P&Z recommends approval of annexation, zoning requests

The Weiser Planning and Zoning commission on Feb. 21 voted unanimously to recommend the city approve annexation and C-1 Commercial zoning of two separate parcels of land south of the city.

 Parker Properties, LLC is seeking annexation of 12.85 acres of property on the east side of Highway 95, south of the Weiser River. The request includes a C-1 Commercial zoning designation and conditional use permit for the proposed Weiser RV Park.

 Property owner David J. Toussaint seeks annexation and a C-3 zoning designation for a parcel on the west side of the highway where Maverik, Inc. wants to build a new convenience store and fueling station.

 The votes to recommend both requests were unanimous.

 Planning and Zoning previously approved recommendation for the Toussaint property, but the Weiser City Council voted against it on Nov. 14. There have been concerns about fuel leaks and potential contamination of the river if a leak or spill were to occur, as well as line of site over the bridge and traffic turning in and out of the planned Maverik site.

 Though the two requests were recommended for approval, they would come with development agreements, according to Planning and Zoning Commissioner Tony Edmondson.

 “A development agreement would give us a little more control over some design elements – landscaping, lighting, and signage,” he said. “Both of those properties are the entry way to our community and we would like to have a little more oversight on how it’s going to be presented, so it will be complimentary to the bridge and our town.”

 Edmondson said the city worked with ITD on the bridge’s design, which the city did not want to be run-of-the-mill, like so many other bridges it constructs in towns across Idaho. 

 “We feel we have set the stage for what we want at the entrance and our community to look like, so what gets developed around it is important,” he said.

 As for the concerns about potential fuel leakage, Edmondson said he and other commission members met with the city’s water department to see where the water intakes are located. One draws water from the Snake River and the other from the Weiser River.

 “We had some conversations with our water treatment folks and they had no concerns about the intake being where it is,” he said. 

 The city has the ability to shut down Weiser River intake if a spill were to occur and the Snake River intake could still provide clean water to the city.

 “Upon questioning, the applicant did say that of the 400 Maverik stores, they have only had one leak,” Edmondson said. “You can interpret that whatever way you want – if that’s good or bad – but that was their response to what their track record has been with respect to leaks.”

 In terms of line of site crossing the Weiser River Bridge, Edmondson said the ITD apparently does not seem concerned.

 “I still have concern as well as several other commissioners, but the ITD has given them (Maverik) a waiver and seems to have no issue with the traffic,” he said. “They will have to put in a left-hand turn lane and a deceleration lane, so supposedly all that traffic will stay out of the way. ITD traffic engineers took a look at that and spelled out what would be required. We have no control over that.”

 As to whether he remains skeptical of Maverik’s planned facility, Edmondson said he has changed his perspective to a degree.

 “My gut is the same, but any technical objections I had to it have been mitigated by our water treatment folks and information from our environmental agencies,” he said.