Review of the Blaine County 2025 plan, which consists of seven proposed zoning ordinances that could significantly downzone lands throughout the unincorporated areas of the county, continues to steam ahead.
The Board of County Commissioners launched their review of the first four ordinances—mainly directed at downzoning the county's agricultural and remote lands—last Thursday, nearly a month after the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the ordinances for approval.
Earlier on Thursday, P&Z commissioners Larry Schoen, Sue Orb and Chip Bailey hosted a workshop to familiarize themselves and the public with the final three ordinances, which mainly deal with riparian and wetlands setbacks, wildlife, and public lands.
All of the meetings were attended by Chris Duerksen, managing director of Clarion Associates, a national land-use consulting firm that was hired by the county to help draft the ordinances.
The county commissioners' hearing process continued Friday and Tuesday and will resume again today and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively. Both hearings will be held at the Old County Courthouse.
County Commission Hearings
The county commissioners collected public feedback and dove into the text of the first ordinance during hearings Thursday and Friday.
The public comment was vast and varied. Following is a summary of some of the key issues, as well as ongoing discussions.
· Downzoning: The future of the county's rural and agricultural lands continues to be the hot topic, and greatest source of debate.
Farmers and ranchers like Pete Van Der Muelen, John Stevenson and John Peavey are supportive of the proposed downzone, claiming it will preserve agricultural traditions and open space and increase the value of their lands.
Others, like Katie Breckenridge, are vehemently opposed to the idea.
"There's a misconception that all farmers and ranchers are behind this," Breckenridge said in the first county commissioner hearing Thursday night. "We have deep concern over what's happening to our lands."
Breckenridge said farmers and ranchers are responsible for preserving open space in the county, and now they're being penalized. She believes the proposed downzone will devalue her land.
"We are all being punished and it's unfair," she added. "We are a force that you need to reckon with and we do not agree with the majority of these ordinances."
The proposed downzone has also jumpstarted a debate between candidates for county commissioner in District 1, which represents the south county. Republican candidate Dale Ewersen, of Bellevue, released a letter to local media last week stating that he is against the downzone proposal.
Democratic candidate Larry Schoen, who is also the chairman of the county's P&Z commission, referred to Ewersen's letter as a "rehash of old ideas" and that his counterpart "needs to get up to speed on some of these issues."
Schoen won last week's primary election to determine the fittest of four Democratic candidates with a commanding 52 percent of the vote. Ewersen is the lone Republican candidate for the seat and was therefore not challenged in the primary.
In Friday's hearing, County Commissioner Tom Bowman spent several minutes addressing Ewersen and criticizing his ideas.
"If you or anybody else here knows of a mountain community that has done a better job by building out, let us know," Bowman said to Ewersen.
On Sunday, Ewersen countered that his "position reflects the feelings of a significant number of citizens throughout Blaine County, especially in District 1."
He also wondered why the county commissioners would address his letter in a hearing.
"The board of commissioners is still accepting public comment and no decisions have been made by the commission," Ewersen said. "In my opinion, all ideas, comments and possible solutions are still open for consideration.
"There is much work ahead to find common ground on various issues among several interest groups throughout the county. I hope we will all take the high road."
· Family Parcels: Greg Van Der Muelen, son of rancher Pete Van Der Muelen, believes children of farmers and ranchers should be able to subdivide and build a home on their family property. On Thursday, he introduced his proposal, which was developed with the assistance of Julie Cord, from the Kirk Group, to the county commissioners.
Van Der Muelen acknowledged that such a provision could be abused—homes may be built and sold for profit—but believes an ordinance could be written to ensure that the process remains honest and open.
The county commissioners decided Van Der Muelen's proposal warrants additional review. They may send it down to the P&Z commission, which in April offered unanimous support for family parcels, for additional review.
· Non-profit declarations: On Thursday night, the Wood River Land Trust and Citizens for Smart Growth both announced that while they have some problems with the ordinances, they support the overall 2025 effort and the preferred scenario.
P&Z workshop
Ordinances four (public lands conservation district), five (floodplain and riparian setback district) and six (wildlife overlay district) were introduced to three members of the P&Z commission last Thursday during an informal public workshop.
The primary concerns expressed by the dozen or so citizens in attendance focused on the wildlife overlay district and riparian setback areas.
· Wildlife overlay district: Habitat in Blaine County was supposed to be identified and mapped by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game by April 2006. But according to Duerksen that data will not be available for another six to 12 months, which leaves much of the ordinance undefined.
Given the ordinance's strict development standards—minimum setbacks of 100 feet from designated wildlife habitat and a quarter mile from migration corridors and severe winter range—many questioned how it can even be considered at this point, without the necessary data.
Commissioner Bailey wondered what would not qualify as wildlife habitat sine "the majority of the county (seems to be) wildlife habitat."
The ordinance could also impose significant changes to fencing throughout the county.
· Riparian setbacks: Roger Crist, of Ketchum, wondered whether the proposed setbacks in riparian areas would affect lots that have been platted but not developed, such as some properties in the Board Ranch subdivision along Warm Springs Creek.
The county is proposing to increase setbacks along class one and two streams—which includes the Big Wood River, Warm Springs Creek, the East Fork of the Big Wood River, and the Little Wood River—from 75 feet to 200 feet. And developing along class three and four streams, like Silver Creek and Croy Creek, would require a 100-foot setback.
Existing developments will be grandfathered in and exempt from the setbacks, and expansions or add-ons will be allowed as long as they do not contribute to the non-conformity.
But the fate of platted land—or lots of record—in riparian areas isn't as clear.
As currently proposed, the ordinance would allow development within 50 feet of rivers on lots of record that are smaller than two acres if the applicant proves that the larger setbacks would preclude building on the property.
"But there's no right or wrong answer, it depends on the community," Duerksen said.
The P&Z commission will begin its review of ordinances four through six in late June. No hearing dates have been set.
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Hearings
· Wednesday, May 31, 6:30 p.m. Old County Courthouse
· Thursday, June 1, 8:30 a.m. Old County Courthouse
· Tuesday, June 6, 9:30 a.m. Old County Courthouse
· Thursday June 8, 6:30 p.m. Old County Courthouse
· The deadline for written comment has been extended to June 6.
· Oral comments will be accepted until June 8.
