P&Z takes up proposed map changes

SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Planning & Zoning Commission will take up nearly 20 proposed amendments to the county’s comprehensive land use and zoning maps next month.

The proposed changes cover everything from mapping errors to unresolved citizen-initiated requests for comp plan map changes and evolving development patterns.

The planning commission hearing on the map amendments is set for Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. The hearing starts at 5 p.m. in the Bonner County Administration Building at the corner of U.S. Highway 2 and Division.

“It’s a lot of areas and there’s been a lot of interest,” said Senior Planner Dan Carlson.

Several of the amendments are aimed at clearing up mapping discrepancies such as an incorrect comp plan designation of the River Delta Resort southeast of Clark Fork. Public lands at Talache and west of Springy Point should have been mapped as prime Agriculture/Forest, but were inadvertently given designations with more liberal housing densities.

A number of the changes will affect densities and uses in certain areas.

Landowners at Oden Bay are petitioning the county to supplant a Rural designation on several sections of land with an Ag/Forest forest designation. The 10-acre minimum lot size standard would remain, although the change would preserve agricultural zoning.

A similar arrangement is proposed for two square miles of land on the north side of U.S. 2 east of Thama. Lot size minimums would remain, although it would expand opportunities for agricultural uses.

The commission will also take up a proposal to ease density restrictions on the east side of U.S. 95 in Elmira. Two sections of land tagged as Ag/Forest with a 20-acre minimum would be reclassified as Rural Residential subject to a 10-acre minimum standard.

“That would give them twice (the density) than what they’d be allowed now,” Carlson said.

There are 18 individual map change requests and there’s a chance the planning commission might not be able to get through all of them in one sitting, Carlson said.

The planning commission’s recommendations will ultimately be acted upon by the board of county commissioners.