P&Z public hearing on 2022 Comp. Plan Dec. 19

It has been 23 years since the City of Weiser’s Comprehensive Plan has had a comprehensive update, and administrators say that your input is vital.

 The first opportunity to comment on the new draft plan will be at a Weiser Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19 in the city council chambers at city hall, located at 55 W. Idaho St. 

 Assistance for persons with disabilities will be provided. Call Weiser City Hall at (208) 414-1965 to make arrangements at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.

 “This is a plan for the entire town,” said Weiser Mayor, Randy Hibberd. “I know what I think; I know what a few other people think, but a small group of people should not get to decide what happens with our town. This is something that deserves all of our attention because there are a lot of different viewpoints and those need to be expressed so that this plan becomes Weiser’s Comprehensive Plan.”

 All those wishing to voice their thoughts and ideas are encouraged to attend the public hearing.  

 

Written testimony can be submitted up to the time of, or at, the hearing. 

 The new draft plan is available on the city’s website at https://cityofweiser.net/. Just click the “Documents & Links” tab on the site’s home page to access the 63-page draft, which was prepared by Agnew::Beck Consulting in Boise. Cost for the project is $28,700 thus far, according to Weiser City Clerk, David Tate, who said the price may go up depending on potential changes or additional work on the plan.

 Under Idaho statute, section 67-6508 of the Local Land Use and Planning Act, every city in Idaho is required to maintain a working comprehensive plan. It serves as an official document that identifies the goals and policies used to guide future development within city limits, its Area of Impact, and the planning area for a period of 20 years.  

 State statute, however, does not provide a time frame in which plans must be updated.

 It is important to note that a comprehensive plan is not “written in stone.” It is, rather, intended as a guide, or tool, for the city council and administrators when considering major decisions such as budgeting, planning, and project selection.

 Weiser last updated its Comprehensive Plan in December 1999, Tate, who added that land use maps and other portions have been updated as recently as last year.

 Comprehensive Land Use Maps are of specific importance because they graphically display the community’s envisioned land uses.

Please Take the Survey

 Residents are also encouraged to participate in an online survey, which can be found on the city’s website by clicking the “Agendas” tab and scrolling down to “Comprehensive Plan Draft Survey.” There you will find a series of 10 questions asking for your feedback on specific components of the new draft plan.

 Those wishing to remain involved in the next steps of plan review, or to stay informed of future planning efforts, are invited to leave their contact information at the bottom of the survey.

The Plan

 Development of the new draft plan began in September 2021 and has included an advisory group, an initial community survey, P&Z work session, and community workshop.

 The plan’s Executive Summary identifies four main priority areas:

 1. Continue to enhance and foster a community that is attractive and affordable for people in all stages of life, with particular focus on attracting younger families to sustain Weiser in the long term; 2. Foster a community that has a diverse and rich economy that supports Weiser’s residents, visitors, and neighboring communities; 3. Enhance active and vibrant community spaces and activity centers that serve a diversity of interests; 4. Improve upon systems of governance to smoothly implement this plan along with other policies and projects citywide over the next 10 to 20 years.

 There are seven “Goal Areas,” including Population and Growth, Recreation and Open Space, Sustainability, Economic Vitality, Transportation, Public Services, and Good Governance. Participants of the online survey are asked to provide comments and suggestions on each of these areas.

 The plan lists the city’s top-10 priority projects as identified through the public workshop and conversations with key stakeholders and city officials. Some of them focus on entryway corridors that highlight downtown Weiser, guidelines for special area development, improvement and maintenance of park spaces, the development of a Weiser Business and Retention Plan, walkability and bikeable community improvements, sidewalk construction and improvement, and development and implementation of a Historic Preservation Plan.

 There is a significant amount of information packed into the draft plan, including results from public engagement and statistics. Here are some tidbits from the Weiser Community Profile included in the Executive Summary:

 • Weiser’s population was 5,358 in 2020, but an increase or decrease by 2030 depends on whether it can capture a share of regional growth, with southwest Idaho projected to grow by 1.4 percent every year for the next 10 years.

 • Median age is 40.5-years-old.

 • Median income is $37,552. 

 •  The 2022 home median market value was $315,000

Approval Process

 Weiser’s Planning and Zoning Commission will consider all available information – including written and oral testimony through public hearing, as well as the survey – in its decision to either approve or deny the draft plan. Once approved, the draft plan will be heard by Weiser’s city council, which can vote to either approve or deny it. 

 “All the information will be taken into consideration,” Tate said. “Until a resolution to adopt [the plan] is made by the council, everything is just a draft.”