County May ‘Streamline’ Planning

Commissioners said they want to adopt a streamlined, interim land use code this year, and then tackle revisions to the county’s 2010 comprehensive plan, which is the county’s 20-year policy blueprint for growth and development. David Stewart, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, said the ill-fated land use code update motivated rural residents to tune in and vote for a new direction in November’s general election. “We’ve woke up a whole group of people out there that I don’t think were really awake when the comprehensive plan was going through,” Stewart said. “So I think the outcome of a new comprehensive plan is going to be substantially different.” He and Commissioner Marc Eberlein, who share views on land use, said they disagree with the comp plan’s goal of having at least 70 percent of new growth occur within cities. “I don’t think that should be a goal of a government entity, to direct people where to live,” Eberlein said/ Scott Maben , SR. More here.

• Kootenai County to update comprehensive plan /Coeur d’Alene Press

Question: Will their seemingly anti-planning views create rural sprawl?