Community Development Planning Draws Record Crowd in Kuna

BOISE - About 225 people filled the Kuna High School Auditorium March 8 for a chance to comment on local community development issues, a record turnout in the five-year history of the Idaho Community Review.

ICR helps communities design and implement development strategies. Typical turnout for the public-input phase is about 50 people.

"We had youth, seniors, families, business leaders and ecclesiastical leaders turn out," said Zella Johnson, Kuna city council member. "The Chamber of Commerce did a wonderful job, and the marketing and advertising efforts within the community were tremendous. I believe people really want to be heard, and much of our success owes to the fact that they know they are being heard." The main topics were concerns over transportation and bridge access in the northwest part of town, parking, recreation, school support and infrastructure.

ICR is a collaboration among private and public entities such as Idaho Housing and Finance Association, the Association of Idaho Cities, Idaho Rural Partnership, Boise State University, Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor, and HUD's Idaho field office. IHFA participates on the ICR Planning Team and works with communities to address local housing and other needs. "Housing affordability is a growing issue in rural Idaho," noted IHFA's Housing Resources Coordinator Erik Kingston. "it's critical to include in any community an economic development discussion."

Each review includes outside professionals who donate time and expertise and local residents and community leaders that host visitors and arrange local logistics. The professionals review existing planning efforts, interview residents and explore the community to gain an impression of local assets and challenges.

Although the host community's costs are limited to local tours and meals for the visiting team, the in-kind value for donated consulting services was at nearly $100,000.

"It takes courage to invite this kind of outside scrutiny," said Kingston, who co-led the Kuna review with Debbie Bloom of the Idaho Community Action Partnership Association. The two worked with Kuna residents to develop itineraries, fine-tune focus areas and recruit visiting team members. "We were impressed by Kuna's hospitality and their efforts to bring diverse opinions to the table. Anyone who wanted to participate had plenty of notice and opportunity."

"We were also grateful for the collective talent and commitment our visiting team brought to this review," added Bloom. "Kuna will wind up with valuable resources to address their needs."

IHFA's Technical Assistance Specialist Lori Benfiet worked with other visitors to explore Kuna's civic assets and schools and can attest to the hard work involved. "These folks worked 14-hour days during the review and brought genuine passion and expertise to the process."

The two dozen visiting team members agreed that long-term comprehensive planning, citizen involvement and follow-through are crucial for coping with rapid growth. "Our message to rural Idaho is simple," said Kingston. "Your future is being shaped by every acre committed and every nail driven; each action represents a net gain or net drain to your community in the long run."

Kuna is the fastest-growing city in Idaho and one of the fastest-growing in the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kuna's population was 5,382 in 2000. The Kuna Chamber of Commerce Web site reports that Kuna has grown by 82 percent since then, to nearly 9,800. This growth has landed the community in the news several times as they work to resolve transportation and wastewater limitations and examine the nature of development planning.

The Kuna community review was the 11th to date and the ninth with IHFA involvement. Reviews also have occurred in Buhl, Emmett, Hayden, Heyburn, Jerome, Kooskia, Priest River, Rexburg, Salmon and Weiser. The ICR Planning Team considers applications from rural communities with fewer than 10,000 people. For more information or to request an application, contact Erik Kingston at erikk@ihfa.org or toll-free at 1-877-438-4472.

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The Idaho Housing and Finance Association, a financial services and housing business organization, provides funding for affordable housing in communities where it is most needed and when economically feasible.