Pocatello seeking feedback on overhaul of ‘antiquated’ zoning ordinances
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POCATELLO – The Gate City will hold a virtual event next week where people can share their thoughts on the effort to modernize the city’s zoning ordinances.
On Tuesday at 6 p.m., the city of Pocatello will be holding a virtual kickoff for its zoning code rewrite project. City planners are overhauling the old ordinances to align the code with the vision set out in the city’s comprehensive plan, which calls for more housing choices, mixed-use zoning and infill development (building structures on unused land in developed areas).
“If there are major concerns that the public has, this is kind of the time to bring those up. … People may have some thoughts on what the implications are for a zoning overhaul, so I want to hear that type of feedback,” said Jim Anglesey, long-range senior planner.
Anglesey also clarified that this won’t be the last time when the public can provide feedback.
“In the future, there’ll be additional opportunities for feedback from the community. (This is) mainly just answering questions, and (finding out) if there are major concerns that the public has,” Anglesey said.
The comprehensive plan was first adopted by the City Council in 2023, and it acts as a guiding document for the city’s future development.
Anglesey said the city’s zoning ordinances were written at a time when Euclidian zoning was the prevailing mindset. Euclidian zoning is a city planning practice where different land uses are strictly confined to their own zoning areas.
Now, the city aims to create more mixed-use zoning areas, which would allow businesses and residences to be built next to each other – or in the same building.
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This zoning approach, called “Smart Growth,” would still allow for single-use zoning and keep incompatible land uses, like an industrial plant and a residential neighborhood, separate.
And although Anglesey has been bringing forward zoning code amendments to regular council meetings and work sessions, that approach can only do so much.
“There’s some antiquated language mixed with newer language, and so a lot of times when we present those amendments, along the way, we find where we fix one section, it kind of breaks another section, and so it’s better practice to just rewrite the whole thing,” Anglesey said.
The meeting will be led by consultants from Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative, which is a firm based out of Tennessee that specializes in Smart Growth principles. The consultants will present information on what the city wants to accomplish with its zoning overhaul, and field questions in a question-and-answer format.
People who want to register for the virtual kickoff or fill out a survey, can visit zoningpocatello.com.
“Really, the direction is laid out already in the comprehensive plan,” Anglesey said. “If the public wants to get an idea … they can really look to that (for) the general direction.”
Click here to read Pocatello Comprehensive Plan 2040.