A comprehensive plan is a guiding framework for how the community wants an area to look over the next 10-20 years. Cities and counties all over the country have comprehensive plans. They usually take at least a year to complete, and are done every 5-15 years. Cities have a separate plan from the surrounding county. The main focus for these plans are land use, and attempts to address subjects like public services, transportation, housing, and property rights.
One of the most important parts of the plan is public engagement. Engagement comes in different forms, but is central to making sure the plan will reflect the needs and values of various community stakeholders, rather than a select few.
Are comprehensive plans required? The Idaho Local Land Use Planning Act (ILLUPA) requires that planning and zoning commissions in each City and County develop and adopt a Plan. This requirement is not unique to Idaho. In fact, the primary responsibility shared by planning commissions nationwide involves the design, and development of a comprehensive plan.
What is in the plan? The plan reflects the general goals of the community and sets forth policies to attain these goals. The plan is a projection of how present conditions can be improved upon through the meeting of these goals, application of the policies, and implementation of an agenda for action. The plan identifies:
- Goals and policies to guide development, preserve and build upon the unique sense of community, and
- A “Future Land Use Map” that outlines a general pattern of development, preservation and land use. This is not a zoning map, with boundaries reflecting a generalized pattern of development.
Local communities are guided in their planning efforts by ILLUPA, which defines the plan’s minimum geographic scope, considerations to take into account, and means of presenting information. Every plan must either address or provide justification for omitting the following 17 topics as set forth in ILLUPA (Idaho Code §67-6508)
- Property rights
- Population
- School facilities and transportation
- Economic development
- Land use
- Natural resources
- Hazardous areas
- Public services, facilities, and utilities
- Transportation
- Recreation
- Special areas or sites
- Housing
- Community design
- Agriculture
- Implementation
- National interest electric transmission corridors
- Public airport facilities
While ILLUPA requires that Idaho cities and counties develop comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances, the act offers planners limited direction as to how they should address these 17 topics.
How often is it updated? The plan should act as a living document with annual reviews and updates scheduled to assure it continues to reflect current conditions and values. Annual tracking of the implementation processes outlined in various policies set forth in the plan will facilitate the meeting of intended goals. It is also recommended that a comprehensive review occur every five years to provide a more complete update, ensuring the plan best reflects future conditions and values.
Is the comprehensive plan the same thing as zoning? No. The comprehensive plan provides general guidance and direction for a community’s growth and development, while zoning outlines what is actually legally allowable. The plan does serve as a basis for:
- Development and amendment of administrative tools such as zoning and subdivision ordinance, and
- Review of land use proposals, and
- Amendment of the zoning map, and
- Developing and amending strategic, capital improvement and other plans, and
- Annual review and development of budgets, etc.
Local Jurisdictions
Bonner County is fortunate enough to have its own planning department, which puts its resources toward fulfilling its state-mandated duty of maintaining a Bonner County Comprehensive Plan. The County adopted its first comprehensive plan in 1978, three years after ILLUPA was enacted, with the Plan changing significantly since then. The Property Rights component was added in 2001, and a major update to the Plan was completed in 2005. The county describes the plan as a “living document,” which is updated as new information becomes available or changes in trends or conditions are observed. The comprehensive plan has been recently revamped chapter by chapter. As of 2026, there is one remaining chapter being revamped by the Planning Department and the Bonner County Commissioners.
Local cities in Bonner County have their own Comprehensive Plans. You can view the existing local City plans on our City Resources page. Different jurisdictions take slightly different approaches to their plans. The City of Sandpoint, for example, used consultants to gather data and after a period of public comment, adopted a final plan.