KEA Comments on Site Disturbance Ordinace Text Amendments

On June 24th, Kootenai Environmental Alliance provided testimony to the Planning Commission on two proposals to amend Kootenai County’s site disturbance ordinance.  KEA was generally supportive of the County’s efforts to make variance and appeals procedures under the ordinance comport with state law. KEA opposed, however, a proposal by a planning and development firm which would weaken shoreline protections. 

Kootenai County is already planning a comprehensive overhaul of its zoning code next year.  It would be more prudent to address these issue at that point, instead of dealing with problems in a piecemeal fashion.

Read our comments on Case No. ORA10-001, an Applicant (planner/developer)-Proposed Text Amendments to the Site Disturbance Ordinance in their entirety here. [.pdf document]  The proposed amendment  creates unnecessary loopholes and violates the comprehensive plan and would be better addressed in a more comprehensive manner when the County moves on to update the Codes. 

Read our comments in opposition to the Applicants (planner/developer) Proposed Fee-Based Text Amendments in their entirety here. [.pdf document]  If the County desires to retain the procedure of accepting unsponsored code amendments, only amendments attached to actual land use applications should be considered, and only in instances where other existing procedures are inadequate.

Read our comments on Case No. ORA010-0003, County-Proposed Site Disturbance Ordinance Text Amendments in their entirety here. [.pdf document]  To avoid legal conflict, we respectfully suggest that the site disturbance variance be limited to the scope of the granting authority, Idaho Code Section 67-6516.  A draft of the amended language is submitted for consideration.

Contact Terry Harris at the KEA office with any comments or questions. 667-9093.