Planning & Zoning on the way out

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SANDPOINT — Changes are coming to an integral government function in the county.

The Planning & Zoning Commission met for the last time on Thursday.

“This is our last venture as the planning and zoning commission,” said Brian Bailey, commission chairman on Thursday.

The Board of Bonner County Commissioners voted to amend Title 12 of county code on Jan. 12. Title 12 addresses land use regulations in the county. The 200-plus-page document functions as the final word on what can and cannot be built in the county. The entire first page of Title 12 will be replaced to allow for the new changes in governance.

The January decision will go into effect on March 30. The respective Zoning Commission and Planning Commission will be created to continue the work done by the current commission.

“These guys are working too hard for a volunteer-status type of job,” said Commissioner Jeff Connolly in January. “I see this as a positive move for Bonner County and a way to get the comp plan done in a more timely fashion.”

Planning Director Milton Ollerton said the purpose of the change is to create a solution to the workload the current Planning & Zoning Commission is experiencing. He expressed that the workload was so overwhelming that the Planning & Zoning Commission is unable to adequately address the growth and land use in the county.

“This would give the county the opportunity to try to address some of these concerns and address the work that needs to be done quicker,” Ollerton said in January.

The new five-member zoning commission will focus on subdivisions, variances, conditional and special use permits, and land owner requested zone permits.

The seven-member planning commission will focus on the comprehensive plan, areas of city impact, and county requested zone changes. Additionally, the Planning Commission will also be tasked with recommending approval or denial of amendments to zoning code and the comprehensive plan. Each commission will hold bi-monthly meetings.

Commissioners have taken this time to appoint the newly created positions, which have received more applications than open positions. According to information from Ollerton at Thursday’s meeting, the entire board of county commissioners are meeting with applicants next week.

After the commission completed Thursday’s routine agenda, they discussed topics and concerns that may influence the incoming commissions. Minor land divisions, accessory dwelling units, and sewer districts were some of the topics briefly covered in the candid discussion at the end of the three-hour meeting.

The Planning & Zoning Commission will meet for a workshop on March 22 to address yet another Title 12 amendment, this one brought forward by grassroots group Keep Bonner County Rural.

KBCR’s Title 12 amendment was submitted to the county before the county submitted their own amendment — the one dissolving the planning and zoning commission.

Coincidentally, the last item the commission will hear, is the amendment that predated it by a month.

For a list of current projects and other useful information regarding development, land use, and planning in Bonner County, go to their website at BonnerCountyID.gov/departments/planning