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Imagine Hayden rezoned

by MADISON HARDY
Staff Writer | July 30, 2021 1:08 AM

Hayden residents who attended an open house on zone changes left with a different outlook, some more positive than others.

Worries about the new "Mixed Use" and "Mixed Residential" zones created in the city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan ranged from traffic to density and personal impacts. Traffic and Hayden's growth is what brought North Idaho native Haunnah McInelly down to City Hall for the open house Thursday afternoon.

"Everybody is frustrated over the traffic, congestion everywhere and the inability to make a left turn almost anywhere safely," McInelly said.

A business owner with her property located off with a dozen other commercial units, McInelly said there are rare times she can exit the parking lot with ease. Most of the time, however, she said that isn't the case.

"I think the reason people move here is that we are a peaceful and small town. But it no longer looks or feels like that," McInelly said as she looked down at a public comment card in her hands. "I think a lot of natives have left already, to be honest. I hear a lot of them are fed up, moving to Montana or the middle of Idaho, which makes me sad."

As defined in the plan, Mixed Use allows for residential multifamily — four units or more per structure — and commercial uses. Mixed Residential, by comparison, is only for housing developments — single, two, or three-family designs.

The two new designations allowed the former Commercial zone to remove residential, specifically multifamily structures like apartments or duplexes, possibilities, Hayden Senior Planner Donna Philips said.

Pointing to the Huetter Corridor construction project planned within the next decade, Philips explained the area is better suited as Mixed Use than Single Family Residential.

"Do you really want residential single family homes butted up against a freeway? Does that make sense?" Philips asked rhetorically. "In the future, as this develops, it may make some sense to give an opportunity to multifamily or a commercial component."

Residents' density concerns stem from the Mixed Residential allowance of 20 dwelling units per acre. But, Philips said, any proposed development that wants to exceed 14 dwelling units cannot exceed restrictions in the Hayden 2040 sewer and transportation plans.

Hayden resident Ed De Priest pointed out, at the last workshop on the zones, city staff recommended 15 to 18 units — which would still have to mitigate infrastructure limits.

"There is a need for folks who don't want to own property, but they want to rent. There is a rental market that is important to note," Philips said.

To John Scarborough, a two-year Hayden resident, he fears the zones lead to what he considers "explosive growth."

"It just seems to be that there are no controls, and I realize that's a perception," Scarborough said. "I just see what's happening on Ramsey and then out on Prairie, and it's everywhere you look. It leaves an impression."

Scarborough, who has spent his career in the construction industry, expressed that he is not anti-growth. He recognizes that the city planners have put in the time and effort to create the zones, but he was unsure "if this change is the right move to make at this time."

Ken Walker and Tim Lawton, who own a complex on commercial/light-industrial land with numerous operating businesses, showed up Thursday after discovering their property could be lumped into "Mixed Use." If the zone changed, Walker and Lawton feared they wouldn't be able to operate as they have for six years through limitations on what is acceptable land use.

"I paid a premium for my property because it was light industrial, and now they're trying to take our zoning away," Walker said. "They're potentially taking money out of our pockets. We'll hire an attorney. I'm sorry you're not going to try and take away my possible future income."

However, Walker noted that he doesn't like to get "too worked" about things like this because "90% of the time it works itself out." After talking to Philips, he said that was hopefully accurate as she stated their property would remain light industrial.

Much time went into the "Imagine Hayden" 2040 Comprehensive Plan, about three years, Melissa Cleveland, the city of Hayden Community development director, said. However, the zone areas haven't been defined yet and are still in progress — hence the open house.

"This open house is to explain to people where we are trying to go and why," Cleveland said.