Published
Two maps of St. Anthony: the zoning map rules permit day — the land use map rules the direction
Two maps, two different jobs
Pull a permit in St. Anthony and one map decides your fate that day: the city zoning map, which carries the ordinances with the force of law. But sitting beside it in the comprehensive plan is a second map — the Preferred Land Use Map — and the plan is unusually candid that the two are not the same document. Its purpose is “to guide the decision making process as development proposals or revisions to City policy are evaluated” — to show “what land uses the community would like to see in the City and where those land uses should take place.”
The chapter states it flatly: “This map differs from the City zoning map in two ways.” Both differences reach into a builder’s paperwork.
Difference one: the labels don’t have to match
The first difference is about vocabulary. “The land use designations on the Preferred Land Use Map may or may not match up with existing zoning classifications, they are simply describing the character and type of land use that is desired for a certain location in the City.” The plan’s own example: “there may not necessarily be a Higher Impact Commercial zoning classification, but there is a Preferred Land Use Map designation as described in this plan.”
Translation: finding a land-use label on the future map that sounds perfect for your project proves nothing about what the parcel is zoned today. For what the current ordinance actually allows, the zoning permit is still the first desk — the most recent ordinance runs three types of residentially zoned districts, two mixed use zones, and three types of commercially zoned districts plus recognition of the downtown core.
Difference two: the map doesn’t entitle you
The second difference is about legal force. “The Preferred Land Use Map does not legally entitle a landowner to develop their property in a certain way.” The plan’s hypothetical is a builder’s exact trap: land identified as “Neighborhood Center/Mixed-Use” on the Preferred Land Use Map while the City Zoning Map shows it zoned for Lower Density Residential. The future map “simply shows that the City would eventually like to see that area be developed” in the mixed-use manner — eventually being the operative word.
When the maps disagree: the plan gets amended first
Here is the procedural spine of the chapter. A landowner who wants a use inconsistent with current zoning “would need to apply to the City for a zone change.” Two things can then happen:
- The city likes the use but not the timing — “the property might be appropriate for that land use, but the timing may not be right perhaps due to current infrastructure capacity or incompatibility with adjacent uses.” The Commission and Council decide the timing question during a public hearing.
- The city likes the rezone but the future map doesn’t — and in that case, “the Comprehensive Plan and Preferred Land use map would first need to be amended to support that rezoning change.” The steering document moves before the zoning map does.
That order — plan first, zone second — is why a rezoning request in St. Anthony can be a two-step process instead of one, and why buyers should check both maps before assuming a parcel’s direction.
The sentence underneath both maps
The chapter frames all of it with the most quoted definition in planning, which it dates precisely — the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations, March 20, 1987:
“…sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
— City of St. Anthony Comprehensive Plan, ch. 5, Land Use (2023), quoting the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations, March 20, 1987. Retrieved 28 September 2026
It is a fair one-line description of what a preferred land use map is for: the city holding decisions to a standard longer than one building cycle. The land has been moving anyway — the plan notes the city “has also grown in area since the 2012 comprehensive plan’s adoption as additional property has been annexed into the city,” so both maps keep redrawing at the edges.
The designation list, briefly
What the Preferred Land Use Map actually says, in the plan’s own designations:
- Downtown Commercial — the cultural, civic, and commercial heart; minimum building heights along Main Street and Bridge Street should discourage single-story structures in favor of two to three stories.
- Higher Impact Commercial — office park, hotels and motels, research and development, light industry, food processing, grain storage, repair shops — sited to take advantage of highways, rail lines, and the airport.
- General commercial, community-wide and regional — large-scale commercial buildings, automotive dealerships, drive-through restaurants, large-footprint retail for highway frontage areas.
- Mixed-Use / Neighborhood Commercial — neighborhood-scale anchors (grocery, markets) plus small ancillary uses; buildings no more than two stories.
- Public Facilities — churches, schools, governmental services, community recreation, co-located with neighborhood centers where possible.
