Idaho Mountain Express: Hilltop building allowed in Camas

Friday, May 25, 2012

Hilltop building allowed in Camas

Prohibition on ‘skylining’ lifted after 10 years

By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

A 10-year-old "hilltop ordinance" similar to Blaine County's, which favors the rights of neighbors and passersby to have unrestricted views of natural hillside scenery, was struck down by Camas County commissioners last week.

Commissioners Bill Davis and Ken Backstrom voted in favor of a new ordinance that calls instead for soils testing, non-glare windows and landscaping requirements to accompany development on hillsides with slopes of 20 percent or greater.

The new ordinance strikes a prohibition on "skylining" buildings located above 5,200 feet in elevation, which means they are now allowed to be silhouetted against the sky in a way that is visible from roads.

Commission Chair Janet Croner voted against the ordinance change, instead pushing for a mountain overlay district similar to one in use in Blaine County, which provides a comprehensive and systematic means of regulating building on slopes and hilltops.

"I don't think our regulations are strict enough," she said. "We needed to lessen slopes to 15 percent to trigger the requirements and begin a design review board rather than have our one building official oversee the entire process."

A temporary restraining order was issued last summer by 5th District Judge Robert Elgee to stop construction of a building belonging to Merlyn Colpron, which was allegedly permitted in violation of the hilltop ordinance.

The new ordinance was written last summer by Camas County Building Inspector and Planning Administrator Dwight Butlin after Elgee issued his court order.

Butlin said he wrote the new ordinance because it discriminated against some landowners.

Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com

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