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Preston council upholds Planning & Zoning, denies rezoning request for three parcels
Summary
After public opposition and review against the comprehensive plan, the Preston City Council voted to deny a request to rezone three parcels from Residential B-0 to Residential A-2 and asked legal counsel to draft a reasoned statement tying the denial to the comprehensive plan (Idaho Code cited).
The Preston City Council voted to deny a request to rezone three parcels from Residential B-0 to Residential A-2, a measure the Planning and Zoning Commission had already rejected.
Council Member Brent Dodge, summarizing his review of the planning packet and consultations with city staff, said the change would allow higher-density housing but noted the city already has about 120 approved lots awaiting development. “While the rezone may provide some benefit, these don’t outweigh the fact that we already have 120 homes waiting to be built,” Dodge said, arguing the existing inventory and resident opposition supported denial.
Tyrell, the planning staff member who presented the P&Z report, told the council the applicant was not present at the commission hearing, that public comment included speakers both for and against the request, and that discussion of three townhomes had occurred but no plans were finalized. City staff noted the current water lines and roads could accommodate increased density but councilors raised concerns about neighborhood character and future development pressure.
City Attorney Lyle Fuller advised the council on the legal standard, citing Idaho Code 67-65-11 and recommending a reasoned statement if the council upheld the commission’s denial. Fuller said the governing body must analyze proposed zoning changes for conflicts with the adopted comprehensive plan and that referencing the planning commission’s findings would be an appropriate basis for a denial.
Councilors moved, seconded and amended the denial motion to instruct legal counsel to prepare the required reasoned statement tying the decision to the comprehensive plan and city code. The amended motion carried on a voice/roll-call vote recorded in the transcript as in favor by council members. No further appeals or outcomes were recorded at the meeting; Fuller and staff were directed to draft the denial rationale for the official record.
The council’s action affirms the Planning & Zoning Commission’s unanimous recommendation to deny the rezoning request and leaves the applicant the option to revise or pursue other land-use avenues in line with the comprehensive plan.
