what leads to site-specific developments?
Consultant Rachel Granrath begins this workshop with explanations on how a comprehensive plan offers a vision for the future, zoning code outlines what is allowed now, and how code allows site-specific development.
Effective public comments
Starting at minute 15:42 in the video, Granrath offers tips on how to improve general comments like “traffic is already a problem here” with specific information that can be more helpful to officials. See the handout she references here or check out a more generalized comment checklist here.
Land Use Chapter Review
Starting at minute 25:47, there is an overview of what Granrath found in the draft Land Use Chapter of Bonner County’s comprehensive plan, which can be found with the rest of the plan here. Granrath previously put together recommendations to make it and zoning code more clear. The full memo is available here and the one-page summary is here. The recommendations center on the following priorities:
- Improving policy clarity to better guide decision-making
- Refining land use designations and re-establishing associated density ranges
- Planning for long-term growth, particularly in areas of impact (AOI)
- Integrating environmental and hazard considerations into policy and future code updates
- Establishing clear preservation policies for scenic, natural, and cultural resources
- Addressing nonconforming development patterns through targeted planning tools rather than land use redesignation
Fire and environmental concerns
Since wildfire is a major concern in Bonner County, and local stations are understaffed, wildfire came up multiple times in this presentation. Starting at minute 47:24, there is a discussion about fire concerns and how development impact fees can and can’t fund fire services. At minute 55:52, Granrath presents more on how to potentially mitigate fire danger with land use choices. Key takeaways include:
- Specific tools such as overlays can be used to designate areas such as nonconforming lots and areas in need of extra scrutiny, such as sensitive ecological areas, wet areas where septic may be challenging, and remote lands far from fire services.
- Comprehensive plans should direct higher-density future development to places where municipal services are already available, since wells and septic systems come with many limitations.