The Bonneville County Planning and Zoning Commission tried to play mediator between two feuding cities Wednesday night.
The commission was presented a proposal by Ammon to enlarge the city's recognized impact area to include land west of Hitt Road. Idaho Falls officials maintained the request would violate a 2001 agreement that marks the road as the dividing line between the two cities.
After a nearly three-hour public hearing, the six-member commission reduced the amount of land west of Hitt Road that Ammon proposes to include in its new impact area.
The commission's decision is only a recommendation to the Bonneville County commissioners, who have the final say in the matter and could make additional changes at a later date.
No hearing date before the county commissioners has been set.
Most of the 60 residents in attendance Wednesday sided with Idaho Falls in its disagreement with Ammon over what should be the boundary between the two cities.
Cathy Martin wondered why Ammon officials weren't honoring their memorandum of understanding with Idaho Falls.
""Why are they interested in property not near their city?"" said Martin, who lives in the disputed area. ""Ammon signed an MOU and are now backing out of that.""
Several other landowners living in the questioned area said they didn't want the commission to approve Ammon's proposal because they didn't want to be residents of that city.
Yet Ron Folsom, Ammon's planning director, assured them that land in the impact area will not automatically be annexed into the city.
""This request is not about annexation,"" Folsom said.
Impact areas project beyond city limits, allowing, but not mandating, cities to expand within the area if growth warrants.
Idaho Falls officials also spoke out against Ammon's proposal, calling it ""seriously flawed"" and a violation of a longstanding agreement between the two cities.
""This is the existing agreement between the city of Ammon and the city of Idaho Falls,"" said Renee Magee, Idaho Falls' planning and zoning director. ""We ask the commission to honor that agreement.""
The reason Ammon has targeted the area is because of the Eastern Idaho Regional Wastewater Authority, of which Ammon and Bonneville County are a part. The authority's sewer plant is being built in Shelley and will connect to Ammon within a few years, using an old railroad right-of-way that connects the two cities.
Reporter Nick Draper can be reached at 542-6742. Comment on this story on Post Talk at
www.postregister.com/posttalk/
