SAGLE — The developers of a hotly contested housing project overlooking the Pend Oreille River are seeking to scale back fire protection requirements for waterfront homes.

Bonner County commissioners are scheduled to take up the proposed preliminary plat modification during a public hearing on Wednesday. The hearing starts at 3 p.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building.

The 33-lot planned unit development was approved in 2008, despite intense opposition from neighboring landowners who lambasted the development for being too dense for its rural surroundings, in addition to being a perceived threat to wildlife and waterfowl habitat.

Opponents further argued that it would be a firetrap because of the steep, forested hillsides and a singular access point to get in and out of the development.

Fire safety concerns informed the project’s conditions of approval, which include requiring homes to be finished with fire-resistant materials and the installation of interior sprinkler systems across all five phases of the development.

Morton Slough LLC, developer of the Ledges project, is asking the county to waive the fire protection requirements for Phase 1, where waterfront homes would be located. The fire protection requirements would remain in place for the four remaining upland phases.

The Sagle Fire District is recommending that the requirement for fire-resistant siding, roofing and decking remain in place for all phases of the development, according to a staff report prepared by the Bonner County Planning Department. However, Chief Robert Webber said a dry hydrant could be allowed for Phase 1 if the sprinkler requirement is lifted, the staff report states.

Water supply for fire suppression is a requirement for all subdivisions, although fire-resistant building materials are not.

If there are objections to the plat modification, none were registered by the time of the publication of the staff report.

n The staff report can be downloaded by clicking through to the Planning Department’s section of the Bonner County website (www.co.bonner.id.us).