County Adds, Hikes Fees Due To Growth

The dramatic population growth southwestern Idaho has seen in the past decade has finally pushed Canyon County officials to slap fees on development services they had been providing for no charge.

County commissioners on Monday imposed a $425 fee for zoning variances, $450 for zoning ordinance amendments and $625 and up for planned unit developments.

The commission also dramatically increased existing fees for conditional use permits and lot splits.

The higher fees are effective immediately, and real estate agents are worried that the new charges will only increase building - and buying - costs in Idaho’s second largest county.

But Development Director Bill Shaw said that the continuing growth has taxed existing services.