County relaxes land use standard

SANDPOINT — Waterfront landowners in unicorporated portions of Bonner County are getting a little more elbow room when it comes to developing their property.

County commissioners unanimously approved a code amendment Wednesday that eases impervious surface standards for shore land properties, according to Planning Director Clare Marley.

Priest Lake landowners Kevin and Judith Sheffield petitioned the county to replace its tiered impervious surface coverage standard with an across-the-board standard.

The county’s land use code limits maximum impervious surface coverage at 15, 25 and 35 percent, depending on the size of the parcel. The code change implements a single 35-percent standard regardless of a parcel’s size.

Impervious surface standards are implemented to protect ground and surface water resources from pollutant-laden stormwater runoff. Impervious surfaces include rooftops, sidewalks and driveways.

The Selkirk Association of Realtors endorsed the code change, contending that the graduated scale was too onerous to a majority of the waterfront lots in the county. The Idaho Conservation League recommended against easing the standard, especially around streams.

Supporters of the code change contend the ample amount of public waterfront land and existing standards such as setbacks, vegetative buffers and stormwater management plans provide sufficient protection to water quality.

Other landowners had advocated during the public review process ditching the impervious standard altogether, but Marley said it was not an option.

“The only question before the board was whether to approve the 35-percent standard,” said Marley.