Idaho Falls amends zoning code to allow salvage yards in industrial zones with buffers and standards

The Idaho Falls City Council on Oct. 23 approved amendments to Title 11 of the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance to add salvage yards and recycling centers as a permitted use in industrial and special-purpose zones subject to new standards and definitions.

Community Development Services staff said the amendments respond to inquiries from properties north of the city that are currently in the county and include salvage-yard operations. The draft zoning language was developed after staff reviewed best practices and consulted with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality on storage and tire-handling issues.

Key elements added to the code include a requirement for a 750-foot separation between salvage yards/recycling centers and residential zoning districts and a 750-foot buffer from the Snake River. The ordinance also incorporates DEQ-related requirements, such as hard-surfacing areas used for crushing vehicles and DEQ oversight for tire storage and associated annual monitoring, staff said.

Planning and Zoning forwarded the draft ordinance to the council, and the council opened a legislative hearing to receive staff presentations and any public testimony; no public members spoke during the hearing. Councilors discussed the provisions and a scrivener correction was noted for staff to correct in the final version. The council voted to suspend rules requiring three readings and approved the ordinance by roll call.

Councilors who had initial concerns about proximity to waterways and tire storage said the 750-foot buffer and DEQ oversight addressed those concerns. Staff noted that annexed salvage yards could otherwise be treated as legal nonconforming uses with restricted ability to operate; the change will allow a path to operate under city standards while protecting residential areas and the river corridor.