City approves zoning changes

SANDPOINT — Sweeping changes to city commercial zoning laws were adopted in an empty room at City Hall this week.

Council members in a special session that was advertised and open to the public, voted without ado to pass the measure that has been years in the making.

“It was probably the most important thing to happen in city government in five years,” council member Justin Schuck said.

But, nobody came.

Part of the reason for the lack of public attendance, Schuck surmised, was burn out.

The comprehensive plan had been crafted and reworked for two years using input gathered in more than 23 public meetings involving hundreds of local residents prior to revising the commercial code.

The process to revise commercial zoning laws began more than a year ago and included another string of public meetings and hearings.

Many city residents, Schuck said, probably lost interest in the process.

Sandpoint resident Robert Pierce, who said he missed a chance to sell property in the downtown area because a buyer was concerned about impending zone changes, addressed city council at a hearing earlier this month.

He urged council members to expedite adoption of commercial zone changes.

“Planning and Zoning has done an incredible job putting this together,” Pierce said. “It’s time we say yes. Let’s do it.”

He was the only one to participate in the hearing.

Raphael Barta, an associate broker with Century 21 RiverStone, followed closely the proposed changes to commercial zoning and participated in earlier hearings.

He is relatively pleased with the outcome.

“I have no substantial concerns,” Barta said. “I think it is a good synthesis of planning commission  hard work, council member hard work, planning department hard work, and input from the public.”

The council adopted a system of three commercial zones encompassing an area from Super 1 Foods to downtown and along the Highway 2 corridor. The changes call for controlled development that regulates building height, parking, promotes residential space and architecture.

Buildings may not exceed a height of 35 feet unless they allow for residential use. Parking lots must be elevated, or built either behind or alongside new structures. Buildings must be close enough to the sidewalk to allow pedestrians a window-shopping feel, or they must include civic space and public art between the sidewalk and the storefront.

“The development that will take place will look more like First and Cedar and downtown, instead of Highway 95 in Hayden,” Jeremy Grimm, city planner said. “It will have more of an urban fabric, rather than a suburban fabric.”

In the next phase, the city will address changes to industrial and residential zones.

The latest process, despite being lengthy, resulted in a plan that council members could stand behind, Schuck said.

“We did a good job finding the middle ground,” he said.