Deerfield reconsideration hearing canceled
CHLOE COCHRAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
Courtesy of BONNER COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
SANDPOINT — A hearing to reconsider the denial of a 24-lot subdivision on Baldy Mountain Road has been canceled and postponed to a later date.
The hearing, which was canceled by the Bonner County Planning Department due to a noticing error, was originally set for Nov. 17 after the applicant requested a reconsideration on the county’s denial of the file.
The Deerfield Subdivision was originally proposed to county commissioners Aug. 14, when commissioners moved to continue the hearing due to lack of complete data of an updated floodplain analysis. The continuation was approved by commissioners Brian Domke and Ron Korn, with Asia Williams being absent from the meeting.
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.
Due to the property being in 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effective floodplain, its boundaries and base flood elevation based on current data as opposed to relying on allegedly outdated information.
If FEMA concludes that the lots are not removed from the floodplain, the proposed subdivision would be required to comply with floodplain development regulations according to county code.
During a Sept. 9 hearing setting, with all three commissioners present, the board denied the file in a 2-1 vote — Williams and Domke supporting the denial, Korn opposing — after determining that the file lacked the floodplain analysis from FEMA.
The decision to deny the subdivision falls in line with the same reason for the file's original continuation.
At the time of publishing, a new hearing has not been scheduled.
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