Comprehensive plan nears completion

Kootenai County planners are closing in on completing the plan that will guide growth and development in the county for years to come.

The county’s draft comprehensive plan update is expected to be finished by the middle of this month and planners hope to have the final document approved by this summer.

Responding to concerns that citizens would not have enough time to comment on the plan, the Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission last week released a timetable for public comment, hearings and other meetings.

Planning Director Scott Clark said that response to that timeline has been positive.

“We appreciate their providing more time. This should be adequate for us to digest all the information and circulate it to our members,” said Coeur d’Alene Chamber President Jonathan Coe.

Coe said it’s difficult to examine the existing chapters now because the key piece on land-use planning is not complete.

“We need to be able to assess the whole plan,” he said.

When the final chapter of the plan is posted online planners will accept written comments for 30 days and hold at least six public meetings, including two open houses.

At that point the commission will spend up to 45 days amending the plan based on those comments.

The public will then have 60 days to comment on the amended plan as county planners and planning commissioners conduct road shows to present the plan to the community. Public hearings will be held at the end of the 60-day comment period.