SANDPOINT — There are two components the city’s consultants are looking at regarding land use around the Sandpoint Airport.

The first, said Bruce Meighen, principal and planner with Logan Simpson Design, is the comprehensive plan component, which is required by law and serves as the guiding document for staff and council members when making major decisions. The second component is City Code, which are the regulations that go into those decisions.

“Both of these are adaptable over time, so they are not set in stone, but they are two different pieces,” Meighen said during a workshop-style City Council meeting last Wednesday.

The city approved the contract with Logan Simpson Design in September to update to the comprehensive plan, which has not been overhauled since 2009. While the consultants are updating the comprehensive plan as a whole, the airport element is a priority in an effort to lift a temporary moratorium on new zone change requests surrounding the airport. Council approved the temporary moratorium in July, to be in effect for up to one year to allow adequate time for the comprehensive planning process.

The updated plan will include a state-required chapter on the airport and its land use, and will closely match the land use guidelines established by the Idaho Transportation Department Division of Aeronautics, Meighen said. The plan concept and vision is to “continue the viability of the Sandpoint Airport and protect the health and safety of those living and working in the area,” Meighen said. With that, the top five goals are public health and safety, economic benefits, compatibility of land uses, hazard prevention and operations.

Following a number of community outreach efforts by the consultants, including meetings, workshops and surveys, Meighen outlined some of the feedback they received from the public. First, he said, is that the airport is and “economic anchor” for Sandpoint and the regions. There is also a perception, he said, that the airport is “most” important for employment, aerospace education and emergency services, while transportation, tourism and recreation are seen as less important.

Some people would like to see the airport grow and support commercial flights, Meighen said, and some think it should be relocated. The consultants heard often that residential areas are not compatible around the airport. According to the feedback, Meighen said safety considerations are most important when it comes to zoning changes, with economic development right behind that. Also, he said, flight noise is a “nuisance” — not just around the airport. Finally, he said, the point was made by some community members that aviation technology is evolving and changing, and will continue to do so.

“What it looks like today might not be exactly what it looks like in 20 or 30 years,” Meighen said.

Meighen said that was just some of the community feedback, not a comprehensive list of all the comments they heard throughout the outreach process

In addition, the draft changes to City Code, Title 9, Chapter 12 that are under consideration include establishment of an airport zoning overlay that includes a lateral safety zone, inner

critical zone, and runway protection zone; a requirement that a disclosure statement will be provided to any zoning or land use related applicant within the newly established LSZ and ICZ overlay area; limitations on requests to rezone within the newly established LSZ and ICZ overlay area; as well as land use and development restrictions within the RPZ overlay area and a revised purpose statement.

No action was taken by council members last week, as it was a workshop only. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on the airport component and proposed changes to City Code at 5:30 p.m. today in council chambers at City Hall, 1123 Lake Street. Pending a recommendation by the commission, a decision is expected by City Council on Dec. 18.

The consultant’s full draft report for the airport component of the comprehensive plan update can be found online at bit.ly/2E3TmDg, and visit sandpointidaho.gov/imagine for information on the overall comprehensive plan update.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.