BUHL, Idaho — The city of Buhl has adopted its first comprehensive plan since 2017, laying out a roadmap for growth, housing and development over the next decade.
WATCH: Buhl adopts first comprehensive plan since 2017, roadmap set for housing, growth
Over the last two years, neighbors in Buhl had the opportunity to fill out a 23-page survey covering everything from growth, housing, land use and transportation.
Now, the results of that survey are in, and Buhl Planning and Zoning Clerk Pamala Pehrson said a few key areas stood out.
"Lots of trends that we saw were people looking for more options for affordable housing, more economic development with our downtown infrastructure — that we already have — and a lot of what we heard was people wanting to preserve Buhl's small town feel but still accommodate growth," Pehrson said.
The city is now making those areas a main focus going forward.
"A good comprehensive plan should be done about every 10 years — and we're right at that mark," Pehrson said.
For Buhl business owner Lee Thompson, the focus on downtown economic development is welcome news. She said it's hard to keep business in the area as neighboring Twin Falls continues to grow.
"I think we are growing — but it's hard for a small town to get roots when you live this close to a large town, but the people are great, they're nice, they're easy to deal with, the customers love us because they don't have to drive to Twin Falls," Thompson said.
The city officially adopted the new plan in September, capturing the wants and wishes of Buhl neighbors for the next decade.
Pehrson said the new comprehensive plan doesn't outline specific policies or plans, but will serve as a guide for city leaders when it comes to making future decisions.
"It's a small town and we want to keep it that way — we want to do what our citizens want, and so having that guide helps us remember what we're doing when we're looking at things," Pehrson said.
"It's more like a roadmap of what we want our long-term growth to look like," Pehrson said.
Officials say the full comprehensive plan will be made available on the city website.
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