Residents look at annexation into city; Chubbuck city looks at new downtown area

Some changes are coming for the city of Chubbuck.

The city is growing, both in population and business. Currently, the city has four applications from county landowners asking to be annexed into the city of Chubbuck.

All of the landowners are near the up-and-coming Siphon Interchange, which Chubbuck mayor Kevin England said is probably a lot of the draw.

He said the applicants see the benefits of joining the city, like getting city services. But he said the city also sees the potential from the annexations.

“As they talked to us about their preliminary plans, as to what they’d like to see happen, we see as a city it’s the kind of things we’d like to see happen too,” England said. “We’ve been working, again, over the months with them and been working with some new zoning areas to help them do some things that will be a little creative, will bring some kind of different development into our community.”

On Wednesday, the Chubbuck Land Commission approved the annexation proposals. Now the proposals will go to city council for possible approval.

That’s not the only change coming to Chubbuck.

England said if you were to ask people where Chubbuck’s downtown was, they’d likely take you to Yellowstone Highway but the city doesn’t feel that’s a good downtown.

England said the city has found a niche where they want to build a proper downtown location and make it a draw for the city.

“It’s been an interesting thing for me to learn this process over my time as being the mayor,” England said. “There was a day that you would go out and recruit businesses and they’d come and people would follow the business. It’s come to my understanding that day is gone. You need to create a place where people want to be and then businesses follow them here and so that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to create a place that people would like to be.”

“We know we need to have a vibrant downtown,” he continued. “Our intent is to have someplace that will be walkable, bikable, and a place where people would like to gather. So that’s what we’re trying to do here.”

“The area is from the railroad tracks over to Yellowstone and then from Chubbuck Road over to the interstate,” England said.

Wednesday night, the city council approved a zoning change for the projected new downtown area. Instead of industrial zoning, it is now C-2 zoning, or general commercial. England said that zoning change will allow for future businesses to come in.

England said he hopes to start work toward the new downtown within the next year. He said right now, they are working with the community and city staff on what kinds of businesses they would like to see come in and then they will take the next step of trying to get them here.

With more people joining the city, a new downtown area up and coming plus the new medical center, Mayor England said he’s thrilled about what’s happening in Chubbuck.

“Oh my goodness, I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to live in the city of Chubbuck,” he said. “There’s mornings, serious, that I get out of bed and I pinch myself to make sure I’m not still asleep. It’s like living in a dream land.”

The new medical center will break ground to start construction on Friday, Sept. 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the corner of Knudsen and West Burnside.