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Welcome to Project 7B!  
We are local citizens who value land use planning as the public's tool to protect our treasured quality of life, way of life and property in North Idaho  

Land Use Planning Alert

Currently, both Bonner County and the City of Sandpoint are working separately to revise their current Comprehensive Land Use Plans. A comprehensive plan is a guiding framework for how community members, local government, and stakeholders want to see the area grow over the next 10-20 years. 

A comprehensive plan’s goals and objectives should reflect the values and desires of the community as a whole, because they are the touchstone of all land use decisions.

The public deserves a say in what that looks like - and now is the time to speak up in the county’s Land Use Plan process! 

 

Bonner County’s Planning Process

In the county, the cart is in front of the horse: the Planning Commission, which was newly formed in May, as it was previously the Planning and Zoning Commission, has been directed by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to deliver recommended plan goals and objectives to them by the end of August. We are concerned that the timeline is too aggressive to include meaningful public involvement, and that the goals and objectives were developed before the planning commission has had ample opportunity to gather the requisite data and information to inform them. 
 

The only opportunities for public involvement are at the workshops on Aug. 2nd and Aug. 16th, where you can present your comment(s) to the Planning Commission Board. There is also an option to submit written comments to planning@bonnercountyid.gov by Aug. 23, although the sooner the better. These meetings will be at 4:30 pm at the Bonner County Administration Building on the corner of Hwy 2 and Division (1500 US-2, Sandpoint, ID). If you can’t attend in person, click here for the link to the live stream.
 

There will be a final hearing on Aug. 30th, which is also open to public comment, however that will be when the planning board submits their final recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, so public comment will be more impactful at the workshops in early August. 

The Planning Commission has prepared their suggested revisions for the existing Goals/Objectives and Policies portion of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Click here for a link to the document that shows all their suggested revisions.

While we still object to the rushed process, we hope you will join us to speak up for protecting our quality life through responsible growth. See details below.

 

Recent History of the Comp Plan Process:
 

The county formed 5 different Sub-Area Committees beginning in 2016, which were tasked with coming up with land use plans for their geographic areas. The county is claiming this as the public involvement portion of the process. Some of the groups had many meetings and did an excellent job engaging with the public and others had much less engagement. Once the subcommittees issued their plans to the Planning Commission, the commission took their recommendations under advisement.

 

Despite the lack of a county-wide public involvement process, and the fact that the Planning Commission originally proposed a year-long process, they are still pushing to have the Goals/Objectives and Policies of the plan done and recommended to the BOCC by the end of August. 

 

Two community workshops are better than none, so please attend and make sure the county’s goals and objectives reflect your own vision for Bonner County’s future.  

 

How to make a difference!

Get involved: 

  • Attend the workshops on Aug. 2 and Aug. 16, (time) at the Bonner County Administration Building on the corner of Hwy 2 and Division, (address: 1500 US-2) to make sure the goals and objectives align with the community values;

  • Send your comments about the Comprehensive Land Use Plan process and/or goals and objectives to planning@bonnercountyid.gov

  • We recommend in addition to any comments about the goals and objectives that folks express concerns you may also have about the rushed process and request they pause and hire a planning consultant to assist with this land use plan update.

 

Get informed: 

Sandpoint’s Planning Process

Currently, the City of Sandpoint has consultants working on land use data collection. They are hoping to begin public engagement for the plan this summer, although exact dates are not clear yet. The link to their Comprehensive Plan Update page is here: Sandpoint Comprehensive Plan - keep an eye on that and we will be updating on our facebook page as well when we know more. 
 

Thank you for helping us to protect our quality of life in our community! 

 

IN OTHER NEWS
 

Camp Bay Compromise or Court?

You may have heard that the dispute over the beach access in Camp Bay was going to court. Developer M3 is challenging the county’s reversal of its 2021 decision over vacating Camp Bay Road. Neighbors Fred and Jennifer Arn intervened on behalf of the public, to make sure that someone was advocating for preserving public access down Camp Bay Road to the water. After a confrontation earlier this summer at the beach - broken up by Sheriff’s deputies who reminded the developer that the public is allowed to use the beach until the court says otherwise - the two parties decided to negotiate.

The negotiations are reportedly not going well, which means the case is likely to have an initial hearing Aug. 10. In the meantime, you can read the starting positions for the negotiations at 50feet.net. Stay tuned…. 

County Revenue vs Wetland Protection?

It is well understood that building in a wetland is a big no no.  Our society has known this for years, as wetlands have been federally protected in the US since 1977.  We all have childhood memories of learning about wetlands in elementary school…cattails, frogs, dragonflies, birds.  Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute, was etched into the minds of most children born in the 60s and 70s.

Putting environmental degradation aside, everyone knows that building on wet property causes big problems, perennially flooded basements, expensive water repairs and diversions, noisy sump pumps, impassable roads, neighborhood conflicts, mosquitos, and soggy ugly lawns.  Not to mention the cost of a stalled project from community outcry and important environmental permits. 

So WHY is Bonner County allowing a 34-lot housing development in a wetland near Coolin on Priest Lake?  Well, Bonner County’s land use code is written to allow for very rapid development due to its slim regulations and its elimination of normal check systems.

With plans for a waterfront development, landowner Clifford Mort filed 54 quit claim deeds with Bonner County, creating 26 new parcels (previously 3 parcels) in a well-known wetland.  He used Boundary Line Adjustments (BLAs), which is a process that - by county code definition - cannot create new parcels. Nevertheless, that’s what he did.

At the same time, Mort also applied for Minor Land Divisions (MLDs), asking to create 8 more parcels. This entire process avoided public planning and zoning hearings, development design standards, and all notifications: Coolin Sewer District, Army Corp of Engineers, Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Fish and Game and affected neighbors.  So voila, the county has 31 new waterfront parcels.

Until …. locals got wind of it.  After hours of research, public records requests, and surveyor help, the inexplicable scheme unfolded. Since then, the Coolin Sewer District, who has yet to see a development plan for the property, has placed a moratorium on new sewer hookups and is studying their system’s capacity for growth.

This development cannot proceed without those hookups. Would YOU build an expensive lakefront home in a wetland without sewer?  And even if you could, should you?

The Selkirk Conservation Alliance and Priest Lake neighbors have filed motions to reconsider the most recent land division that was approved in Coolin Bay. If you think this development deserves more scrutiny, email the BOCC and ask them to please hold a reconsideration hearing. 

dan.mcdonald@bonnercountyid.gov

jeff.connolly@bonnercountyid.gov

steven.bradshaw@bonnercountyid.gov

 

Please Support Project 7B!

Finally, if you value our efforts, please consider making a donation - it can be done online at our website or by mailing a check to Project 7B,  P.O. Box 2365, Sandpoint, ID, 83864.

 

Thank you!

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