04042012 P&ZMinutes
CITY OF AMMON
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
April 4, 2012
AGENDA:
CITY OF AMMON
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
April 4, 2012
2135 South Ammon Road – 7:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Scott Wessel
Pledge of Allegiance: Kurt Roland
MINUTES:
February 2, 2012
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
2012-004 – De-Annexation Request – Sunnyside Road - (Originally proposed as addition to Quail Ridge)
ACTION ITEMS:
1.
Recommendation on hearing.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
1.
General
REPORTS:
1.
City Council Actions
2.
City of Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Actions – Cindy Donovan
3.
Bonneville County Planning and Zoning Actions – Tom Hunsaker
Call for Adjournment:
MINUTES
Members Present:
Scott Wessel, Chairman
Cindy Donovan
Tom Hunsaker
Rick Butler
Robert Taylor (arrived at 7:17 p.m.)
Quinn Simmons
Steve Richards
City Officials Present:
Ron Folsom, Planning Director
Lance Bates, Engineer
Gay Leming, Deputy Clerk
Absent Members:
Greg Maeser
Kurt Roland
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Scott Wessel at 7:00 p.m. in the City Building at
2135 South Ammon Road, Ammon Idaho. Tom Hunsaker led the Pledge of Allegiance.
MINUTES: February 1, 2012:
Commissioner Tom Hunsaker moved to accept the minutes, as presented. Commissioner
Cindy Donovan seconded. All in favor – the motion passed.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: 2012-004 – De-Annexation Request – Sunnyside Road - (Originally proposed as
addition to Quail Ridge):
Chairman Scott Wessel opened the public hearing and explained the hearing process to the public.
Ron Folsom explained where the property is located, and said the Rice’s are requesting de-annexation. Ron also explained
the property is outside of the City’s impact area. Ron said that whether they are in the City or not, the City Council can still have the
Rice’s pay for their share of installing the main sewer line from Crowley Road to this area as per the original agreement. Ron said
there were three letters received prior to the written testimony deadline, and all were against the petition. Ron said there was an email
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received by both him and Councilmember Kirkham from Jeff Hawkes of Hawkes Development and because this hearing is related to
land use it is considered quasi-judicial which prohibits information from being provided to Councilmembers prior to the hearing. Ron
said as soon as he received this item from Jeff Hawkes, he contacted Councilmember Kirkham and asked her not to open the item for
review. Ron said Councilmember Kirkham said she had not opened the information, so there is no quasi-judicial conflict.
Ron said there were three emails sent to him today requesting they be submitted as written testimony for tonight. Ron said
st
there is a written testimony deadline of March 21 so he has denied all three of them. Because of this, Jeanne Thorne was here to read
the emails into the record.
Brad Pickett, 4980 Chimney Rock, said he is representing the owners, Mr. & Mrs. Rock Rice who have requested 90 acres
of their 140 acres to be de- annexed. Brad explained due to the lay of the land, the biggest problem with this property is the sewer
which would require at least two lift stations. Brad said there is a ravine on this property and the cost would be enormous. Because of
the economy this property could go undeveloped for 20 to 30 years. With de-annexation they could use this piece for dry farming, or
under the County Agricultural zone they could put in 10 acre parcels. They are not trying to get away from developing in the city they
are just trying to get away from the cost of putting in the sewer on the property.
Commissioner Tom Hunsaker stated he can see arguments both ways and there is some good logic behind what has been
said. Tom said if the owners decide later that they want to develop, after de-annexation the price for the sewer would go up because
they are close enough for the City to supply the sewer and the County would have them hook into the City sewer system.
Commissioner Rick Butler wanted to know if there had been an engineering study done on this property. Brad said there has
not been an engineering study; the need for the lift stations was his opinion. Tom stated that both in the City and in the County they
would be able dry farm. Brad said they would not break this property up to dry farm. They are looking at breaking it up in 10 acre lots
to sell it off.
Jeanne Thorne 59 West 215 North, Blackfoot, Idaho is representing herself, Kip Whitehead, and Scott Whitehead. She read
into the record the letters that were sent in for Kip and Scott Whitehead. She stated de-annexing this property would cause adjacent
property owned by Jeanne, Kip, and Scott to no longer be adjacent to the City, which would block their ability to someday become
part of the City, and in general did not make much sense. After reading in the letters she said that at this time they have no plans for
the properties.
Brad Pickett, 4980 Chimney Rock. For the benefit of Commissioner Taylor, Brad repeated what was said at the beginning of
the public hearing. Tom Hunsaker asked if the property is de-annexed, are all nine of the original division rights still left in the
County. Brad said yes they are. The division rights don’t go away until a plat is completed. Lance Bates City Engineer said that most
of the maps show this property outside of the aquifer so it would be harder to drill a well.
Commissioner Steve Richards moved for denial of the motion for de-annexation. Commissioner Cindy Donovan seconded
the motion for denial. All in favor – the motion passed. Commissioner Rick Butler is swayed by the email and the testimony and by
the Sunnyside Foothill agreement. The property owners should have realized what they were buying. Commissioner Robert Taylor it
was that way before so it should stand. Commissioner Tom Hunsaker says that we can service this property, while de-annexation
would stop the City from being able to expand in that direction. Once we de-annex this property we also lose control of how this
property will be developed. Commissioner Scott Wessel stated that this property was annexed in 2008, we intend to service this area,
the owners that bought this property should have known this, and should stay. Commissioner Cindy Donovan said they could still
divide the land into 10 acre parcels and we can provide service. Commissioner Quinn Simons thinks that in the long term it will be
better for the property owner to leave it in the City. Commissioner Steve Richards stated that they knew what they were getting before
they bought the property and as long as the property is serviceable we should not carve off a piece of the City.
ACTION ITEMS:
1. Recommendation on hearing:
Commissioner Quinn Simmons moved to have another Public hearing before the Council.
Commissioner Robert Taylor seconded the motion. All in favor – the motioned passed.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
2. General
- The council will be working on the approval of the comprehensive plan map on May 5th. As soon after as possible
we will need to start working on Title 10.
REPORTS:
1. City Council Actions
– Ron explained what happened in the Council meeting for the month of March.
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2. City of Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Actions
– Cindy Donovan had nothing to report.
3. Bonneville County Planning and Zoning Actions
– Tom Hunsaker reported that the County took the County Planning and
Zoning Commissioners to Stockman’s for their annual dinner.
Call for Adjournment:
Commissioner Rick Butler moved to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Quinn Simmons seconded the
motion. All in favor – The motion passed.
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
________________________________________________
Scott Wessel, Chairman
___________________________________________
Ron Folsom, City Clerk
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