Council approves Creekside Townhomes PUD with condition to keep Willow Creek corridor open to public

After a public hearing and a lengthy staff and applicant presentation on May 21, the Idaho Falls City Council approved the Creekside Townhomes planned unit development, a phased project proposing 143 townhouse units, multiple amenities and three variances.

Developer Wyatt Jenkins (Connect Engineering) described a design with four primary amenities: two pickleball courts, a playground, a gazebo and a paved walking path along Willow Creek. Jenkins said the plan proposes to bury an irrigation ditch in limited locations and to work with downstream users and the Army Corps of Engineers for two culvert crossings of Willow Creek. “We are working with Army Corps of Engineers on how we are going about that creek currently,” he said.

The proposal requests variances to allow lots to front a private street, reduce a western rear setback from 25 feet to 10 feet, and reduce certain landscape buffers along private streets; the applicant said the design still proposes about 39.7% open space, above the 25% required by the PUD ordinance.

Council discussed whether the Willow Creek corridor would remain accessible to the wider public and how irrigation and canal companies factor into design and maintenance. The council adopted a reasoned statement of relevant criteria and standards that includes a condition requiring the Willow Creek corridor remain open to the public and that the trail to the gazebo be paved. The motion carried.