Idaho Falls planning commission recommends against rezoning Woodrow Circle parcels to R3A

The Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 5 voted to recommend denial of a rezone application that would change portions of Lot 4 and 5 of the Hudson Addition (Woodrow Circle area) from Highway Commercial to R3A residential mixed use.

The vote followed about an hour of public comment and commission discussion about traffic, infrastructure and the property’s zoning history. Commissioner Khrushchev Cantu moved that the commission not approve the applicant’s request; the motion passed 3–1 (Cantu, Ogden, Meade voted aye; Commissioner Eiler voted nay). The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the mayor and city council, who have final authority.

Why it matters: Residents, business owners and the commission raised concerns that changing the parcel to denser residential use could worsen existing congestion on Woodruff and Lincoln roads and place added pressure on arterial intersections that city staff and regional planners have already flagged for improvement.

Developer pitch and site history Danny, representing the applicant, said the proposal would return the parcels to R3A to allow for-sale townhomes aimed at a market priced about $275,000 to $325,000. He told the commission the site already has utility and roadway work in place on Woodrow Circle and said the intent is roughly 20–24 townhome units depending on a future site plan.

Staff background and timing City staff told the commission the properties were annexed in 2021 with an R3A designation, rezoned to Highway Commercial (HC) in September 2024, and now subject to the applicant’s request to revert to R3A. Staff said the request is consistent with the comprehensive plan’s “mixed use centers and corridors” designation and recommended forwarding the rezone request to council for final action. The neighborhood meeting for the application took place June 11, 2025.

Public comments and traffic concerns More than half a dozen nearby property owners and business operators spoke during the public hearing. Robert Guntley, who owns property immediately south of the site, urged the commission to visit the area and observe evening congestion: “There is so much traffic … the congestion is just unbelievable,” he said. Several other speakers who run or lease nearby businesses — including Eric Walker, David Farnsworth of Farnsworth Auto Repair and Jason Eaton (a towing business operator) — described regular backups on Woodruff and Lincoln Road during morning and evening peaks and said additional residential units would worsen access problems for existing businesses.

An owner of the subject property, David Knight, countered that a residential rezone would likely generate equal or less traffic than some commercial alternatives and said returning the property to R3A would align it with the comprehensive plan and surrounding zoning. “If anything, this rezoning is going to reduce traffic,” Knight said, adding that the applicant’s proposal targets for-sale townhomes rather than a large storage facility previously discussed for the site.

Commission discussion and tests applied Commissioners focused questions on how new development would be served by existing roads, whether impact fees would fund future improvements, and the timing of regional projects. Staff clarified that impact fees are assessed at building permit and go into capital improvement funds for roads, fire and other infrastructure rather than being earmarked specifically to the adjacent road segment. Staff also said the Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) has a Woodruff corridor project in its Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) currently slated for 2028, subject to funding and final design.

Commissioners noted code thresholds that affect required access: according to staff, a single access must be supplemented with a second point when a residential development reaches thresholds tied to the building code (30 units if not sprinklered; 200 units if sprinklered). Commissioners said the present site’s size and the current application do not automatically trigger additional access, but that cumulative development in the area could.

Outcome and next steps The commission’s motion was a recommendation to the city council. The council will hold its own public hearing and vote; the commission’s vote is advisory. A denial recommendation does not prohibit the applicant from pursuing the matter before council, nor from submitting a revised application in the future.

Clarifying details and context - The applicant described a plan for about 20–24 for-sale townhome units (exact unit count depends on future site plans). - Neighborhood meeting: June 11, 2025. - BMPO-listed corridor improvements for Woodruff appear in the TIP with a target year of 2028 (subject to funding and design). - Impact fees are assessed at building permit and feed capital improvement funds for roads, fire and other departments; they are not necessarily dedicated to a single local segment.

Ending: The city council will receive the commission’s recommendation at a later public meeting; the council schedule and public hearing date were not specified at the Aug. 5 commission meeting.