County to hold public hearing on Powderhorn Ranch rezoning

The Kootenai County commission will hold a public hearing Aug. 14 about a proposal to rezone 300 acres near Harrison as part of a long-term plan for a large golf retreat and luxury home development overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Powderhorn Ranch LLC wants to change the classification of the northern portion of its nearly 2,000 acres from agricultural to rural, which would allow construction of one home per five acres. Eventually, the Seattle-based company wants to build as many as three golf courses and up to 1,300 homes and condos.

A county hearing examiner in January recommended the rezone. The commission has the final say.

The request is separate from a previous comprehensive plan amendment and zoning proposals on the property that went to the Idaho Supreme Court. In June, the high court dismissed the 2006 appeal by neighbors and Kootenai Environmental Alliance, meaning Powderhorn Ranch is free to request a zone change on the nearly 2,000 acres.

Meanwhile, the company continues to negotiate with nearby Harrison to include the property in city limits, making it unnecessary for the company to get approval from Kootenai County. If the annexation is approved, it could become the largest in the county’s history and potentially boost the waterfront town’s population of 270 tenfold.

The Harrison City Council voted in November to move ahead with Powderhorn’s pre-annexation application.

The 6 p.m. meeting will be at the Kootenai County Administration Building, 451 Government Way. For more information, call (208) 446-1600.