Your future may be at stake
Many property owners have long held their wealth in large parcels of land. Often, their legacy was to divide this acreage into smaller parcels and present it in, usually, equal portions to their heirs. Sometimes these rural subdivisions occurred to help the holder in their retirement or to pay for unexpected medical bills or other catastrophic events. When you have no source of income, nor the ability to generate it through work, the sale of a small portion of land could have minimal impact on your estate while providing enough capital to get you through hard times.
One aspect of the proposed code would minimize the opportunity to make these divisions. Under current proposals many parts of the county will be restricted to lot sizes that are 40 acres at a minimum. Can you imagine how disruptive this could be to a family that had always planned to assemble their family on their 100-acre estate by giving as many as 20 heirs a five-acre parcel to call their own?
That is why we hope you will show up for a public forum regarding proposed changes to the Kootenai County Land Use Code. As you probably know, the county has been - for quite awhile now - trying to get a handle on, first the comprehensive plan, and now the Uniform Land Use Code. The code, once adopted, will be a legacy of those who helped write it, for generations to come.
That is just one small part of myriad changes now under consideration by the County Commissioners and Tuesday, you will have an opportunity to ask questions about matters that concern you.
The North Idaho Building Contractors Association, the Coeur d'Alene Chamber and the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors have been involved in discussions for months with the county and their consultants regarding these proposed changes. This Tuesday, we will co-host a forum and panel discussion regarding the proposed changes. The county has assured us all along that the comments they receive will be taken seriously and consideration given before implementing the many regulatory changes that will affect us all for many years to come.
Held at Coeur d'Alene's Salvation Army Kroc Center, this event is free to the public. At 7 a.m. you can partake of complimentary coffee and a continental breakfast and prepare your questions for the panel. Only written questions may be submitted to the panel for discussion to avoid the melee that often occurs at meetings where lives will be changed. The panel will be comprised of representatives who serve on the ULUC Technical Committee and County Commissioner Dan Green. Realtors will be represented by Tom Torgerson, the Planning Commission by Linda Fillios a local appraiser, Land Use attorney, Janet Robinette and Rand Wichman an independent planner and former member of the County Planning staff.
As the Realtors Executive Director, Rick Vernon stated in this paper earlier in the week, "Our mission in life is to protect personal property rights. We want to make sure that the proposed changes aren't to dramatic."
It is up to you to make a commitment of time, prepare a question or just come to observe and learn the concerns of your neighbors. You can then judge for yourself if it will impact you and your intended use of your property. No one but you knows what is important to you. As has often been said, decisions are made by those who show up.
Trust an expert...call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.
Correction: The inaugural baseball/softball training camp will be held on June 15 at the Coeur d'Alene High School baseball field off Fourth Street in Coeur d'Alene. An incorrect date accompanied last week's column.
Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.