COEUR d’ALENE — Property owners within the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s reservation boundaries will have the chance to opt out of their property being rezoned from rural to agricultural.

Bill Brooks and Bruce Mattare voted Thursday to open a 180-day window beginning Jan. 1 in which property owners can opt out of the rezoning. That means property owners will have until June 30, 2024, to make their wishes known to the county.

“I thought from the beginning it’s hard to say no to the Tribe, just on the grounds that they’ve earned it,” Brooks said. “But at the same time, a lot of people’s lives would be disrupted at this point if it were a straight rezone.”

Leslie Duncan cast the dissenting vote.

“I would probably prefer an opt-in situation,” she said. “I think that it makes better neighbors for the Tribe.”

The purpose of the rezone is to preserve agricultural lands, timberlands, open spaces, natural resource and the existing rural character of the southwest portion of Kootenai County.

“The Coeur d’Alene Tribe will never stop working to protect its homelands and resources,” said Tyrel Stevenson, legislative director for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. “We appreciate the relationship with the county commissioners and staff and their efforts to do that cooperatively. We look forward to working together wherever possible to find solutions to address these challenges.”

Affected parcels are all 20 acres in size or larger, currently zoned as rural, within the boundaries of the Coeur d’Alene Reservation that had a recorded agricultural or timber tax exemption within the last two years.

Subdivisions are currently permitted in rural zones, with a minimum lot size of 5 acres. Subdivisions will no longer be allowed on rezoned parcels within the Tribe’s boundaries. Timber tax exemptions will not be affected by the rezoning.

“This is one of those situations where I certainly don’t think the county should force people to change the zoning on their land,” Mattare said.

Mattare said the county is also working to gather more data about the water supply in the area. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe and some property owners say there isn’t enough water to support additional development in the area, while some property owners who oppose the rezone say they’re not concerned about the water supply.

“If it turns out that there’s plenty of water and it’s not an issue, then it’s not an issue, but if it is an issue, which we know it is in the Palouse in general, then we should develop policies geared toward protecting the people who do live there, if that is the case and only if we have good information,” Mattare said.

Commissioners indicated the county will give property owners plenty of notice about the rezoning through postcard notices and other means.

“If you live in that area, you’ll get sick of hearing about it,” Brooks said. “The county can’t be shy.”

    Mattare
  

    Duncan