Will P&Z ever comply with comp plan annual review requirement? What are the implications of failure to do so?

Boise City Code 11-02-03(1)(A) provides that is a duty of the Planning & Zoning Commission to:

Prepare and recommend a Comprehensive and at least annually review the provisions of said plan and report its findings and recommendations to the Council. . . .

Remarkably, P&Z has never done this for Blueprint Boise.  As it is framed as a duty, rather than an optional engagement, it begs the question of whether the city’s comprehensive plan is out of compliance.  This could have major ramifications for the city:  all discretionary permits (CUPs, PUDs, etc.) require a finding of compliance with the comp plan.  But if the mandatory review has not occurred, can such a finding properly be made?

History: 1974 Harper’s take on Boise’s planning

In 1974, Harper’s Magazine ran a landmark article about Boise’s then-plan to tear down almost all of its downtown area.  This era of urban renewal came to Boise late, and the city is lucky it did.  The plan never went through, and the vitality of Boise’s urban core today resists as much on city unplanning as on any coherent effort of the city’s long-beleaguered planning apparatus.  For those looking for perspective on why Boise’s planning department today seems so deeply in disarray, this history illustrates that the problems are longstanding.  It also happens to be a fantastic, if biting, read.  It also makes clear the importance of civic engagement in the city’s history to ensure a livable community.

Download the full article here:  Harpers – Nov 1974 – Boise urban renewal.