An Open Letter to the Kootenai County Planning Commission Commissioners:

Thank you very much for the countless volunteer hours that you put in on our behalf. The purpose of our writing today is to provide you with a summary of our recently held Unified Land Use Code (ULUC) public forum and to offer to the Planning Commission some suggestions as you move this process forward.

On June 4th the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce and the North Idaho Building Contractors Association sponsored a public forum regarding the ULUC. The ULUC document in its current draft form, the zoning map and the processes in which many participated in to get us to this point were discussed. Over 200 diverse people attended the event at the Kroc Center.

Jeff Smith moderated a Q & A session with five panelists, all of whom have been deeply involved in the process. Included were Kootenai County Commissioner, Dan Green, Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Linda Fillios, land use attorney, Janet Robnett, planning consultant, Rand Wichman, and realtor Tom Torgerson.

For two hours, the panel fielded written questions from the audience moderated by Mr. Smith. The entire forum was recorded and will soon be available for viewing on the CAR website at cdarealtors.com.

The objective of this forum was to inform our memberships and to help continue a process that ultimately leads to the adoption of land use codes that are consistent with the continued growth and development of our local economy, while protecting the shared values of our members and citizens.

While there were many specific issues discussed, we want to address those of common concurrence of the panel.

All concurred that:

1. The process to date has been a long one and that the current document is extremely comprehensive, complex and burdensome.

2. The existing document is not and will not be the document adopted and now is the time to change the document.

3. The zoning map needs changing through a "ground-truthing" exercise that has not yet occurred.

4. Now is the time for landowners and stakeholders to speak up with their concerns.

The majority of the panelists expressed concern related to:

* The document being confusing and overwhelming.

* The document, as written, cannot nor should not be red lined by your Commission or the County Commissioners.

* The document should be sent back to staff with direction to make changes in specific areas as decided by your group after receiving public comment and subsequent deliberations.

All panelists that served on the ULUC Technical Committee and/or the ULUC Advisory Committee felt that many committee recommendations and concerns were ignored by the consultant and many requested changes to the ULUC document were not made.

We, the three sponsoring associations of the forum, believe there are necessary changes to this document and map. But, why rush the job? Including the Comprehensive Plan, we have been participating in a process for six years to finally get to a point that we have specifics to discuss. How can four days of hearings and five days of deliberations (change or red line time) be nearly enough to get a product that we deserve?

Yes, now is the time to make the changes so let's do it right. We are asking you, the Planning Commissioners, to use your public hearing time to listen to testimony and then your deliberation time to draft specific recommendations to staff to make the necessary changes to the existing document and map. We are requesting of this important body to send a message of accountability to staff and the consultant in delivering a document that works. Including, having the zoning map placed on hold until it can be "ground-truthed" and keeping the map available on the KC website for continued public comment and suggested revisions before it is adopted and costly changes to land owners are forced upon them. We are asking you, the members of the Kootenai County Planning Commission, to do what is in your power to get this document and map implemented as near to right as possible, the first time.

Thank you for time and consideration.

Barry Stearns, NIBCA President; Rick Vernon, Cd'A Association of Realtors; and Steve Wilson, on behalf of the Cd'A Chamber Public Policy Committee.