Hearing set on plan change linked to smelter

CUSICK — Pend Oreille County’s Planning Commission is scheduled to resume deliberation Tuesday of an amendment to the comprehensive land use plan linked to the proposed smelter south of Newport.

The hearing starts at 6 p.m. at the Cusick Community Center, 107 South First St.

The panel tabled the county-initiated comp plan amendment following a public hearing last month.

The county contends the current Public Lands zoning designation requires that ownership of the land be owned by a public entity. There are no current regulations which allow for rezoning upon the transfer of property from public to private hands.

The amendment seeks to delete the Public Lands designation and replace it with a Public/Institutional Use zoning designation. Approximately 67 percent of property carries the Public Lands designation, according to the planning commission.

Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter contend the comp plan amendment is meant to facilitate the establishment of PacWest Silicon’s proposed smelter since public property was sold to the company for the project, an allegation which the county disputes.

CANSS members said they were thwarted from testifying about the smelter at a January hearing on grounds the amendment had nothing to do with PacWest proposal. The group argues that position has been contradicted by public statements made on behalf of PacWest.

PacWest was scheduled to provide a presentation on the project to the Idaho Lakes Commission on March 28, but abruptly canceled it.

Ford Elsaesser, chairman of the Lakes Commission, said the company was pulling out of the presentation because the comp plan amendment was tabled.

“I’m not really understanding that as a legitimate reason not to be here,” Elsaesser said during the meeting.

Attorneys for CANSS, meanwhile, are raising concerns that the commission illegally excluded relevant testimony and other deficiencies in the public review process.

“The county’s proposed amendment is an essential component of PacWest’s plan to site the proposed smelter in Pend Oreille County, upon which PacWest is relying, so much so that PacWest is unwilling to discuss itsA smelter proposal at public meetings unless and until the amendment is approved,” CANSS attorneys Dylan Eaton and Norm Semanko said in April 1 letter. “The county’s attempts to cover up this fact and pretend that the proposed comprehensive plan amendment has nothing to do with the smelter have been fully exposed.”

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.