Historic preservation commission unveils draft 10‑year plan; open house next week
January 07, 2025 | Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho
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Kayla Long, staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, presented a draft 10‑year historic preservation plan to the Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 7 and invited commissioners to a public open house next Tuesday at 6 p.m.
"We have a draft historic preservation plan," Long said, summarizing outreach and preliminary findings. She told the commission the plan is intended to be "not regulatory" and to focus on documentation, outreach and education. Long said the project’s public survey produced about 200 responses and highlighted interest in downtown commercial buildings, residential rehabilitation incentives and documenting cultural and wartime histories people feel are underrepresented.
Long described plan elements including a reconnaissance‑level survey of potential districts and neighborhoods (she cited Bel Air as an example), a proposed national register nomination for downtown, outreach tools such as plaques and airport displays, and training for building officials to interpret codes for historic structures. She said the plan will include a history section and that the draft is detailed — "probably a 100 pages" — with a public draft to be circulated soon.
On funding, Long said the project obtained a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) grant to hire a consultant and that the city can pursue additional grants or mitigation funding when federal or large projects affect historic resources. "We are able to apply for a grant for this plan. And we are able to get $15,000 as a grant to hire the consultant for the plan," she said.
Commissioners asked about sources used for the history and outreach methods; Long said the plan draws on library resources, input from the Museum of Idaho, work sessions with the Historic Preservation Commission and consultant research. Commissioners suggested historic documentation for civic buildings (for example the Carnegie Library, the city power system, the SIP Auditorium and the post office) and for business histories, and discussed whether redevelopment pressure creates urgency for mapping and documenting older neighborhoods.
Long said next steps include the public open house and distribution of a public draft and link/QR code to commissioners for further comment.
The Historic Preservation Commission will continue public outreach; no formal regulatory change was proposed at this meeting.
"We have a draft historic preservation plan," Long said, summarizing outreach and preliminary findings. She told the commission the plan is intended to be "not regulatory" and to focus on documentation, outreach and education. Long said the project’s public survey produced about 200 responses and highlighted interest in downtown commercial buildings, residential rehabilitation incentives and documenting cultural and wartime histories people feel are underrepresented.
Long described plan elements including a reconnaissance‑level survey of potential districts and neighborhoods (she cited Bel Air as an example), a proposed national register nomination for downtown, outreach tools such as plaques and airport displays, and training for building officials to interpret codes for historic structures. She said the plan will include a history section and that the draft is detailed — "probably a 100 pages" — with a public draft to be circulated soon.
On funding, Long said the project obtained a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) grant to hire a consultant and that the city can pursue additional grants or mitigation funding when federal or large projects affect historic resources. "We are able to apply for a grant for this plan. And we are able to get $15,000 as a grant to hire the consultant for the plan," she said.
Commissioners asked about sources used for the history and outreach methods; Long said the plan draws on library resources, input from the Museum of Idaho, work sessions with the Historic Preservation Commission and consultant research. Commissioners suggested historic documentation for civic buildings (for example the Carnegie Library, the city power system, the SIP Auditorium and the post office) and for business histories, and discussed whether redevelopment pressure creates urgency for mapping and documenting older neighborhoods.
Long said next steps include the public open house and distribution of a public draft and link/QR code to commissioners for further comment.
The Historic Preservation Commission will continue public outreach; no formal regulatory change was proposed at this meeting.
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