Hayden planning commission recommends 2045 comprehensive plan update

The Hayden City Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-0 on Oct. 20, 2025, to recommend approval of a revised comprehensive plan that extends the city’s planning horizon from 2040 to 2045 and updates land-use, transportation and natural-resource guidance.

City staff described the update as a routine but thorough refresh of the city’s long-range planning framework. “So tonight, we’re here to have a public hearing for the updates to the 2040 comprehensive plan. So this is a 2045 comp plan update. Kind of moved everything by 5 years,” said Donna, a city staff member who presented the draft to the commission.

The comprehensive plan guides zoning, conditional use permits, capital projects and other long-range decisions; Idaho state law requires municipalities to maintain a comprehensive plan and, staff said, the state recently added groundwater as a required topic. The draft before the commission incorporates that requirement and retains earlier chapters on goals, policies and implementation while updating demographic, land-use and infrastructure information.

Key changes and findings presented by staff include: - A revised future land-use map with five primary categories: residential (all lot sizes), mixed commercial, general commercial (retail and professional services), light industrial and public/recreation/open space. Staff said mixed commercial was reduced in some locations after public input. - Policies and a map that reflect airport runway protection zones and sound contours, with only commercial uses recommended under some flight-path areas to reduce land-use conflicts. - A 300-foot “fuzzy line” buffer around future land-use boundaries intended to provide flexibility when applying the map at the parcel level, not a parcel-by-parcel entitlement. - Demographic updates showing the city’s median age rising from about 40 to about 43 and that population projections included in the new draft are roughly 9,000 fewer than in the prior plan’s projection. Staff also reported a substantial rise in housing costs: median house prices increased by 142% from 2013 to 2023, and median rents rose about 78% over the same period; vacancy rates were reported at roughly 0.4%. - A listing of 27 implementation actions in the appendix tied to goals and policies, and an explicit note that zoning and subdivision code amendments will be ongoing as the city carries out the plan.

Staff described the plan’s public outreach: an initial survey that drew about 1,200 responses and multiple workshops with the commission and City Council in 2023–2025. Staff also said the update incorporated third-party reviews (SCJ Alliance) and cross-referenced other adopted plans, including the Imagine Hayden 2040 transportation plan and county hazard maps.

Commission discussion was brief. Commissioners praised the length of the public process and the plan’s detail. After a motion and second, the commission took a roll-call vote and recommended approval to the City Council.

Votes at a glance - Recommendation to approve the 2045 comprehensive plan update: recommended to City Council (motion moved; seconded; roll-call vote: Chair Sean Taylor — yes; Commissioner Morris — yes; Commissioner Erickson — yes). Outcome: recommended approval. - Approval of Planning & Zoning Commission minutes (regular meeting, Oct. 6, 2025): approved by voice vote (recorded as three ayes). Outcome: approved. - Approval of 2026 Planning & Zoning regular meeting calendar: approved by voice vote. Outcome: approved.

What happens next Staff told the commission they will file a written recommendation and that the City Council is scheduled to notice a public hearing on the comprehensive plan for Nov. 18, 2025. The commission also discussed anticipated code amendments (including a potential new rural zone designation) that would follow council action and require additional hearings.

The commission adjourned after routine calendar business. The public record submitted with the noticed hearing includes one multi-page comment; staff said no additional public comments were received during the meeting.