Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part one, with part two scheduled to appear in Sunday’s Tribune.
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OROFINO — Leap Housing is seeking homebuyer interest in the proposed creation of a 19-unit, detached single-family home community in Clearwater County.
The site is located in Riverside (Westgate Subdivision) near Orofino and would be the first affordable and workforce housing development of its kind in the area.
Potential homebuyers are invited to an in-person “open house” style meeting Monday at the Clearwater Memorial Library, 402 Michigan Avenue, Orofino, anytime from 6-7 p.m.
Representatives from Leap Housing will be available to discuss the program, answer questions and solicit feedback.
The goal of the project is to build and develop new high-quality housing units at a price point that affordably matches local incomes with this local homeownership opportunity.
Before advancing the project to the next stages, Leap Housing is determining interest from income-qualified homebuyers to aid in the planning and design of the community. The program will be organized through a waiting list and interested potential homebuyers are encouraged to complete the intake to ensure a purchase opportunity.
Applicants must meet income qualification criteria to ensure the homes go to those who will benefit most from this opportunity. The homes will be built in part by homeowner sweat equity through the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP). Only income-qualified homebuyers at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI) are eligible for this program. For example, a household of four that makes $61,900 or less would qualify for the homeownership opportunity.
Key features of the program include:
Affordable homeownership
Specifically designed for income-qualified residents, ensuring that the local workforce has access to affordable, quality homeownership opportunities.
Group-built homes
Future homeowners will actively participate in sweat equity construction of their homes through a grant from the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) fostering a strong sense of community and self-reliance.
Leap Housing will be overseeing the development, bringing their expertise and commitment to affordable housing solutions to ensure the project’s success.
Their role includes providing guidance and support throughout the construction process, ensuring that the homes are built to high standards while maintaining affordability.
If you cannot make the meeting or for more information on the project, application details, or to learn how you can get involved, please contact LEAP Housing at info@leaphousing.org.
About LEAP Housing
Leap Housing is an Idaho-based nonprofit that believes all people deserve an opportunity to access a safe, stable and affordable home.
Leap’s mission is to develop and preserve affordable housing while providing empowering services that lead to greater housing stability.
Committed to creating sustainable, affordable housing solutions for communities in need, Leap Housing utilizes innovative building practices and fosters community involvement to address housing shortages and improve the quality of life for residents across Idaho.
— Clearwater Tribune (Orofino), Wednesday
P&Z shuts down solar farm proposal
McCALL, Idaho — A proposal to build Valley County’s first solar farm was denied Thursday by the Valley County Zoning Commission.
Commissioners told applicants Kristen and Sean Rogers of McCall that the proposal was not complete and that the little information that was provided would negatively affect neighboring properties.
The application proposed to build an array of eight-foot-high solar panels on about 95% of a 15-acre property at 12600 Goode Lane, about six miles south of Donnelly.
“The way that I see this is we have an incomplete application. I can’t make a decision based on what we have here,” said commissioner Heidi Schneider.
Left unanswered was who would benefit from the power generated by the project, how much power would be generated and how it would be delivered to customers.
Also missing from the application were details like a map of the property showing topography, existing and proposed roads, parking areas, snow removal plans, utilities and other landscaping.
Kristen Rogers told commissioners that they would be leasing the property to The Solar Company, a Dallas, Texas firm that develops solar arrays across the country. The company would own and operate the solar panels if approved.
Rogers told The Star-News that they were undecided on whether to submit another application for a solar farm on the property in the future.
Rogers said that they had misunderstood the application process, and were focused on changing the property’s use from residential to commercial before obtaining the missing application requirements.
Valley County, however, does not have traditional zones for different uses. All county land is considered “mixed use” with applications evaluated on an individual basis.
Under the mixed-use system, applicants are required to show how they would minimize negative effects on neighbors, a task that commissioners said was likely not possible given the nature of the solar farm proposal.
“I’m not sure, even with a more complete plan, that we could actually approve this because of the impacts to the neighbors,” said P&Z Chairperson Katlin Caldwell.
Commissioners also said the proposal would not work on this property because it is too close to Idaho Highway 55, which is a scenic byway.
There are no specific standards for development along scenic byways in Idaho, only consideration of how a development will look from the roadway, said Valley County Planning and Zoning Director Cynda Herrick.
The property is about 500 feet to the east of the highway at its closest point.
“We are charged with protecting that byway, and a solar project that is visible from the highway doesn’t fit with that,” Caldwell said.
At Thursday’s meeting, three people spoke in opposition to the proposal, including Julie Dahl, whose property neighbors the proposed solar farm.
“We would be looking at solar panels all the time,” Dahl said, adding that the project would devalue her home.
“We’d be lucky to give our property away if we needed or wanted to sell,” she said.
— Max Silverson, The Star-News (McCall), Thursday
