The more Blaine County officials and planning consultants confront meat-and-potato consequences of growth, the more questions are raised about whether community values and goals are in jeopardy.
That emerged as an overriding question Monday night when another in the series of five "Project Update" meetings was held, this time to discuss whether changes should be made in A-10 and A-20 zoning classifications to allow for cluster housing.
The large parcels -- classified as productive agriculture with one dwelling on 10 acres and one dwelling on 20 acres -- are increasingly under pressure to be developed to meet Blaine County's demand for housing.
The county's consultant on this phase of the studies, Lisa Horowitz, former longtime planning director for the city of Ketchum, told an audience of professional planners, two county commissioners and real estate developers that a year is needed to thoroughly examine influences of growth on Blaine County's character.
In particular, Horowitz believes changing land use scenarios could affect roads and water, and wondered whether "new towns" are an option for the county's future.
Depending on whether the county accepts her recommendation for more study, that could mean extending the 180-day rezoning and subdivision approval moratorium or continuing further studies after the moratorium ends in mid-July.
County Commission chair Sarah Michael told the group that commissioners would evaluate the recommendation and make a decision soon. Commissioner Tom Bowman, also at the meting, seemed to favor more study that could lead to changes in the county's comprehensive plan.
Michael, in fact, mentioned that prime concerns now include maintaining water quality during growth and finding ways for agriculture to remain productive and not be driven out of business by real estate speculation.
She told of area farmers expressing their discomfort with non-farming families moving in next to agricultural operations and bringing the inevitable complaints about early morning farm noises, chemical treatment of crops and dust.
Bowman also asked, rhetorically, whether one forecast's estimate of an eventual 80,000 population in Blaine County is "good or not. I don't know."
Another official at the meeting, County Planning and Zoning Commission chairman Larry Schoen, echoed concerns about water quality, preserving aesthetic views for residents and "keeping people in (farming) business." But Schoen also suggested studying A-10 and A-20 zoning to see if they meet current needs and demands.
Martin Flannes, of Developing Green, the managing consultant for the Project Update series, also pointed out the need for regional planning to include all cities in the county because of the impact their decisions would have on Blaine County's character.
The announced purpose of the meeting -- to study cluster housing in A-10 and A-20 zones -- drew a range of comments, including possible use of TDRs (transfer density rights) from one tract to another area.
In the end, most attention was on whether to continue more intensive studies before recommending comprehensive plan changes.
Farmer Robert Gardner recited one amusing anomaly of current A-20 zoning: to add a home on his agricultural property for a family member, he would be required to subdivide the entire tract.
While the county is at it, said Picabo farmer Nick Purdy, an acknowledged 1970s leader in the county's modern planning process, officials need to deal with what he called "true affordable housing" -- zoning for mobile home parks.
Horowitz produced a crisp statistical rundown that provided some perspective of the challenges facing Blaine County.
She estimates that jobs and housing will increase 20 percent in south county between now and 2025, with a population for the country reaching 29,382.
More than half (53 percent) of all land in A-10 zones is on sloped land of 25 percent grade or more, and 89.6 percent of all land in the county is in A-10 and A-20 zones, while 60 percent of the county's population lives in cities on 3.7 percent of private land.
