Wallace Idaho

Departments

City Departments

Streets & Parking

Library

Planning & Zoning

Parks & Rec

Dog & Chicken Licenses

City Sewer

Streets & Parking

We have numerous public parking areas available to accommodate tourists and events.  Public parking areas exist at the Northern Pacific Depot Museum and at two locations under the interstate.

Wallace High School Band 1940

Photo By:  Barnard-Stockbridge

Street Closure

Street party? Parade? Wedding at the Center of the Universe?  You need to get street closure approval.

Steps:     Street Closure Request and Checklist

  1. Fill out an application and street closure form and return to City Hall.
  2. Application must be returned by the 1st day of the month that you wish the Council to consider the request.
  3. A representative of the organization should be present at the Council Meeting to answer any questions.

Parking

Reminder: All parking downtown is parallel between November 15th and March 15th.  This makes snow removal easier during our winter months.

Library

The mission of the Wallace Public Library is to serve as a cultural, informational, educational, and recreational agency.  We are one of three cities that boast an original operational Carnegie Library.

Wallace Library

Planning & Zoning

Because our entire city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, our planning and zoning plays a critical role in protecting the historic accuracy of our town.

Historic Wallace

P&Z Frequently Asked Questions

What is Planning and Zoning?

Usually grouped together, the general function of the P&Z is to establish basic rules for what can be built where and what it can be used for, in order to prevent conflicts between uses and preserve quality of life and property values.  By state law, all Idaho Cities must have P&Z, although they are not required to have a separate P&Z Commission.  In some smaller cities, the City Council acts as the P&Z Commission.  P&Z is governed by Titles 12 and 13 of Wallace Municipal Code.

What is Historic Preservation?

The City of Wallace is the only city in the country to be entirely listed in the National Historic Register.  One of the federal requirements for such a listing is that the city must have a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to write and enforce standards that maintain the historic character of the listed buildings.  Local HCPs have considerable discretion as to the details of the standards, where they apply penalties for non-compliance, etc., but to be a Historic District we must have a HPC which must work to  maintain the historical integrity of the District.  In Wallace, the P&Z and HPC Commissions are combined, due to the relatively small number of applications.  Historic Preservation is governed by Title 12 of the Wallace Municipal Code

What do I need approval for?
When in doubt, ask.  In general, you need HPC approval (called Certificate of Appropriateness) for anything that will change the external appearance of a building in Wallace.  Ordinary repair and maintenance do not require approval, so long as the result is to restore the building to the condition (including color and materials) that it was in before it deteriorated or damaged.  Demolitions and new construction also require HPC approval.
What does it cost?
There is no charge for a Certificate of Appropriateness.  Building permits that involve new construction or exterior changes require a Certificate of Appropriateness, but the fee charged is for the building permit itself, not the Certificate of Appropriateness.
How long do I have to wait?
By law, the Commission must hold a hearing within 45 days of the receipt of an application and notice of the application must be published in the paper at least five working days prior to the hearing.  The Wallace P&Z and HP Commission holds a scheduled hearing on the first Wednesday of each month, with occasional changes due to holidays.  If you are in a hurry to start your project, the key thing to remember is to get your application in prior to the third Wednesday of the month.  Once your application is approved at the hearing, your building permit application will be submitted to the building inspector.  At that point, it may take up to a week to get your permit.

To expedite simple projects, the HPC has created a list of “pre-approved” items.  If your project falls within the pre-approval criteria, the City Clerk or P&Z Chairman can give you a Certificate of Appropriateness immediately without waiting for a hearing.  Note that these projects still require a Certificate of Appropriateness: pre-approval just makes getting the Certificate easier.

What do I need to submit with my application?
The Commission needs enough information to understand what is being proposed.  This is especially important if you cannot come to the hearing in person.  For simple projects, a brief description on the application form is adequate.  For projects where an off-the-shelf commercial product is a major part of it, a copy of the manufacturer’s drawing or photo should be be included.  For new construction or remodeling that involves moving walls or roofs, plan and elevation views should be included.  If the existing footprint of the building will be enlarged, a site plan showing adjacent property lines is also needed.  These drawings are normally needed for building permit purposes anyway, and the same ones will suffice for P&Z and HPC purposes.  The Commission is not concerned with structural or interior details, but only with external appearances.  Hand-drawn sketches are acceptable so long as they include enough information to make the design clear.   Be sure to note materials and colors somewhere on the plans or in the note.  On complex projects, its best to talk with the P&Z Chairman prior to the meeting to ensure that the application is complete.  The Chairman does not  have the authority to decide unilaterally what is or isn’t acceptable, however you always have the right to present anything you want to the Commission.
Historic Preservation Plan
Our Commission Members

CHAIR:  Emma Marlow

VICE-CHAIR:  Sarah Murphy

Member:  Courtney Frieh

Member:  David Kuns

Member:  Heather Barnhart

 

Parks & Recreation

Wallace has numerous parks throughout our city limits and is home to a variety of festivals and other recreation opportunities. The Northern Pacific Depot & Railroad Museum, Visitor’s Center, and swimming pool are also included within the city’s Parks and Recreation budget. Our historic pool was built in 1939 as a WPA project. The pool will be closed for repairs during the summer 2019 season, but interested citizens can stay updated on pool renovations and fundraising at the Friends of the Wallace City Pool Facebook page. We also have a community garden at Weeping Birch Park on Cypress Street.

Weeping Birch Park

Photo By:  Barnard-Stockbridge

Community Garden

Samuels Park

Historic City Pool

Northern Pacific Depot & Railroad Museum

POOL PROJECT UPDATE:

Dog and Chicken Licenses

We love our dogs so much so that we hold a parade just for them.  Dogs and Chickens need to be licensed and these licenses can be obtained at City Hall.

Pet Parade Participant and Pooch in 1936

Photo By:  Barnard-Stockbridge

Pet Parade 2018

Wallace Sewer Bond

Our city recently upgraded all of our sewer systems.  The project was completed in 2018.  Contact City Hall to learn more about our city sewer project.

Quarterly bills for City of Wallace Sewer will be mailed to each parcel owner.  Wallace City Hall accepts cash or check payments.

703 Cedar St.
Wallace, ID 83873

City Sewer

Sewer Processing

Processing of your sewer is handled by South Fork Sewer District.  They invoice for their services separately.  Please contact them if you have any questions. 

City of Wallace

Your town yesterday, today and tomorrow!
Photo By:  Barnard-Stockbridge