- State Lands — Idaho Department of Lands and Department of Juvenile Corrections holdings on the northwest border; the JCC site alone sits on over 162 acres.
- Residential, Higher Density / Residential, Lower Density — attached or small-lot homes near neighborhood centers at the top end; quiet detached single-family edges and transitions at the bottom.
- Rural Cluster — development at an overall base density clustered onto smaller lots while keeping large contiguous tracts of open land.
- Open Space — natural or formal recreation land along public lands, river and stream corridors, and park spaces.
Which map to read first
- On permit day, only one map commands: the zoning map. Start there, with the ordinance’s permitted uses for your district.
- Pull the Preferred Land Use Map designation for the same parcel — it tells you which way the city is steering, and whether your plan rides that direction or fights it.
- Mismatch? Budget for the two-step path: plan amendment first, then the zone change, each with its own hearing.
- Even a use the city supports can stall on timing — infrastructure capacity or incompatibility with adjacent uses is a stated, lawful reason to wait.
- Then put both maps on the table with the rest of the lot questions: (208) 656-1745.
Both maps sit on top of the same ground the rest of this site covers: how many people the map is drawn for, where its paychecks come from, which jurisdiction’s maps apply at all, and the street grid every designation eventually drains onto.
Common questions
What is the difference between the zoning map and the land use map in St. Anthony?
The zoning map carries the ordinances that legally govern a parcel today. The comprehensive plan's Preferred Land Use Map shows what the community would like to see somewhere eventually. The plan says the two differ in two ways: designations may not match zoning classifications, and the future map does not legally entitle any landowner to develop.
Does the Preferred Land Use Map control what I can build?
No. The plan states plainly that the Preferred Land Use Map does not legally entitle a landowner to develop their property in a certain way. It guides city decisions on proposals and policy revisions; the zoning ordinance still decides what is permitted on permit day.
Can land use designations differ from zoning classifications?
Yes - the plan's first stated difference is exactly that. Designations simply describe the character and type of land use desired for a location. Its example: there may not necessarily be a Higher Impact Commercial zoning classification, but there is a Preferred Land Use Map designation for it.
What happens if I want a use my zoning doesn't allow?
You would need to apply to the City for a zone change. The city may find the use appropriate but the timing wrong - due to infrastructure capacity or incompatibility with adjacent uses - and the Commission and Council determine timing during a public hearing.
Can St. Anthony rezone land against its Preferred Land Use Map?
The plan says that if a zone change request makes sense but is not supported by the Preferred Land Use Map, the Comprehensive Plan and Preferred Land Use Map would first need to be amended to support that rezoning change. The steering document moves before the zoning map does.
What designations are on St. Anthony's Preferred Land Use Map?
Downtown Commercial; Higher Impact Commercial; a general commercial designation with a community-wide and regional focus; Mixed-Use / Neighborhood Commercial; Public Facilities; State Lands; Residential Higher Density; Residential Lower Density; Rural Cluster; and Open Space.
What does the plan want on Main and Bridge Streets downtown?
The Downtown Commercial designation says building heights should accommodate higher density residential and commercial development - minimum building heights along Main Street and Bridge Street should discourage single-story structures in favor of two to three stories.
How tall can neighborhood commercial buildings be in St. Anthony?
Under the Mixed-Use / Neighborhood Commercial designation, the height, scale, and massing of buildings should be respectful to the surrounding residential neighborhoods, and buildings should be no more than two stories in height.
What zoning districts does St. Anthony's ordinance include?
Per the plan, the most recent zoning ordinance includes three types of residentially zoned districts varying by density, two mixed use zones integrating residential with compatible commercial uses, and three types of commercially zoned districts varying by intensity of permitted uses, plus recognition of the downtown core.
What is the 1987 sustainability definition in the plan?
Quoting the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations on March 20, 1987: sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The chapter uses it to frame how the city should guide growth.