County, cities planning for future

Kootenai County and the cities of Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Post Falls and Rathdrum are updating the Areas of Impact, which serve as a guide for planning future growth. Idaho law requires cities and counties to review and establish the boundaries of these Impact areas by Dec. 31. 

“An Area of Impact defines the area outside a city’s limits where both the city and county believe there will be future growth and development, a need for additional services and possible annexation,” said David Callahan, director of Community Development for Kootenai County. “These Areas of Impact simply identify areas where the city and county planning interests overlap, and the two jurisdictions should coordinate land-use decisions.” 

Areas of Impact boundaries may indicate areas that can be annexed into a city in the future. But Callahan said the public must understand that an Area of Impact is not an annexation. 

Before this amendment to Idaho law, these areas were known as Areas of City Impact. Kootenai County has had long-standing Areas of City Impact agreements with the cities since the 1990s. 

The new Areas of Impact boundaries will replace the Areas of City Impact boundaries, and the existing agreements will be nullified. 

Kootenai County’s Board of County Commissioners is holding a public hearing at 11 a.m. Dec. 18 in Room 1B of the County Administration Building. At the hearing, commissioners will consider an ordinance that will officially update and define the maps illustrating the Areas of Impact for each of the four cities, establish a legal description and repeal all ordinances and those portions of ordinances in conflict with the new Areas of Impact.

Additional public hearings must be scheduled for the remaining cities in Kootenai County that need to establish Areas of Impact boundaries. 

“This hearing and the new Areas of Impact boundaries would not change taxes, city services, zoning or annex anyone’s property into any of the cities,” Callahan said. “It is only about updating the planning boundary between the county and the cities. This is a procedural requirement from the state.” 

Unless a property owner is interested in annexation or development, the change in the Areas of Impact boundaries would have little to no effect, Callahan said. In Idaho, a city cannot annex land without going through a formal, public process that involves both the town and the property owner. 

Anyone wishing to submit written comments on the proposed agreements must submit them to the county at least 10 days before the public hearing. 

More information on the proposed Areas of Impact agreements, including maps and answers to frequently asked questions, is available at kcgov.us/1141/Areasof-Impact or by contacting the Community Development Department at 208-446-1070 or [email protected].