By Aman Chabra, Local News 8 Reporter
BONNEVILLE COUNTY – Friction is building between two cities, Idaho Falls and Ammon, and Bonneville County is caught right in the middle of it.
For the past two years, Ammon has expressed the desire to increase its impact area within the county, and they hope to extend into an area on the other side of Hitt Road and York Road (E 65th S.).
Impact areas are plots of land outside city limits that still fall under the jurisdiction of a city’s zoning ordinance.
Sharon Perry of Idaho Falls believes Ammon shouldn’t be allowed to extend across Hitt Road, the well-recognized boundary between the two cities.
While Perry also serves on the Idaho Falls City Council, she says she is acting as a private concerned citizen.
“There was a document signed saying Ammon wouldn’t journey across Hitt Road, and I’m afraid that’s what’s happening,” said Perry.
Perry believes this could lead to forced annexation.
Bonneville County officials deny this claim.
“This is not forced annexation, and that’s just part of a lot of misinformation that is out there right now when it comes to this,” said County Commissioner Roger Christensen.
Christensen and Steven Serr with Bonneville County Planning and Zoning say Ammon has had plans to expand their impact area since 2007.
“They came to the county two years ago, and it was mentioned it to the City of Idaho Falls so they could meet and discuss it, and we encouraged them to talk to Ammon about it so they could come to an agreement, and as far as I know, nothing ever came of it, and in the meantime, Ammon made a financial commitment to build the sewer pipe,” says Steven Serr.
Serr says the original agreement on impact areas between the two sides ended at York Road, and therefore, all of the land to the south, including that which is on the Idaho Falls side of Hitt Road, is fair game.
“The area to the south of this has been in neither of the impact areas,” says Serr.
A handful of homes lie in the area in question, and currently use septic tanks and wells to supply water and sewer services to their homes.
While they would be required to pay for services from the City of Ammon by hooking into a sewer line, they would NOT be forced to pay taxes to the city unless annexed.
A public meeting is scheduled to discuss the issue. It will happen Wednesday, November 19 at 6:45 p.m. at the Bonneville County Courthouse.
If Ammon is allowed to increase its impact area, Bonneville P&Z says it could happen as early as January.
