones and
that was our starting point. From that point on there will be a
chapter in the back of the city zoning ordinance, that will be just for
the Impact Zone. As we determine what rules and ordinance that need to
be passed they will be added to this paragraph and we will have this
same process. We have to have a starting process and set up an Impact
Zone and set up the zones rather than set up a great number of rules. •
A question that in 10 years down the road anyone taking your place
can't make new regulations. Richard said there is nothing anyone can do
about it, but pre-existing uses will always continue.
Dave Rasmussen - To make any changes they will have to go through the
same process. It is under state statue that a pre-existing use is set
until abandonment. Mr Muir stated that he was to a meeting with Jerry
Jeppesen with the Soil Conservation and the thing they stressed is the
plan use plan. If we had a plan use plan we would not have to deal
with the city we could deal with the county. Dell Barney replied, if
the county was zoned with a land use plan and full zoning, we would
still be able to have an Impact Zone. That is a city right in
conjunction with the county. The Planning & Zoning is only an advisory
board. They have a set of plans, but have no authority to impose
them. They have to bring it to the city council to approve and then to
the county commissioners to approve. The people that you elect have the
authority. Mr Muir said he didn't think county zoning is for us but we
need something to protect our rights. Mr Barney said even with county
zoning the city has the right to an Impact Zone. Mr Muir asked if K
Mart wanted to build anything they wanted at 2000 North could they do
it. Mr Barney told him they could right now. Mr Muir said we don't
necessarily need zoning but we do need Land Use. Mr Barney stated we
do need some plans.
Ken Anderson - 2908 South 2000 West - Under what authority do you have
to enact the Impact Zone. Richard Smith explained. Mr Anderson stated •
we went though this explanation previously in Planning & Zoning. The
law states that the county be in the process of making plans, if they
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• don't meet the deadline and there was no enforcement, we would then be
exempt from that law. Richard told him no, with respect to the Impact
Zone, the city and county were mandated to get together and make this
agreement, if they could not make the agreement, the district court was
to come in and do it, if the district court didn't do it, it would be
in violation of the law and that was a misdemeanor. Any person could
bring civil action to force the city and county to create the Impact
Zone.
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Ken Anderson - I understand that there is no enforcement after we
passed the deadline. If that is the case, how do you zone someone's
land without their permission. I have no objection to this being
zoned, as long as it is with the consent of the people who's land is
being zoned, not with the consent of the people who are in the city
limits, but the people who are outside of the city limits are the ones
who should have the say. Richard told him that initially not only the
committee approached this task but also the Planning and Zoning, City
Council and County Commissioners have all agreed that everyone in the
Impact Area, would have the opportunity to come in after reviewing this
map and if they did not like their particular zone and how it was set
they could come and have input as to how exactly they wanted it zoned.
All this map is a process of someone going out there and saying this is
what they are so we assume this is what they want. If it is different
and they don't want it zoned as it is, they can come in and express
their feelings. Ken Anderson - What assurance do we have that things
won't change. There was a man on 4th West that had to move his pigs.
The mayor told him that man did not have pigs for one year and that is
the reason.. The city of Rexburg abandonment is one year and the
neighbors testified that it had been a lot longer than one year.
George Archibald - 1285 North 1000 West - I am pleased they you have
set up a committee. You have done a good job to represent the Impact
Zone. I agree with Mr Munns and Mr Muir that 5 years would be a better
limit to put on livestock operations for abandonment. One question I
have is changing the type of livestock operation. What if we decide we
want to sell half of our calves and buy a hundred head of sheep. What
would that do, would we have to stay with the same number of sheep as
cattle?
J. D. Hancock- Sheep is defined as livestock. It is the change of use
not type. We need you to tell us the maximum amount of livestock if
you want to change from 500 sheep instead of 200 cattle or 0 to 300
head so we can avoid the problem. George stated if you are going to
have a set maximum on livestock if we change like 500 head of sheep
instead of 200 head of cattle. J. D. stated you need to define your
existing use. John Millar pointed out at the bottom of the page the
definition of livestock. J. D. told him we are trying to get input and
asked each individual the maximum number of livestock you have had in
the last ten years. George stated you need to break down the different
types of livestock. It would be nice if you could get everyone
informed maybe send a letter to everyone in the Impact Zone and make
• sure everyone knows what is going on.
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Dave Anderson - 1892 W 2870 S - As I see governments involvement to the •
citizens, zoning seems to me another foothold for government to get in
and manipulate the wishes of a few select people. I see if someone
wanted to volunteer their property under this system that would be
fine. If in a few years we end up with a few people who don't take to
our point of view, we are going to end up loosing some rights that we
currently have. We have been talking and it is pretty ambiguous about
what is going to be promised to us under a given set of circumstances.
I understand that you might need an Impact Zone but what is so
different from having an Impact Zone from what we have right now. If a
neighbor has a problem with one of his other neighbors, he has a system
available to him in the court to take care of it. Why have another set
of circumstances that handcuffs everyone else? There have been some
situations brought up where zoning should have taken care of it, but we
know that zoning didn't. Zoning isn't a Comprehensive Plan for the
future to solve every problem, but it is a good foothold for some
people for something they would like to have. I don't think that my
point of view of what Rexburg is suppose to be like is what the mayor,
council or county commissioners think it should be like. I think the
rules currently in place work and works so an individual can have his
property and do what he wants as long as he is not hurting someone
else. As soon as he does his neighbor can take him to court and ratify
in the current laws.
