Comprehensive Plan

17:30

Part 1 - Community Meeting on the Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan - 6/13/19

17:01

Part 2 - Community Meeting on the Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan - 6/13/19

The Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission and the Kootenai County Community Development Department hosted a community meeting in Athol, to answer questions and receive public input about the proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan. This is Part 2 of 4. The first person to speak thanks the commission for all their time and effort. Mentions they are a member of the Timberlake fire district. Concern over fees not covering needs for emergency services. The second person to speaks about how the constitution and the state constitution determines property rights, not the public. He also expresses concerns over the wording about regulating cottage industries, that it is unnecessary. The third speaker mentions the proposed smelter north of Kootenai County. She expressed concern over protecting our clean air and water. The view of the person speaking to the Planning and Zoning Commission is obstructed by a column in the meeting room. Sometimes the person speaking is hard to hear. www.nwpoa.org

42:27

Part 3 - Community Meeting on the Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan - 6/13/19

The Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission and the Kootenai County Community Development Department hosted a community meeting in Athol, to answer questions and receive public input about the proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan. This is Part 3 of 4 NWPOA Board Member Summer Bushnell asks a lot of questions and makes comments on the Comprehensive Plan. She asked for clarification on the omnibus vs the comp plan. She expressed her concern about the adding of view sheds and wildlife corridors to the comprehensive plan. She expressed that there were lots of items in the comprehensive plan that added layers of regulation that are not necessary. The view of the person speaking to the Planning and Zoning Commission is obstructed by a column in the meeting room. Sometimes the person speaking is hard to hear. www.nwpoa.org

16:31

Part 4 - Community Meeting on the Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan - 6/13/19

The Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission and the Kootenai County Community Development Department hosted a community meeting in Athol, to answer questions and receive public input about the proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan. This is Part 4 of 4. First speaker thanks the committee for their hard work. Second speaker, who had previously spoken in Part 1, expressed concerns about annexations of county lands. Third speaker expressed concern over the redundancy of some of the regulations and word in the Comp Plan. She expressed concern over the view sheds, and mentioned Martha Boneta's experience with view sheds. She expressed concerned on conservation easements. The view of the person speaking to the Planning and Zoning Commission is obstructed by a column in the meeting room. Sometimes the person speaking is hard to hear. www.nwpoa.org

We Did it!

2/12/2020

We ended up submitting our petition with over 400 signatures to the Kootenai County Commissioners. They heard us! The new Comprehensive Plan is the shorter version that most people liked. The 2010 Comprehensive Plan is now used as an appendix.

Thank you to everyone who shared our emails, social media posts, signed our petition, and got others to sign our petition. Together we all made a difference, and won a battle in the fight for property rights.

Sign Our Petition

1/3/2020

NWPOA is launching a petition drive to send a message to the BOCC that we property owners want them to drive a stake into the heart of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan so that it does not rear its ugly, oppressive, regulatory head again.

YOU CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN DEFEATING REGULATORY OVERREACH BY BOTH SIGNING THE PETITION YOURSELF AND GETTING YOUR FREEDOM-MINDED FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS LIVING UNDER COUNTY JURISDICTION TO SIGN IT ALSO.

Comprehensive Plan Victory!

12/04/19

NWPOA is asking our members to read both the Updated Comprehensive Plan, and the 2010 Comp Plan, and then submit comments on both to the Kootenai County Commissioners.

The Commissioners have asked that we submit our comment to them by mid-december so that they have enough time to review them before deliberations in January.

Click here to email the County Commissioners.

Comprehensive Plan Victory!

The Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission held a hearing on Sept 26th, 2019, regarding the Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan.

The term "view shed" has been completely removed! They also changed every instance of open space and wildlife corridor to have voluntary in front of it.

Click here to read details on all the changes.

Our Statement on the Comprehensive Plan

NWPOA chairman Jeff Tyler read a statement at the 6/19/19 Community Meeting on the Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan. Click here to read our statement.

There is still time to give your thoughts to the Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission regarding the Comprehensive Plan.

We encourage you to click here to read the Comp Plan.
They need to know that view sheds, conservation easements, and wildlife corridors should not be in the Plan.

No Wildlife Travel Corridors!

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element I, Objective 4) - Wildlife travel corridors are a joke. Wild animals migrate and do what they want. Take this out of the Comprehensive Plan.

Property Rights vs Open Space

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 4) - Wildlife habit, and resource land is regulated at the state and federal level. Extra regulations, that are not needed. Open space should be determined by market demand and private property owners.

More Unnecessary Regulation

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 7A) - There are already management plans and regulations that deal with shorelines in the county. More unnecessary regulation!

Less Regulation

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element A, Objective 2) - down-sizing is anti-growth. NWPOA thinks the county should not be trying to regulate land use so tightly.

Encourage Small Business

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element D and E) - this sounds like the county is adding another layer of regulation that is not needed. Lets encourage small businesses and farmers in Kootenai County by having less regulations on them.

Don't Limit Business

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 5) - Why limit commercial development? The county should not be limiting business. In the rare cases it is asked to do that, it should be on a case by case basis.

No Forced Annexation

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 2) - Will the renegotiating of Areas of City Impact lead to more forced annexation of county land by cities? This section needs to address that issue.

Government Over Reach

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 3) - Kootenai County has previously tried to regulate parcel size. In our opinion this is over reaching regulation by the county.

Land Use

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element A) talks about minimizing conditional land use. Why? Giving more freedom is the best way to protect the rights of property owners. It also mentions remedying existing nonconformities - that was possible under the Opt Out. A similar program should be used again.

Market Demand not Government

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 1B) - Market demand and private property owners should be the determiner of how much open space is preserved, not the county!

Unneeded Regulation

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 6) - There are currently no feed lots in Kootenai County nor are there plans for one in the future. Trying to regulate what might happen is not needed.

Property Rights

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element A) talks about determining public outlooks on property rights.

Property rights are determined by Idaho statue, not by public outlook. We suggest that this be taken out of the plan.

County Over Reach

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element f, Objective 3) - Environmental Sensitivity is determined at the state and federal levels, not at the county level.

No View Sheds!!

The Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan (Element E, Objective 7A) - View Sheds are UNACCEPTABLE!

This opens our county to the possibility of lots of litigation. View shed erodes the value of private property ownership due to how subjective it is. Martha Boneta fought a 10 year legal battle that had view shed involved in it, and she won!