Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - January 14, 2026
Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - January 14, 2026
The Planning and Zoning Commission met on January 14, 2026, to consider two public hearings: a zone change for a medical campus and an annexation for single-family residential development. The commission also recognized outgoing Commissioner Walton and announced an upcoming joint workshop.
Ceremonies and Announcements
- National Rubber Ducky Day was recognized.
- A joint workshop with City Council and the advisory committee was announced for February 17, 2026, to discuss a fiscal impact analysis for the comprehensive plan.
- Commissioner Kibby Walton attended his last meeting; the commission thanked him for his service. An opening on the Planning and Zoning Commission was announced.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public testimony was offered on the first hearing (Prairie Medical Zone Change).
- On the second hearing (Prairie Annexation), Barb Hitts expressed concerns about traffic safety near bus stops and pedestrian crossings on Prairie Avenue and Lynn Street, noting that additional housing could exacerbate dangers. She urged the commission to consider these impacts.
Discussion Items
- Prairie Medical Zone Change (ZC25-2): Staff presented a request to rezone approximately 30.88 acres from Community Commercial Services (CCS) to Community Commercial Mixed (CCM) to allow a medical campus with a future hospital bed tower. The current CCS zone has a maximum height of 45 feet, while CCM allows up to 105 feet. Applicant Ben McGran described a phased development including a 14-bed emergency department, outpatient imaging, and medical office buildings, with the height increase intended to preserve open space and create a healing environment. The commission noted the site's location at a key intersection (Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue) and discussed infrastructure capacity, compatibility with the comprehensive plan, and a development agreement that will prohibit residential use on the site.
- Prairie Annexation (ANNX25-5): Staff presented a request to annex approximately 20 acres and zone them R1 (single-family residential). The applicant, Drew Dittman, explained that this was the third application after previous denials by City Council. The commission discussed the site's location north of Prairie Avenue, compatibility with surrounding commercial and multifamily uses, traffic access via Lynn Street, and the benefits of infill development and right-of-way dedication. Public testimony raised safety concerns, and the applicant noted that subdivision planning would address school bus stops and pedestrian improvements.
Key Outcomes
- Prairie Medical Zone Change: A motion to recommend approval to City Council, finding the CCM zone consistent with approval criteria, passed unanimously (7-0). The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action.
- Prairie Annexation: A motion to recommend approval of R1 zoning to City Council, finding the request meets approval criteria, passed unanimously (7-0). The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council.
- The meeting was adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Call the meeting to order. Please rise for the pledge. For which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right, good evening, everyone. Welcome to the January 13th, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. I will start with uh roll call, please. Walton? Here. Present. Stephenson. Here. Sean Howard? Here. Shreiber. Here. Will him. Here. Okay. Thank you. Next item is ceremonies, announcements, appointments, or the presentations. Mr. Manley. So there's a request to bring back some national type day. So today is uh happens to be National Rubber Ducky Day. So those familiar with Sesame Street, that's kind of you know why it is what it is. I celebrate this every year. Nice. Put up a flag in front of your house. Yeah. And then the other thing I wanted to bring attention to for you guys is on uh February 17th. Currently there's a tentative workshop, a joint workshop with uh city council and the advisory committee to go over the fiscal impact analysis with urban three to support our comprehensive plan. So I just wanted to get you guys aware that right now that's the ten of tentative itinerary. Urban three. Urban three is uh they're kind of a well-renowned fiscal impact that does visualizations to look at the costs and revenues of a city to kind of look at you know its balance for looking at long-term operation and maintenance and looking at uh the sustainability of your revenues versus costs for with growth. What day was that? February ninth? February 17th. February 17th, thank you. So that'd be a five o'clock. Possibly 4:30. We're kind of okay. We're we don't know the actual length of the presentation. There's gonna be some coordination that's gonna have to go on with that. So just wanted you guys to know since we're about a month out. Yeah. But it doesn't say it would be time box because there's a city council meeting that night, right? Correct. So it'd be before city council. That's the the current plan. Gotcha.
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