City Council approves proposal to build 86 townhomes at Pocatello park, despite recommendations against it

POCATELLO — By unanimous vote, nan Pocatello City Council approved nan projected improvement of 86 townhomes adjacent nan celebrated Ammon Park.

A caller nationalist proceeding that lasted astir 2-1/2 hours included immoderate barbs betwixt residents speaking against nan connection and nan developers, chiefly regarding nan developers’ “plan B.”

Based connected existent zoning regulations, Clay Anderson, an investor successful CMJ Holdings, LLC — nan institution that owns nan spot — says it could create 94 apartments if their petition to rezone, allowing nan building of 86 townhomes, was not approved.

The company’s backup plan, he said during a little statement, would beryllium to scrap nan Park Place Townhome scheme and build nan apartments.

“We’d overmuch for illustration to build 86 townhomes,” Anderson said. “We deliberation it’s a overmuch amended merchandise for nan community.”

RELATED | Ammon Park improvement heading to Pocatello City Council pinch proposal of denial from P&Z Commission

Matthew Lewis, nan city’s Senior Planner, confirmed nan declare made by Anderson.

“It’s important to statement that, based connected zoning, apartments are permitted outright and would not require subdividing. Again, apartments are permitted outright without immoderate nationalist proceeding aliases comment,” Lewis said.

Many of nan much than a twelve residents who said opposing nan connection during Thursday night’s City Council gathering brought up nan thought of nan institution holding their backup scheme complete nan council’s head.

One female called nan connection a “threat.”

Among nan concerns addressed were, akin to past month’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, accrued postulation and organization congestion.

Joel Dixon, a spokesperson for Knudsen Engineering who is representing CMJ, told nan assembly that galore of nan concerns voiced were “outside nan scope” of nan connection and person agelong since existed.

However, Dixon added CMJ is not good pinch nan position quo. As portion of its proposal, nan Utah-based improvement patient is limiting nan number of properties it will create from nan number it would beryllium allowed by code. CMJ will besides beryllium assisting successful an rumor that already exists — expanding nan size of a runoff pond, which, by modern standards, is astir undersized.

City improvement technologist Merril Quayle, said that to meet existent standards, nan pond would request to beryllium astir three- aliases four-times its existent size.

The undersized pond presents a threat to residents surviving downstream successful nan arena of a “large large wind event,” Dixon said.

He said nan imagination shared by CMJ and Knudsen is 1 of an precocious community.

“We’re proposing little units than we’re entitled to,” Dixon said. “We are providing much unfastened abstraction than we are required to. We’re going supra and beyond what is required to make our imagination happen.”

Some of nan residents were not impressed by nan concession, saying that successful decades of surviving adjacent nan park, nan existing pond has ne'er filled.

Among nan 3 group to speak during nationalist remark successful support of nan connection were CMJ investors, some of whom now unrecorded successful Utah aft increasing up successful eastbound Idaho. The 3rd was MiaCate Kennedy I, nan CEO of Bannock Development Corporation.

Kennedy told nan assembly nan townhomes would supply purchasable, yet affordable spot that would beryllium appealing for group nan metropolis wishes to support successful municipality aliases for group it hopes to attract. Apartments, she added, are not arsenic charismatic because they do not thief renters build equity.

As pointed retired by respective commenters, location are not laws preventing a azygous institution shape purchasing each nan townhomes and renting them out.

Of nan 20 aliases truthful nationalist commenters, 4 said uncommitted — meaning they were neither for nor against nan project. One of them was Lydia Noble, 1 of nan group who runs Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities (P.A.G.E.).

Noble recommended nan assembly request a discuss betwixt nan developers and residents, who are concerned astir overpopulating nan mini neighborhood. She suggested nan improvement beryllium constricted to less than 86 townhomes.

The assembly did not talk that. Instead, a mobility from councilman Josh Mansfield was made to o.k. nan proposal, and was seconded by councilman Rick Cheatum. That mobility was passed by a unanimous 5-0 vote.