POST FALLS — The reappointments of Ray Kimball and Bobby Wilhelm to the Planning and Zoning Commission were once again discussed by the City Council on Tuesday night, following a delay earlier this month.

On Feb. 4, Chris Schreiber was reappointed to the commission, while Kimball and Wilhelm’s reappointments were put on hold until further discussion at the next council meeting. The two remain appointed until March 1, so the delay did not leave the commission short-handed.

During Tuesday's meeting, both Kimball and Wilhelm were reappointed. However, Kimball received one "no" vote from Councilor Samantha Steigleder, while Wilhelm was approved unanimously.

Before the vote, Steigleder requested to separate the reappointments in order to raise concerns about Kimball’s responses to questions from the council. The questions focused on two key issues: the potential for a commercial-only zone in Post Falls’ comprehensive plan, and the commissioners’ suggestions for updates to the city’s plan.

In response, Kimball explained that his support for a commercial-only zone would depend on how and where it is applied. He argued that maintaining a mix of zoning types is "vital" for the local economy.

"Commercial-only is likely to be very appropriate in some locations and not appropriate in others," Kimball said. "Vacant, low-demand commercial property is an indicator of blight and counter to our comprehensive plan goals."

Regarding updates to the comprehensive plan, Kimball noted that public testimony has often highlighted concerns over the lack of affordable and attainable housing. He emphasized that the plan should “encourage options for both affordable housing and high-paying job creation."

Steigleder expressed concerns that Kimball’s responses were too focused on his personal and professional experience, rather than on the concerns voiced by residents during public testimony.

"I found Kimball’s answers to be not as straightforward as I would have hoped for with his 11 years of experience on planning and zoning and to rely on more personal and professional experience rather than listening to what residents said during testimony," Steigleder said, adding that she wouldn't expect residents to directly cite a particular page in the city's comprehensive plan.

Mayor Ron Jacobson interpreted Kimball’s response differently, suggesting that many residents don’t engage directly in the planning process, especially during events like the housing needs assessment presentation.

"Not many people show up in the process," Jacobson said.

Steigleder countered, drawing an analogy to the medical field. 

“If someone comes to the ER and complains of abdominal pain, they don’t tell me their appendix is too big," she said. "It’s the medical professional’s job to interpret it and use their experience to make sense of it.”

In his response to the questions from City Council, Wilhelm cautioned against the saturation of apartments and pointed out there is already a stretch of commercial zoning along Highway 41 and Seltice Way that serve as primary commercial hubs. 

“While residential growth is necessary, an overabundance of apartments — often allowed through special permitting under Community Commercial Services zoning, can shift the intended balance of land use, impacting infrastructure, traffic and overall development goals,” he said.    

Wilhelm threw in his support for a dedicated commercial zoning designation “as a proactive step” in remaining a “well-planned, business-friendly community.”  

In his responses on the two questions posed by City Council, Wilhelm voiced a concern that Post Falls should expand the notification radius for property owners beyond 300 feet of a proposed project. 

Wilhelm also asked for an improvement to the size and visibility of public notice signs so they aren’t overlooked.   

He also drew attention to a number of citizen complaints about the narrow width of roads in new subdivisions and asked the city to consider seeking to set wider road standards.