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Residents urge Lewiston council to resist rezoning, demand greater transparency
Summary
Dozens of residents at the March 18 Lewiston City Council meeting urged officials to oppose rezoning agricultural land for large residential developments and called for clearer public notice and access to records. City staff said formal notice rules will be followed and that an 80-acre rezoning application has been filed.
Dozens of Lewiston residents urged the City Council on March 18 to oppose rezoning agricultural land for high-density residential subdivisions and to increase transparency around planning and zoning matters.
Speakers at the public-comment period said the city should preserve agricultural character, notify adjacent property owners directly about proposed changes and make meeting materials and minutes easier to find. “I want to oppose any change from agricultural zoning to residential zoning,” said Cameron Little, who told the council that turning farm land into building lots would put future farmers at a permanent disadvantage.
Several other residents raised similar concerns. “A subdivision of 100 plus homes in a small area is not the Lewiston that I know,” said Little. Roy Hall asked the council to make disclosure documents available and said he would file a GRAMA request if necessary to obtain financial-disclosure and executive-session records. “I think everybody here deserves to see the financial disclosures of each and every one of our city councilman and our mayor that they are required to file every year,” Hall said.
Other commenters described Lewiston’s rural character and the consequences they expect from rapid growth — increased traffic, loss of open space and changing community character. “Once you open this up, you’re never gonna get the genie back in the bottle,” said John Nielsen. Several speakers asked that notices be posted in multiple places (website, newsletter and mailed notices) because some residents have limited internet access.
Planning and zoning administrator Abel Herrera told the crowd he has received “not one single call” asking for details and encouraged residents to call him for information. Mayor Hall said the city will follow state notice requirements and described the process for rezoning: 10 days’ public notice on the state site, posting at the city office and mailed notices to adjacent property owners. The mayor also told residents that a recent application to rezone roughly 80 acres to residential has been filed and that planning and zoning will hold a public hearing as required.
The mayor said the Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG) will help update Lewiston’s general plan and that the general plan will be posted to the city website by month’s end. He urged residents to participate in the planned surveys and public hearings that will inform the updated plan.
Council members and staff repeatedly urged residents to use the formal channels for notice and comment — attend planning and zoning hearings, contact planning commissioners and call city staff — while also acknowledging the need to improve how the city shares information online and by newsletter.
The council did not take action on any rezoning at the March 18 meeting; city staff said any decision will follow the public hearing and statutory notice requirements.
