COEUR d'ALENE - There's more to it than subdivision regulations.

Kootenai County is kicking off the two-year journey to rewrite its development laws, which will cover all land use matters, including zoning districts, building standards, sign ordinances, shoreline regulations and more.

And everyone gets a say on how the new Unified Land Use Code will look.

Kendig Keast Collaborative, hired to assist the county's rewrite, will conduct three county-wide Citizens Congress Meetings where the public can toss out suggestions.

"It's critical to the process," said Scott Clark, director of county Community Development. "Those (regulations) will be developed with citizen input."

The meetings are an opportunity for folks to share their ideas about land use regulation, as well as learn more about the rewrite project and ways to get involved.

As regulations are changed, Clark added, all updates will be available on the county website for public review.

"If you're not hooked up to a computer, you can get information from the department or via phone call," he added.

Terry Harris with Kootenai Environmental Alliance said the conservation group has a long laundry list of suggestions for the Unified Land Use Code.

Topping the list, he said, are establishing housing densities and improving shoreline protection around lakes and streams.

"Those are probably the two biggest impacts in the land use codes, on the local and regional environment," Harris said.

But KEA also hopes to see updates to the county's hearing process, he added.

The current method of holding an examiner hearing before a commissioners' hearing isn't efficient, he said.

"There's a hearing examiner who holds a hearing and comes up with a decision, then there's the board (of commissioners), who holds essentially the exact same hearing over, but can take on all sorts of new evidence," he said. "It kind of makes the hearing examiner process not as useful."

Larry Jeffres, associate director with North Idaho Building Contractors Association, said he couldn't name specific changes the organization would like to see.

But the group hopes to have spokespeople sitting on any focus groups and decision-making committees, he said.

"Obviously we're very interested in the whole process," Jeffres said, adding that NIBCA participated in selecting Kendig Keast.

The input meetings are scheduled for July 18 at the Athol Community Center, at 30355 N. Third St.; on July 19 at the Harrison EMT Building, at 108 Fredrick Ave.; and July 20 in Room 1 of the Kootenai County Administration Building at 451 Government Way.

All three hearings are scheduled for 6 p.m.

The county commissioners finished updating the Comprehensive Plan late last year, which will guide development in the area over the next 20 years.

The new development regulations are intended to implement the plan.

For more information about the Unified Land Use Code project, visit www.kccode.com, or call Community Development at 446-1070.

Jeffres encouraged county residents to attend the meetings.

"We should all be involved, as it relates directly to how our county is and the way that growth is shaped and formed," he said.