P&Z mulls commercial developments

SAGLE — The Planning & Zoning Commission is taking up proposals Tuesday to amend Bonner County’s land use maps and to allow for more commercial development in Sagle.

The commission will also weigh a proposed code change to expand opportunities for racetracks in outlying areas of the county.

A public hearing on the proposal to amend the comprehensive land use plan from rural residential to transition north of Gun Club Road is slated for 6:30 p.m.

A hearing on an unrelated rezone request in Algoma is set for 6:45 p.m.

The hearing on the racetrack code change is planned for 7 p.m.

All three hearings will be in the downstairs conference room at the Bonner County Administration Building, formerly known as the Federal Building. The commission has several prior land use requests on the agenda, which could delay the start times of the three hearings.

Doug Marks of Sagle Valley Development LLC is seeking the comp plan change for nearly 23 acres off Harbison Lane on the west side of U.S. Highway 95. The change would allow for a mixture of higher density residential, commercial and industrial uses.

The property is within the boundaries of the newly-established local improvement district for the Sagle Valley Sewer & Water District. Water lines are being installed, although the sewer system is in a conceptual stage and there is no anticipated date for septic service to begin, according to Planning Department records.

Dennis McIntire is seeking a rezone from suburban to commercial on 11 1/2 acres on the west side of U.S. 95 south of Ivy Drive. The site is within an area of mixed commercial, light industrial and residential uses in the highway corridor.

This site is also within Sagle Valley’s boundaries and future development would be served by a private well and a drainfield system, a county planner’s report said.

Both requests have been deemed by the county as consistent with its land use code.

Anthony Eppers is seeking a code amendment to conditionally allow racetracks in Agriculture/Forestry districts with minimum lot sizes of 20 acres.

Racetracks are already permitted in Rural and Ag/Forest districts with 10-acre minimums.

Under the code change, racetracks in A/F-20 zones would be conditionally permitted provided they are located within a fire district. Each racetrack proposal would be reviewed by the county to determine whether it fits with the comp plan and whether it would create a hazard.

Planning commissioners also have the opportunity to determine whether productive timber or prime agricultural lands would be displaced by a racetrack.

n Staff reports on these projects are posted on the Planning Department’s Web site (www.co.bonner.id.us)