SANDPOINT — A land use hearing involving a proposed subdivision off Baldy Mountain Road has been continued to a later setting due to the lack of complete data.  

County commissioners moved to postpone a decision on the proposed 24-lot Deerfield subdivision after Commissioner Brian Domke expressed concern of the project following county code since it lacked an updated floodplain analysis.  

A floodplain analysis determines the boundaries and characteristics of floodplains to determine the risk of flooding. A floodplain analysis is meant to provide aid in planning and developing decisions.   

The proposed subdivision would sit on approximately 32 acres, with 24 lots ranging from one to three acres in size. The property is adjacent to designated floodplain areas, Syringa Creek and Chuck Slough. Syringa Creek borders the southernmost border of the property, leading to that portion of the property being within a special flood hazard zone.  

Because the property is within a special flood hazard zone, Bonner County requires the property owner to utilize a Federal Emergency Management Agency process that can modify the current effective floodplain, its boundaries and base flood elevation based on current data as opposed to relying on outdated information.  

If FEMA determines that the lots are not removed from the floodplain, the proposed subdivision would be required to comply with floodplain development regulations as outlined in county code.   

The motion to postpone the file was approved by commissioners Ron Korn and Domke, moving the file to Sept. 9. Domke noted that setting the date out would allow FEMA enough time to make a decision on where the floodplain line would be on the applicable property.  

“I'd like to see how the missing data would potentially change or inform revisions to the preliminary plat in the overall design, in order for us to have a level of confidence that there wouldn't be substantial changes that would have to happen between now and the final plat,” said Domke.