Letters to the Editor Feb. 17, 2010

COMP PLAN: Wait

for what, exactly?

When will the proposed county comprehensive plan be approved by the Board of County Commissioners? It has been nine months since the Commissioners received the draft plan from the planning commission and held public hearings.

Now the Commissioners are going through the draft word by word and not facing the plan’s central issue: How to deal with development so it does not ruin Kootenai County. At the only diliberation held this month, they were squarely faced with a critical decision: What development densities should be allowed in rural areas?

Chairman Rick Currie said, “We’ll deal with densities later.” When?

The Commissioners then returned to tinkering and wordsmithing. They can do better than this. As stated in the Kezziah Watkins report and public testimony before the planning commission, people want “the County to find a way to deal with growth that makes growth conform to the character of this community rather than the other way around.” This message is clear.

It appears the Commissioners are consciously putting off making critical decisions until after the spring primary elections so voters will not know what the Commissioners intend to do. Not tackling important issues prior to the primaries is as bad as choosing the wrong development densities.

The deliberations have lasted too long and represent indecisive leadership.  After nine months of deliberations, county citizens are entitled to know what direction the county will take.  We need to protect rural communities from development sprawl.  We need to preserve natural and scenic landscapes.  We need to modernize the thirty-seven year old zoning ordinance.

The County Commissioners meet again on March 3. They need to show commitment to the people of Kootenai County through strong and progressive leadership.

WES HANSON

Coeur d’Alene