Sugar City planning for future as growth continues

SUGAR CITY, Idaho (KIFI)- As part of a proposal to expand the impact area of Sugar City is considering rezoning the area of exit 338 on Highway 20 and the west side of the North Rexburg exit. They would rezone the area into a residential commercial zone.

While this process is ongoing many have already started raising some concerns about the impact this change could have. "There's been some concerns in Sugar City about high-density housing. And and if you have housing in commercial areas, it's probably going to be high-density. And so the current discussion is about how could you do it in a way that looks good, is enhancing to the community that is appealing. And there's been some research done," said the Mayor of Sugar City Steven Adams.

Adams also added that during the research they received some inspiration from neighboring cities. "People have traveled to different areas and looked at things and one possible model with some ideas is coming out of Thanksgiving Point and some of the things that they've done. And so now planning and zoning is looking at it. They're considering it. And then their recommendation, well, that's going through the public input process."

The city has been receiving interest from many different commercial businesses as they are in a good location for many shipping lanes, with both US Highway 20 and State Highway 33 and a railyard providing opportunities to ship things all over the nation.

Mayor Adams, says this will help the city continue to provide its residents with high-quality services. "We're here to make sure we have high-quality services with a plan for the future and that we're always acting responsibly for our citizens. And I do think that deciding on, you know, where is the commercial and where's the residential and how do those things work together and what kind of buffer areas do you need. That all makes total sense when you're doing the zoning process. And so I'm supportive of what they're doing. I think it's wise. I think the process is important."

The rezoning proposal will be going to a public hearing later in February, and the mayor says this is an important part of the process. "You need to make sure that the citizens are informed and involved and the landowners know what's happening. A lot of value can be moved around with the zoning changes and it's one of these areas that just has to be done totally out in the open with public input and then should be left alone," Mayor Adams says.

If you live in Sugar City and want to know when the public hearing you can find the city council agenda on their website or on their Facebook page.