Hearing set on code changes

SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Planning & Zoning Commission is considering a proposal to make permanent an emergency ordinance that grants time extensions to landowners and developers who are facing financial hardships.

A public hearing on the proposal is set for Tuesday, Nov. 16. It starts at 6:15 p.m. in the Bonner County Administration Building.

The board of county commissioners approved an emergency ordinance earlier this year grant time extensions to complete a project’s conditions of approval for applicants because of tough economic times and a soft real estate market.

The emergency ordinance, which expired in August, allowed an additional two-year time extension to complete conditions of approval. The time extensions affected land use projects such as subdivisions and conditional use permits.

The two-year time extension was limited to projects which expired in 2009 or 2010.

The proposed code amendment would allow the board to grant a two-year extension if landowners are unable to complete roads, water and sewer systems or other conditions within the four years allowed by their permits. Projects eligible for the extra extension must have a financial extension that expired in 2010 or one that will expire in 2011 or later.

Additional items in the proposed code change include:

• Changes to the public hearing procedures to require the submission of written testimony at least five days prior to the public hearing so there is sufficient time to copy and distribute the submittals to the governing body;
• Revisions to the communication tower definition so that public safety communications towers up to 75 feet tall are exempt from the requirements for a conditional use permit;
• Creating a racetrack definition and standards for submitting a racetrack conditional use permit;
• Addition to the Rural, Agricultural and Agricultural/Forest zoning district acreage requirements that allows right-of-way acreage to be counted in the gross acreage of a lot if the right of way is being dedicated as part of the subdivision;
• Increase of the accessory dwelling unit square footage maximum from 800 to 900 square feet.