COEUR d'ALENE - Twenty people weighed in on shoreline protection Wednesday night in front of the Kootenai County planning commission.

It was the body's first workshop as it gathers information and wades back into land-use code development, starting with shorelines.

Speakers focused mostly on setbacks from lakes and streams in the county, and what actions should be allowed within the buffer zones intended to protect water quality.

"The current ordinance specifies a 25-foot no-disturbance shoreline zone, which has been proven to be unsuccessful in its purpose of water-quality protection," said Adrienne Cronebaugh, executive director of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance.

She said the setback should be in line with neighbors, including Bonner County with a 40-foot setback for lakes, and Spokane County which has setbacks and buffers ranging from 50 to 200 feet.

Custom home builder Bill Matson, of Worley, said shoreline residents need to be heard as the land-use code is developed.

"They pay an enormous amount of money into our economy," including in property taxes, Matson said.

He said shorelines can't be regulated to the point that lake-shore homeowners can't enjoy the lake fully.

"They're not going to spend $600,000 to $800,000 for a piece of property on the lake if they can't see the lake," Matson said.

Jamie Brunner, a representative of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, recommended the current setbacks be, at a minimum, maintained.

Rand Wichman, a former county planner who spoke for the Coeur d'Alene Lakeshore Property Owners Association, said maintenance and improvement should be allowed within the first 25 feet from the lake shore.

"Provided," he added, "that it could be demonstrated to be an improvement to water quality or have no impact on water quality."

Laura Laumatia, an environmental specialist from the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's lake management department, encouraged the commission to consider vegetative buffers, which remove nutrients and reduce erosion.

"Often they are the last line of defense against sediment from upland land uses," Laumatia said.

Bob Bingham, of the North West Property Owners Association, said compensation should be due to those who have been denied use of parts of their property because of buffer zone regulation.

"If we just apply reason, respect that somebody owns the property that you're about to regulate, I'm sure that we could come to mutually satisfactory conclusion," Bingham said.

Steve Ayers, a Coeur d'Alene resident who is not a lakefront or riverfront property owner, said those who are have a responsibility to make sure their actions don't negatively effect water quality.

"I think we need a comprehensive set of regulations to ensure that our water quality does continue," Ayers said.

Planning commission chairman Wes Hanson said another workshop on shoreline protection is scheduled for Jan. 23 at the Kootenai County administrative building.