COEUR d’ALENE — The Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended Tuesday that the county rezone most of Cougar Gulch, a move residents hope would help protect the area’s water supply.

The proposed rezoning area includes about 340 parcels, totaling a little more than 3,600 acres, or about 6 square miles, currently zoned as agricultural-suburban. The minimum parcel size for that zoning is 2 acres, with some exceptions.

“It’s the largest area rezoning that I know of that we’ve done in at least the last nine years, possibly longer,” said Community Development Director David Callahan.

Residents say they’ve experienced water supply problems because of too many wells drawing on a limited water supply.

“We have a resource that is really important,” said Doug Albertson, a 40-year resident of Cougar Gulch, during Tuesday’s hearing. “If we allow many more people to suck out of our water supply, everybody’s going to be bringing in water. A lot of us can’t afford to do that and it’s not a sustainable way of living.”

About 75% of Cougar Gulch property owners signed a petition to change the area’s zoning to rural, which would set the minimum parcel size at 5 acres.

The land owned by these petition-signers comprises about two-thirds of the total acreage. The remaining property owners did not sign the petition, nor did they oppose the proposed change.

“An overwhelming majority of people want to go in this direction,” said Cougar Gulch resident Lynette Brown, who helped gather signatures.

Use allowances between agricultural-suburban and rural zones are very similar. The proposed change to rural is also generally consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan.

The commission recommended that approximately 80 acres owned by Pristine Ridge LLC be excluded from the proposed rezoning because those parcels draw from a different water source.

Close to 80 parcels won’t make the minimum lot size. However, the commission also recommended language allowing for parcels smaller than 5 acres that were zoned as agricultural-suburban prior to December 2022 and then rezoned to rural be regarded as conforming parcels.

The proposed rezoning will go before Kootenai County commissioners on Dec. 8.