Planning commission recommends Willow Place Townhomes PUD after neighborhood objections

The Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 7 recommended approval to City Council of a planned unit development for Willow Place Townhomes, a proposed 14‑unit single‑family attached subdivision on portions of Lots 4, 6 and 7 in New Sweden Estates.

The developer’s planner, Brad Kramer of Perspective Planning Consulting, presented the application and said the project was designed to meet the city’s comprehensive plan and zoning standards for the site’s suburban designation. “My name is Brad Kramer, with Perspective Planning Consulting, address at 1742 Avalon in Idaho Falls,” Kramer told the commission as he began his presentation. He and an engineer from Mountain List Engineering described a two‑story product on 25.1% common open space, two amenity areas and more parking than required.

Kramer said the 14 units equal approximately 7.7 units per gross acre (under the PUD ceiling of 8 units per gross acre for R‑1 PUDs) and that the project maintains a 25‑foot rear yard consistent with the R‑1 zone. He said the development provides at least one amenity (two were proposed) and that stormwater would be contained on site. "There's an 8‑inch sewer line in Plowman, an 18‑inch line in West 17th that flows to a 12‑inch water line in Baldwin, [and] a 6‑inch water line in Plowman — it's our understanding that's sufficient to support this particular project," Kramer said.

Why it matters: neighbors said the development would change neighborhood character and raise safety, privacy and utility capacity questions. Several residents said they had used the vacant lot for decades to access their rear yards and asked the commission to preserve that informal access or require a fence and other mitigation.

Neighbors’ concerns and developer responses

Multiple neighbors spoke at the public hearing. Dave Rockneck, whose backyard borders the site, told commissioners the property has previously been used by adjacent homeowners for rear‑yard access and raised safety concerns about the irrigation canal that runs between the development and Westside Elementary School. He asked for a fence and told the commission he had been watering the adjacent lot “for approximately 30 years.”

Other residents said they had not received timely notice or had not seen the sign posted on the property. Concerns raised included: possible strain on sewer and water; potential loss of privacy from two‑story buildings near existing single‑family yards; emergency access and fire‑truck turn limitations; and the potential effect on school capacity. Bridget Hall, John Johnson and others described heavy school‑related traffic on nearby Bellen Road and asked the commission to require additional traffic study or mitigation.

Kramer and city staff addressed many of the questions during the hearing. Kramer said the applicant had held a neighborhood meeting, would work with adjacent property owners regarding fencing and buffers, and had added a mitigation row of evergreen trees to the western boundary. He also noted the applicant will pay city impact fees — “a little over $5,000 per unit,” he said — which he said would help fund infrastructure. City staff reminded the commission that private covenants (CC&Rs) are not enforceable by the city and do not control the zoning review.

Formal action and disposition

The commission recessed the public hearing to allow follow‑up questions from commissioners and then reopened it to ask the applicant technical questions. After deliberation, the commission voted to recommend approval of the Willow Place Townhomes PUD to the mayor and city council (recommendation motion made during the meeting; see actions). Staff had reviewed the application and recommended approval, subject to final engineering review and standard conditions.

Context and next steps

The property was annexed in 1979 and is currently zoned R‑1. The developer requested a PUD primarily to allow a private street and a reduced front setback from the R‑1 25‑foot front setback to the proposed 20 feet. Staff and the applicant noted the PUD is an established tool for infill and for flexible design on lots with unusual shapes or limited width.

The commission’s recommendation sends the application to City Council, which has final authority. Any required engineering changes, utility approvals and the front‑setback variance will be resolved in the remaining review and council consideration. If there are unresolved private covenants between neighbors, Kramer said those would be civil matters for the parties or courts.

Ending note: The project drew substantial public comment and pointed to recurring community concerns about infill, school capacity, and infrastructure in growing neighborhoods. The commission’s recommendation does not change homeowners’ rights in any private covenants; it forwards the PUD to council for a final decision.