The Rexburg Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the new comprehensive plan to the city council on Aug. 17. The city council will review the plan and may approve it Sept. 6 — the meeting is open to the public and will be held at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
According to the Engage Rexburg Project page, “The Comprehensive Plan (the Plan) is a community-informed policy document that considers many facets of the community.”
The plan considers past, present and future trends of the city. It contains data from several different studies and seeks to give Rexburg’s Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council a more comprehensive look at the community’s developing needs.
Rexburg’s previous plan was adopted in 2008. Since then, many things have changed.
The plan is meant to be a living document, and it will be reviewed annually. Community members with questions about the plan can email their concerns to customerservices@rexburg.org.
A general overview of the plan can be read below. Citizens can view the entire plan here.
Rexburg's previous plan was adopted in 2008. Since then, many things have changed. Photo credit: Isabelle Justice
Existing conditions
Planning elements listed in the existing conditions section include population, housing, economy, schools, public safety, public utilities, parks, recreation and open space, natural resources and hazardous areas, transportation and mobility and community health and wellbeing.
Population
As of 2020, Rexburg’s population includes 40,000 people. The community has grown 55% since 2010.
Housing
The document states, “According to the 2010 and 2020 US Census, over the past ten years, the number of households in Rexburg grew from 6,580 in 2010 to 11,832 in 2020.”
Economy
In 2022 Rexburg had 1,034 businesses. The top five industries at the time were educational services, retail trade, health care, social services and food services.
Schools
This section mentions the Madison School District #321 and BYU-Idaho.
Public safety
The public safety section details the accessibility of Rexburg’s fire station, hospital, police department and emergency services.
Public utilities
This section outlines Rexburg’s water and waste services.
Rexburg’s indoor water is pumped from eight ground-water wells. No treatment is currently required before citizens access the water. This section also mentions that additional water sources would need to be developed to keep pace with population growth.
Parks, recreation and open space
Rexburg has three types of park facilities: private, neighborhood and community.
In this section, the committee outlined Rexburg’s current parks. It mentions the community’s goal to build additional parks and a connected trail system for better cyclist and wheelchair accessibility.
Natural resources and hazardous areas
This section outlines the various resources and hazards in Rexburg and the surrounding area.
Natural hazards include fault lines, floodplains, soils and volcanoes. The section also lists a series of industrial hazards including the railroad and air pollution.
Transportation and mobility
This section mentions Rexburg’s current roads and potential road improvements. It also mentions the possibility of creating a public transit system to accommodate those in the community who do not have reasonable access to a vehicle.
Community health and wellbeing
This section contains data about Rexburg citizens’ health. All data is taken from a study performed in 2019, County Health Rankings.
The plan is meant to be a living document, and it will be reviewed annually. Photo credit: Isabelle Justice
Desired conditions
The Desired Conditions portion of the plan describes projects and plans the city has to meet the community’s needs.
In this section, implementation measures have been divided into four different categories: how the city serves the community, grows the community, strengthens the economy and moves goods and people.
Each section outlines the city’s goals, objectives and actions.
Serve the community
To serve the community, the city has kept the following considerations in mind:
— Population
— Public services, facilities and utilities
— Schools
— Recreation
— Natural resources and hazardous areas
— Private property rights
A complete list of projects tied to the community areas above can be found on page 38 of the plan. The list includes steps to promote water conservation efforts and finance programs to maintain important services, among other goals listed.
Grow the community
The city has considered the following areas to grow the community:
— Land Use
— Special Areas or sites
— Community design
— Housing
— Agriculture
The full list of objectives can be found on page 41 of the plan. Street-side tree planting, design guidelines, updates to Rexburg’s downtown and other projects are listed in this section.
Strengthen the economy
Economic development falls under strengthening Rexburg’s economy.
Page 43 of the plan lists improvements that can strengthen Rexburg’s economy, and it mentions expanding the city’s restaurant options.
Move goods and people
Rexburg’s airport and transportation system are the highlight of this category.
On page 45, a full list of action items can be found. This section includes improving the following roads: 2nd East (between Main St. and 7th N. St.), US-20 Ramps at Main St. and US-20 Ramps at University Boulevard.
It also mentions new projects such as US-20 interchanges at Main St. and University Blvd. and East Parkway Corridor, among others.
Land use planning tools
This section of the comprehensive plan details where and how Rexburg might grow in the future.
It contains the Future Land Use map, a map that features guidelines for the potential growth of Rexburg. The map can be found on page 53 of the plan, and all subsequent pages describe the sections in more detail.
The plan states, “As Rexburg continues to grow, land use planning should create environments that support the health and wellbeing of community members.”
