For the Birds

SANDPOINT - A proposal to liberalize conditions governing large gatherings at the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center easily won approval from the Bonner County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday.

Nearly two dozen people voiced support for jettisoning a condition that operators of the Sagle museum seek a special use permit for gatherings involving 400 or more people. There was almost no testimony against the proposal, save a concern raised about congestion on county roads and a written objection from a neighbor who asked commissioners to consider the rural tranquility of their neighborhood.

Objections to Drs. Forrest and Pam Bird's museum were more pronounced when they sought permit approval from Bonner County in 2007.

The museum's developers imposed the condition upon themselves as a way of notifying neighbors that a large event was in the offing.

But the project representative, Lisa Ailport, said the condition was seldom-used and burdensome because of the lengthy public review process.

Museum volunteer Jeffrey Bock emphasized that the Birds went to "tremendous lengths" to mitigate neighborhood concerns and the museum is an asset to the community.

"We shouldn't do anything to try and disturb it," said Bock, whose sentiments were shared by most of others who testified.

Approval to ditch the condition came swiftly, with little discussion among commissioners.

"My reading is that these concerns have already been addressed," Commissioner Doug Marks said, referring to the prior review of the museum's permit.

Marks moved to approval the permit modification. Commissioner Dan Sheckler seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

"The public is at least on constructive notices that there's a museum there and there's going to be events," said Sheckler.