Box Elder planners debate wording, data and military ties while reviewing Chapters 1–2 of draft comprehensive plan

The Box Elder Planning Commission spent the bulk of its Feb. 10 meeting reviewing Chapters 1 (Introduction) and 2 (Land Use) of the city’s draft comprehensive plan. Michelle Clavadachar, the city planner, walked commissioners through the draft and noted editorial fixes and areas that needed clarification.

Design Director Laura Lee asked commissioners to confirm the source and currency of demographic numbers in the community snapshot; she said the printed figures derive from the U.S. Census and are current as of 2023. "So those are, from the US Census… these are 2023 numbers," she said, and commissioners recommended adding a date and a data link to clarify the snapshot’s time frame.

Commissioners proposed several edits to improve clarity and reduce repetition on multiple pages. One exchange focused on phrasing describing the city’s relationship with neighboring communities; a commissioner asked, "Is ‘blur’ a good word to use there?" and suggested alternatives such as "meld," "blend" or "emerge into other communities." Members also asked that the plan more explicitly reference local examples of public–private partnerships — for example the Liberty Center and the local event center — which staff agreed could be emphasized.

The draft cites the Department of Defense’s military-community quality-of-life indicators (sometimes referenced as "5 and thrive"). Commissioners recommended standardizing the attribution (Department of Defense or "military community") rather than referencing only the Air Force. Several members also asked that the plan note the City’s existing military liaison position (Doug Curry) and emphasize maintaining, rather than creating, lines of communication with Ellsworth Air Force Base.

On land-use and mapping, staff was asked to replace outdated zoning maps with the most recent boundary and legend updates and to include a subdivision map so readers can match names (e.g., Thunderbird, Redfern) to locations. Commissioners also debated the phrasing around green infrastructure: one builder adviser cautioned that broad language on climate change or green infrastructure could be politicized and recommended wording that focuses on placing the "right infrastructure in the right place" and evaluating practices on a project-by-project basis.

Commissioners agreed to continue review of remaining chapters on the schedule provided: chapters on economic development, housing and transportation to be discussed at future meetings, with staff coordinating to invite relevant department directors to attend specific chapter discussions. Members requested staff accept editorial (grammar) changes by email and reserve substantive idea changes for group discussion at a meeting so all members hear and weigh in.

Next steps: staff will update maps and data links, standardize military-community language and return revised pages for further review ahead of a March adoption timetable.