Hayden Urban Renewal District on track for expansion
Hayden Urban Renewal Agency carries forward with expansion plans under its new leadership
District Expansion Plans Move Forward
The Hayden Urban Renewal Agency had a change in leadership in January 2023 after the resignation of board chairman John Young in December 2022 due to a potential violation of state code. However, HURA’s plans do not seem to have changed since then.
Discussion around expansion of the Hayden Urban Renewal District continues to march forward under its executive director Melissa Cleveland and new board chairman Ronda Mitchell.
Recommendation to Hayden City Council
In the May 8, 2023 HURA meeting, the HURA board voted to recommend district expansion to the Hayden City Council and will be sending an email encouraging the City to take steps to expand the district. The motion to approve the communication was made by Steve Meyer and approved unanimously by the board — which includes Hayden City Council Member Matt Roetter.
The current area of the district is about 704 acres, and can be expanded by a maximum of 10% (70.4 acres). HURA is recommending expanding boundaries in seven areas that would add 61.77 acres to the district (+8.8% increase in size).
From the discussion, the City can’t use the argument of “disadvantaged border community” for the expansion, and areas added to the district would need to meet the criteria of “deteriorated”. The City could use a variety of definitions of deteriorated from state code to make the justification. The responsibility falls to the City to conduct an eligibility study by hiring an engineering firm.
The specific definition of deteriorated can be found in Idaho State Code 50-2903(8). Additional information on the technicalities can be found in the May meeting agenda on the HURA website (page 26 of 35).
The City has engaged the services of Welch Comer (an engineering services firm) for a variety of engineering projects in the past and the present. They could be a candidate for this work. HURA Executive Director Melissa Cleveland and the services she provides to HURA are contracted through Welch Comer.
Expected favorability from City leadership
Citizens can expect plans for the district to keep marching forward. Early indications from the recent joint HCC and HURA workshop showed favorability towards the expansion from Mayor Scott Forrsell and City Council Members Ed DePriest, Matt Roetter, and Roger Saterfiel.
While the recommendation to expand includes specific parcels and areas, the City could reject the plan or make alterations based on input from Hayden citizens and City staff.
The eligibility study (for meeting the criteria of “deteriorated” for urban renewal) is the next hurdle and will give a better indication of the leanings of City Council when the matter comes before them.
