Idaho County OKs land use plan

GRANGEVILLE — The Idaho County commissioners Tuesday reversed 45 years of noncompliance with state law by unanimously approving a countywide comprehensive land use plan.

The commissioners also accepted a one-page planning and zoning ordinance that sets out Idaho County landowners’ rights to do what they wish with their property.

“The main thrust (of these measures) is private property rights,” said Commission Chairman Skip Brandt. “This was a tool to explain to citizens what it means to live in Idaho County. ... It lays out the guidelines of what we believe is the Idaho County code.”

“The downside,” added Commissioner Denis Duman, “is Idaho County is no longer the only county that doesn’t have planning and zoning.”

Idaho County has been one of a handful of municipalities in the state that has resisted complying with the 1975 Local Land Use Planning Act. Past commissioners tried to get the county to follow the law but huge turnouts of protestors eventually persuaded officials to back off any such attempts.

The matter receded into the background with no apparent ill effects until last spring when the Idaho Attorney General’s Office contacted the commissioners and advised them to get up to speed or face consequences, which could have included personal sanctions against the commissioners.

The commissioners then drafted a minimal comprehensive plan and put it out for public review. The draft plan received mostly favorable comments, although some people questioned why the commissioners even bothered with the paperwork considering the plan’s generic nature.

Four people attended the public hearing Tuesday and none voiced disagreement with the commissioners’ actions.

“If you move into Idaho County, you’re responsible for your property,” said Jerry Gehring of the Keuterville Highway District. The planning and zoning ordinance “gives us our freedom as Americans to do what we want with our ground, as long as we’re respectful of our neighbors.”

Despite its minimal nature, the comprehensive plan and planning and zoning ordinance meet the requirements of the law, Brandt said.

In other business, the commissioners recently rescinded the county’s flood plain ordinance after about 21 property owners were contacted last year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and threatened with fines for being out of compliance with federal flood insurance guidelines. FEMA said the property owners could be liable for as much as $200 a day until compliance was met. That prompted the commissioners to consider repealing the ordinance, allowing county residents to buy federal flood insurance.

The commissioners met with the property owners affected by the ordinance and Brandt said Tuesday all of them supported rescinding it.

Brandt said he will meet with FEMA officials in the next couple of weeks to discuss the flood insurance issue and the agency’s slowness in reimbursing the county for past flood damage to roads.

Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.