Hailey City Planner Diane Shay, with the help of the city's Climate Protection Committee, has presented a proposed addition to the Hailey Comprehensive Plan aimed at increasing the city's water and air quality and conserving natural resources.
At a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4, commissioners vocally supported adding the proposed Energy Section to the comp plan, and scheduled a public hearing on the subject for their meeting on Monday, Oct. 1. At that time, the commission will decide whether to recommend approval of the proposal to the City Council.
The new section sets goals for four environmental areas: air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality and conservation of natural resources.
Included in the methods for maintaining air quality are planting more trees and supporting mass transportation on a regional level.
The proposed additions direct the city to evaluate sources of water pollution and rectify problems associated with failing septic systems.
They promote conservation of natural resources through improving building codes and adding regulations to ensure energy efficiency and green building, as well as supporting zoning and subdivision ordinances that require low-water-use landscaping.
Shay said the commission members supported the recommendations, but altered provisions that could create legal problems, such as prohibiting landowners from cutting trees on their property.
