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Commission hears ITD interchange timeline and access questions tied to rezoning
Summary
Commissioners and the applicant discussed how the planned Idaho Transportation Department interchange and access changes could affect development, with the applicant noting appraisals in February and construction possibly in 2030–2031 and a consultant advising limiting uses via C1 zoning.
During discussion of the rezoning application for the Chester‑area parcel, commissioners focused on how the Idaho Transportation Department interchange and roadway reconfigurations could shape permissible uses and access.
Applicant Jeffrey Rowe told the commission that ITD “has money to buy all the right of way” and that he had been told appraisers might visit in mid‑February. Rowe said construction timing depends on federal funding and “it could be 2030, 2031,” though earlier projects have sometimes moved faster than initial projections.
Commissioner Thayne Goulding and others asked about frontage roads and access patterns; Rowe explained planned changes include closing some connecting roads and establishing a new connecting route through nearby parcels. He also cited a federal guideline requiring an off‑ramp to be at least 300 feet from the railroad track, which contributed to the interchange’s current siting choice and pushed the ramp location away from the older Chester store site.
Commissioner JC Siddoway asked whether C1 zoning could prevent larger highway‑oriented uses such as truck stops. Rowe and planning staff confirmed that C1 is intended for neighborhood‑serving commercial services and that certain larger uses (for example, major fueling stations or truck stops) are more likely placed in C2 or would require conditional‑use permit review.
Land‑use consultant Jeff Pavlovich, present during public comment, supported restricting the parcel to C1, saying it “makes sense” around a planned intersection and helps avoid large‑scale truck‑oriented development that would change the neighborhood character. The interchange’s funding and construction timeline remain contingent on ITD and federal funding decisions.
