(Bannock County, November 2, 2026; Cover photo credit: Bannock County)
P&D Council Recommends Approval of LUDO Draft After 5-Hour Public Hearing
Thank you to everyone who came out or tuned in Thursday night! After five hours of public testimony, staff review, and thoughtful deliberation, the Planning & Development Council voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the proposed Land Use & Development Ordinance (LUDO) with a few key revisions.
If you missed the meeting, you can watch the full Oct. 29 hearing recording here.
Recommended Changes by the Council
Based on public input and staff discussion, the Council recommended advancing the LUDO draft with some adjustments, including:
- Alternative Energy: Retained the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process for commercial solar, wind, and nuclear projects, but recommended adding stronger setback requirements, enhanced screening/buffering, and clearer decommissioning protections.
- Subdivision Process Clarifications:Refined the subdivision framework for dividing land to ensure clear administrative guidelines and update outdated processes while maintaining public oversight by the Board of Commissioners.
- Lot Size & Density Rules:Recommended minor adjustments to zoning regulations and land uses to better match actual land use in unincorporated Bannock County.
- Open Space Requirement:Affirmed the removal of countywide open space mandates so property owners retain full use of their land.
What Happens Next?
Board of County Commissioners Hearing
Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Bannock County Courthouse, Room 119 (624 E. Center St., Pocatello)
Please Note on Scheduling: The Nov. 19 date is tentative while staff finalize the legal public notice requirements. If the official notice cannot be published in time to meet statutory deadlines, this hearing may be shifted back.
We will publish the confirmed date, final meeting packet, and written comment submission deadline as soon as the notice is finalized. Keep an eye on bannockcounty.gov/ourfuture for the latest updates!
While the county moves through the process of updating land use codes, Planning & Development staff are also working to create rules that would address data center projects in the county. The Commissioners enacted a moratorium on any new data center applications within county jurisdiction to allow time for staff to add data center rules to the new LUDO. (Note: This moratorium does not impact the proposed facility at the former Hoku plant site, as that property falls outside county jurisdiction.)
Update on Data Center Ordinance
What’s happening now?
Bannock County has formed a work group consisting of local representatives and planning staff from surrounding cities and counties to study data centers. The work group’s goal is to form a template ordinance that cities or counties in southeast Idaho could adapt to fit their community’s needs.
Meanwhile, our own Planning & Development staff are hard at work drafting a data center ordinance for Bannock County. The draft ordinance would eventually be an amendment to the LUDO mentioned above. A working draft is expected to be shared with the data center work group in the next month or so to get initial feedback.
Public hearings will be scheduled once a draft is ready for council and public review.
