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McCall council OKs conditional use permit, rezoning to expand water treatment plant at 1240 Bitterroot Drive
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Summary
Council approved a conditional use permit and directed staff to prepare ordinances and findings to allow expansion of the City of McCall water treatment plant at 1240 Bitterroot Drive, after staff and the applicant described design, landscaping and underground infrastructure changes and neighbors raised visual and noise concerns.
The McCall City Council voted to approve the land‑use approvals that will allow expansion of the City of McCall water treatment plant at 1240 Bitterroot Drive, moving the project closer to construction.
The council approved the conditional use permit (CUP 25‑01) and a zoning map amendment request (ZON 25‑01) and directed staff to prepare findings and a zoning ordinance consistent with council deliberations and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation. Meredith Todd, the city and sustainability planner, led the staff presentation and said the applications include a CUP, rezone and design review to facilitate the plant expansion.
Todd told council the Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed the applications May 6 and recommended conditions that preserve setbacks and neighborhood character even if the property is rezoned to a civic designation. She said the proposed rezone is driven partly by how the city counts underground infrastructure for lot coverage and that the rezone would allow the project to meet dimensional standards. “The design team has submitted multiple revisions based on the May 6 deliberations of the planning and zoning commission,” Todd said, noting changes to landscaping and exterior finishes.
Applicant and project leaders described the scope of work. Nathan Stewart, McCall’s public works director, said financing is in place and the project will bring the facility into compliance with current codes. “We’re basically bringing all of these facilities into compliance with today’s current codes and standards,” Stewart said, adding the plant was designed for expansion on this site.
Architect Wayne Rimmley and landscape architect Emily Bettine presented renderings and planting plans. Rimmley showed the proposed northward building addition, a covered loading dock and a low one‑story equipment garage “dug into the hillside” to reduce visual impact. Bettine said the landscape plan balances fire‑wise and water‑wise practices and keeps most perimeter trees: “One of the characteristics of it is that there are still heritage large trees and conifers especially. So . . . almost all of these will remain.”
Ross Hansen, the facility engineer, explained the utilities work driving the rezone: the project will increase treatment capacity by doubling filters from two to four and add an underground chlorine contact basin and other buried infrastructure. “We’re trying to expand the treatment capacity of the facility,” Hansen said. He added the new design allows operation with a filter out of service, which the current configuration does not.
Neighbors who spoke at the public hearing asked for more screening and better site treatment. Peggy Dyer, who said she lives at 1210 Bitterroot, asked the city to address an unscreened small structure near her deck and the condition of a dead tree. Tom Derrig, who also lives on Bitterroot, asked for replacement of a dead tree and said he would pay for a replacement if the city could not guarantee establishment. Nancy Lane, 1300 Bitterroot, urged continued communication during the two‑year construction and sequencing period.
Staff and project representatives said they will continue to work with neighbors. Todd noted a written neighbor comment and revisions to the landscaping plan. Stewart said staff will coordinate construction limits and mitigation with arborist input and that the city will work with neighbors to replace or replant impacted trees when feasible.
After council deliberations that largely endorsed the Planning & Zoning Commission’s findings and recommended conditions, a motion to approve CUP 25‑01 and ZON 25‑01 and to direct staff to prepare findings and a zoning ordinance carried in roll call vote. Council directed staff to return findings and the rezone ordinance for formal adoption at a subsequent meeting.
The council’s approval was limited to the land‑use entitlements; final construction and permitting remain subject to engineering, stormwater, and DEQ requirements identified in the staff packet. The record includes the Planning & Zoning Commission materials, the applicant’s design revisions, the neighborhood meeting notes and the updated landscaping submittal.
Votes and next steps: Council approved the CUP and the rezone and asked staff to prepare findings and the ordinance for a future meeting. Staff will continue coordination with neighbors, the city arborist and the project team as construction limits are finalized.
