While the Big Wood River continues to carve new channels in the biggest spring runoff seen for decades, the public will confront the Blaine County Commissioners tomorrow on new ordinances that could stop suburban sprawl, protect farms, ranches and watersheds in the south county, and force growth back into cities.
The buck stops with the three commissioners who will conduct the public hearing at the Liberty Theater in Hailey at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Blaine County is nearing the end of a moratorium on development that will expire in July—with no possibility of renewal. When the dust settles, the commissioners will have made one of two choices.
They will slam the door on conventional suburban sprawl and significantly restrict present possibilities for new cities in the south county. Or, they will leave the door open to development that could destroy agriculture and, for good measure, leave taxpayers with the ongoing burden of subsidizing services for developments that don't pay for themselves.
The commissioners will also have to decide who will win a stare-down between its consultants and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Consultants recommended a program that would transfer development densities to an area south of Bellevue, east of Highway 75 and north of Pero Road. The P& Zs said no to this receiving zone.
The Liberty Theater is the place and tomorrow is the time that a new chapter of life in Blaine County will be discussed.
As some beatnik once famously said, "Be there or be square."
