Post Falls approves contract to track impact of growth
A graphic from the Ada County assessor comparing financial productivity per acre in Meridian demonstrates the kind of data analysis and visuals Urban3 will provide for the City of Post Falls.
Courtesy photo
A visual from Urban3 to map financial productivity in Ada County. Post Falls is contracting with Urban3 to undertake similar visuals of the current and projected growth for the area.
POST FALLS — The city is moving ahead with a cityscape planning project ahead of its 2025 comprehensive plan update.
Mayor Ron Jacobson emphasized the importance of this project, calling it a "critical tool for council to have."
Last week, the city council unanimously approved a contract with Urban3, a North Carolina-based firm. The company will analyze city data to assess the fiscal impact of growth and development trends, as well as visualize land use patterns and future annexation areas.
The project aims to map revenue-positive and revenue-negative areas per acre, provide a comprehensive overview of Post Falls' development, and offer insights into future land use needs.
City planning manager Jon Manley explained the decision to choose Urban3 despite their higher bid of $125,594. He noted that while another bid came in nearly $38,000 lower, it lacked the visual elements and future land use projections the city desired.
The seven-month project will culminate in a 3D visualization using ArcScene software, presenting the data through detailed graphics.
Councilors expressed strong support for the initiative. "I think they're really in line with what we're trying to do here," Councilor Samantha Steigleder said.
"Growth is the big issue here and figuring out how to manage it, having the tools to understand the financial impact of growth and how we're going to maintain infrastructure for the next 20 and 50 years, it's absolutely vital," Councilor Randy Westlund.
A preliminary map of Post Falls land use.
A visual from Urban3 to map financial productivity in Ada County. Post Falls is contracting with Urban3 to undertake similar visuals of the current and projected growth for the area.