PRIEST RIVER — City residents will have another opportunity to look over, ask questions about and offer input on the city's draft comprehensive plan.

All residents are invited to attend a public open house Thursday, March 19, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the West Bonner Library, 118 Main St. in Priest River.

At the open house, community members will be able to review printed copies of the draft plan, view informational posters and handouts, participate in interactive activities such as sticker boards, and provide feedback through surveys and written comments, Jake Gabell, Priest River planning and zoning administrator, said.

A comprehensive plan is used by cities and counties to help guide future decisions related to land use, housing, infrastructure and community character. Public participation during this phase is critical.

Updating the comprehensive plan has been a six-phase process, beginning with a decision on whether to create a draft document first or seek public input. In Priest River’s case, the council opted to create the draft plan to give the public a clearer sense of where the city is and where it could go, Gabell said.

While the city last reviewed the comp plan in 2017, it was never adopted, making 2013 the last time the plan was officially updated. To give officials and residents a clear picture of current conditions and the policies guiding future growth, Gabell drafted the updated plan.

“The policies should really be the driver,” he said. “One thing I’ve told the City Council several times is to really pay attention to the policies I’ve drafted here. They are the distillation of all the data and text going into it. They should be the driving force that leads toward code changes.”

Whether the discussion is about ensuring the city doesn’t exceed its service capacity or looking at density and annexation, the policies will help officials ensure that decisions align with the city’s vision for its future.

In the past five years, the county’s population has grown dramatically, increasing from just under 46,000 in 2019 to an estimated 56,000. Priest River has seen more modest growth within city limits, rising from roughly 1,896 residents in 2019 to an estimated 1,933 in 2026.

Those options — and the community’s feedback — are the focus of the open house. Community members will be able to review printed copies of the draft plan, view informational posters and handouts, participate in interactive activities such as sticker boards, and provide feedback through surveys and written comments. The draft comp plan is also posted on the city’s website, and a digital survey is available.

“The survey, this whole engagement process — it’s not specific projects or even zone changes or anything like that,” Gabell said. “It’s foundational stuff, and it’s going to drive some changes. When we come through this, we’ll do an evaluation of the policies we’ve written.”