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I am very concerned about the future of the City of Hayden due to the massive changes rapidly being instituted in the zoning and the increasing density. Over the past six months, I have attended almost every City Council and Zoning meeting as well as Town Halls and Workshops. I have made public comment, spoken to the Mayor, written letters, published a letter in the CDA Press, held prayer meetings, spoken on podcasts, written newsletters, picketed, spoken to neighbors, started a Facebook page to help make people aware of the issues, and even video taped meetings that the city refuses to tape and have put them up on my YouTube channel. My concern has grown so much that I even decided to enter the race and run for Hayden City Council myself in November. I care about my town, my neighbors, and would like to be a part of making things better. I’m fighting for you and I’m not even elected yet.
We’ve had a lot of bad news regarding the zoning but I would like to share some good news with the citizens of Hayden for once. In the August 24, 2021 Hayden City Council meeting we witnessed a rare victory as we were given a one year extension on making a final decision regarding some of the rezoning of Hayden! Last April the City of Hayden’s Community Development Department sent a form letter out to over 1,700 property owners telling them that their zone was being changed. Over 500 of those zone changes involved the removal of the Residential Multi-Family zone code, leaving those properties without a zone designation that may have also meant that they would have trouble getting permits or even selling their home if they wanted to. Many people, including myself, were left wondering what it meant and how it would affect us.
There must have been a firestorm of letters from concerned citizens as well as Hayden residents attending City Council meetings addressing the issue of zoning and the Future Land Use Map. Now the City Council has came together once again, and based on the calls, letters, and concern from the people, the City Council members have decided to put in place a temporary solution called Option E: “Option E would be an interim solution following the guidance of Idaho State Code 67-6524 which would allow for an ordinance to re-instate the Residential Multi-family text as it stands for a period of time, not to exceed one year.” The City Council members admitted that the proposed zone changes were too ambitious and that they tried to do too much all at once, that they don’t have all the answers, and that they want to take a step back to look at parts of it more carefully.
When “Notice of Rezone” letters were first sent out in April, we were only given two weeks to make a decision about the fate of our properties. Now it looks like we have been given a one-year reprieve. We don’t yet understand all of the ramifications of the decision, but I believe that it’s a move in the right direction. If you were one of the people who wrote a letter, called City Hall, or came to a meeting to oppose the re-zoning, or prayed in the park, then give yourself a pat on the back, and realize that what we do as citizens really matters. When we work together we can make a difference.
Seeing all of that hard work come together and give us even this small victory has given me even more hope for Hayden. I hope to even further my opportunity to make changes for the better in my community by being a part of the decisions that will be made regarding Hayden and zoning during the upcoming year. I’ve poured over the zone maps for hours and hope that all of that knowledge and my commitment to preserving private property rights and limited constitutional government will be put to good use as a member of the Hayden City Council.
We can’t give up now. The City of Hayden is not in the safety zone yet. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan is still slowly moving forward. These events show us even more the importance of getting new members onto the council. Please help me to get into office by voting for me on November 2, 2021. Together we can preserve Hayden’s small town feel.
Sandy White
HELPFUL LINKS:
Listen to the meeting here: https://youtu.be/_F3366lOte0?t=4684
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