LAND CODE: Don't buy the euphemisms

I would like to thank the nearly 300 people who packed the Community Room of the Coeur d’Alene library Tuesday evening for the Kootenai County Unified Land Use Code (ULUC) Public Workshop.

Until now the new ULUC has been crafted by outside consultants and special interest groups while the people who will suffer under the new wave of regulations and restrictions, the residents and taxpayers of the un-incorporated areas of Kootenai County, have had only minimal input. As a result, policies are being put in place that will intentionally squeeze people out of the rural areas and into the cities.

The consultant said that our 29 percent rural to 71 percent urban population distribution should be 10 percent rural and 90 percent urban in the future (think Riverstone), and that building a 5,500-square-foot home on a 5-acre lot is just “sucking up the open space.” This is because the consultant believes that the open space on YOUR land belongs to the community and that people really belong in high density planned developments (think Riverstone, again). One of the commissioners sees the county as a “Land Bank” for the cities as they expand.

These misguided policies are known as “Performance Zoning,” “Smart Growth,” “Sustainable Development” and a host of other “sounds good” euphemisms. In fact they depress prosperity, increase congestion, increase crime and would destroy the unique character of our county.

The best way to salvage this effort is for citizens like you to get involved. Go to kcrights.com to find out more. NOW!

Thank You!

BRENT REGAN

Coeur d’Alene