Lewiston to update general plan; officials outline notice rules for rezones

Lewiston officials told residents on March 18 that the city will begin updating its general plan and will use public surveys and outreach to gather input.

Mayor Hall said the general plan — last updated in January 2015 — will be posted to the city website by the end of the month and that the Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG) will help lead the update. “There will be an opportunity. We will send out surveys. We will send out questionnaires,” the mayor said, and urged residents to return survey responses and to contact planning commissioners with input.

City staff described the formal notice process for rezoning and other land-use hearings under state law: notices must be posted on the Utah public-notice website and at the city office, and adjacent property owners must receive mailed notice prior to the planning-and-zoning public hearing. The mayor said the city will comply with those steps and that planning and zoning will schedule public hearings on any applications that have been filed.

Planning and zoning training with the city attorney was scheduled for the following night, the mayor said, and he invited council members to attend. He also told residents the city receives many fewer survey responses than officials would like and encouraged broader participation.

Officials acknowledged that the city website and notification systems need work; staff said they are in the process of updating online materials and adding links to the Utah public-notice site so residents can sign up for alerts.