Commission recommends approval of Faraday Properties Division No. 1 final plat; well site and lift station noted

The Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission on May 6 recommended approval of the final plat for Faraday Properties Division No. 1, a multi-phase residential subdivision containing R-2, R-3 and R-3A zoned parcels and a small LC (limited commercial) area. The commission voted unanimously to forward the final-plat recommendation to the mayor and city council.

Staff described the plat as extending along East 49 South and noted the development would dedicate 50 feet of right-of-way along East 49 South (a minor arterial) and construct four new streets, including a north-south residential collector that will run the length of the plat. Staff said the plat reserves two non-buildable lots: one reserved as the proposed site for a city well (a public service facility that will require a conditional-use permit before the board of adjustment) and a second parcel reserved for stormwater retention and utility easements.

Staff also said the subdivision's sanitary sewer service will rely on a lift station included in the plat. The lift station is part of the subdivision's design because a permanent sewer connection from the west (along Sixtieth South) is not yet available; staff said the lift station will likely be removed or abandoned when the permanent sewer connection is constructed. The well site and the lift station, staff said, are important pieces of infrastructure that will enable further development in the area but that the lift station is intended to be temporary pending a future connection.

Commissioners asked about irrigation rights and whether the development could remove existing irrigation ditches used by properties to the west. Staff said any water rights must be retained and that the developer must coordinate with the irrigation district and adjacent property owners to preserve existing irrigation access.

Other discussion focused on access: residential lots cannot take direct driveway access onto arterial streets, staff said, so lots abutting East 49 South will use internal streets. Staff noted buffers and landscaping requirements apply where multiunit development abuts single-unit residences.

Motion and disposition: a commissioner moved to recommend approval of the final plat; the motion was seconded and the commission approved the recommendation by unanimous voice vote.

Next steps: staff will forward the final-plat package to the mayor and city council for consideration; the city will coordinate utility design and conditional-use permitting for the public-well site and any other required approvals.