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For the week of November 1 through 7, 2000

Blaine County Commissioners District 1


By PETER BOLTZ
Express Staff Writer

In the race for the County Commission District 1 seat, incumbent Dennis Wright, a Democrat, emphasized continuity, while challenger Jim Super, an Independent, touted his plans to streamline the county’s planning and zoning application process.

Wright was elected in 1996 to a four-year term on the commission. Because terms are staggered, he and Super are vying this election for a two-year commission seat.

Wright told the audience in his opening statement there were few decisions he had made as commissioner that he would change.

He said the most important thing for the county to do is "maintain continuity."

Super, a Bellevue outfitter, assured the audience that if elected, he will work to preserve agriculture and open space. He said he believes agricultural and other open space can be preserved by negotiating with developers and using mechanisms such as TDRs (transfer of development rights).

An issue that clearly marked a difference between Super and Wright was their opinions on how well the county processes development applications.

Super said it is the perception of farmers, developers and property owners that the county’s application processing system is "cumbersome," and that the staff "doesn’t assist them in answering questions."

"The horror stories of the approval process taking anywhere from six months to a year is just incomprehensible to me," he said.

Wright responded that he doesn’t think the county’s staff is "lacking in public service."

He agreed the time element in the county’s planning and zoning process is cumbersome, but stressed that applications have to be filled out correctly "Time buys a good plan," he said. "If you force a good plan, you’ll have a good development."

Ten years from now, Super said, he envisions an "evacuation of the working class" from Ketchum and Sun Valley, with an accompanying increase in the densities of Hailey, Bellevue and Carey.

Wright said population shifts in the county have to be managed carefully to preserve the valley’s character.

"I don’t want to see the cities touch," he said.

He said he prefers "four distinct cities without crawling sprawl between them."

 

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