Betty Thompson - 1656 W 930 S- I live close to the city limits. I have
talked to the city councilmen and county commissioners and already at •
this point we are having commercial buildings being built and I want to
know what can be done. We don't want that in our back yard. There is
nothing we can do until we have somekind of ordinance to protect us.
In general we need to work together to make it work for everyone. We
could file suit, but we don't have the ability or the funds to do
that. This is the way to protect the homes around the city.
Richard Smith - There is nothing that can be done unless an ordinance
is passed. There are a number of other problems that you do not have
any leverage to stop. If you are involved in agriculture and a large
sub division moves in next to you, and you do not have rules and
regulations in place to recognize it and protect the agriculture land
that sub division through a nuisance law restrict you. Planning is not
only to restrict you of your rights, but also a protection.
Ken Anderson - If these same people are looking for protection within a
mile around the city, what they are saying is we don't want this
industry by us so put it out by someone else. If you are going to plan
an Industrial Park within your area where it can be taken care of.
Don't force it on other people who aren't zoned.
Dell Barney- We are not here to hold anything over you, we are here to
serve. We can't make the decisions for all of you, that is why we must
have your input.
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Frank Jenkins- 256 West 4th South- Who will enforce the rules and
regulations that you are imposing. How much will it cost to get a
permit.
Richard Smith- The Impact Area will continue to be in the county. The
fees will be the same and paid to the county. Taxes will be in the
County. There should not be any changes, simply because we have an
Impact Zone.
Frank Jenkins- Did you draft the definitions or did you copy it from
another city?
Richard - We drafted the map and definitions. They were not set plans
from the State.
Frank Jenkins - It looks like the Planning & Zoning and Building
Inspector overlap each other. Richard - The county have hired the city
building inspector to save money so they don't have to have a full time
inspector.
Frank Jenkins- The people in the county in the Impact Zone should be
the only ones to decide on .the Zoning and Planning.
Richard- I am sympathetic to the concerns as is everyone on the board.
By definition in the Impact Zone we have tried to define the area that
will probably end up in the city within the next 5 to 10 years. If
homes and sub divisions are not built following the same guidelines as
in the city then there will be problems. Frank Jenkins - The people
who are annexed in the city should be the ones to decide. Richard- We
hope they give us input. Frank Jenkins - You are talking about a
cattle operation like the Skaar operation, what about the people who
would want to put a Mini Mart in, and you turn it down. The person who
owns the ground and wants to sell it for the Mini Mart and can't, who
will reimburse them for the money he will loose for the value.
Richard - We don't have a good answer. We hope the person comes in
with a plan that doesn't affect the neighbors.
Frank Jenkins - Why do you have the zoning in a straight line right
down the road. I think you should move it back in 1/2 mile.
Richard - Most of the boundaries came in to protect the arterial.
Frank - The city needs to do something about the bottle neck in
Rexburg. You have the same thing at Walmart. You need to take care of
your own problem before you go out of town.
Nile Boyle - Both the north and south access are in the plan, one to
come down 7th south and one to come down 11th south, to hook into the
interchange out by Spuds. I agree with you we need a way to get that
traffic out. We are working on it, the main problem is it takes a lot
of money.
Frank- you need to postpone it and take another look at it.
Brad Archibald - 1491 N 1000 W - The fellow in town that was suppose to
be grandfathered in. You took the right away from him to raise pigs.
You did it with an ordinance. If we are are going to put limits on
ourselves, if you have the right to take the rights from us you had
better give us the right to protect them. If there isn't a law that
will do that then we shouldn't do anything. As I understand after 12
months this fellow in the city not having animals and the ordinance
superseded the grandfather clause. There needs to be somekind of
protection. The limitations for our ground need to be protected, if
they aren't we should not give any. I think that the limitation on
abandonment should be at least 5 years. If you want to take
pre-existing uses away from an individual, there should be somekind of
financial compensation. We need some rights and protection put. in the
ordinance.
Rod Anderson - I resent a hand full of men telling me what I can do
with my property rights. If we are going to have Planning & Zoning we
need to put it before the voters and have them choose not for someone
else to tell me what to do with my rights. If there is disagreements,
four men should not be choosing what is right. It should be put before
12 people who are neutral of the situation and not someone who is a
member of a Planning & Zoning Commission that have been put there to
plan with their ideas and not the ideas of the people of Madison
County. We have constitutional rights for our persons property. I
didn't know about this meeting until 15 minutes before the meeting.
This should be a free society. Is this Planning & Zoning commissioned
by the city or county. If it is by the city you probably have
jurisdiction over the county.
Richard Smith - explained.
Marlin Eiill 2336 West 5200 South - Richard you have referenced the
mandate regarding this law and stated that it is mandatory to institute
the Impact Zone. Would you please quote that section. Richard told
him it is Title 67 Section 65 & 26. Richard told him he did not want
to take up everyone's time it would take another hour. Marlin argued
about the law.
Karen Roger, Deputy County Attorney - read 65-26 & 65-609. Since that
did not happen by July 1, 1977, reading paragraph B.
Marlin Hill - Since the city and county did not appoint that board they
have 60 days to come up with a recommendation and reading from that
section. Saying they are interpreting the law different. Richard said
nobody wants to start a law suit against the county. This law requires
the county to do this. Anyone can walk into a court and file and force
the city and county to comply with this law. The city and county don't
want to be sued. They think it is important and the right thing to do
for the county. Marlin Ai11- your are interpreting the law different
than I am. You haven't proved it is mandatory.
Richard- Thanked everyone for coming and told them we will postpone
this hearing until December 9. I assure you the people setting on the
stand have thought about it at length and are concerned about this
community.