SANDPOINT — In a majority vote by Bonner County commissioners, a 23-lot subdivision was officially approved for development in the Bottle Bay Road neighborhood.  

The approval of the Bahia Del Sol subdivision’s final plat comes two months after county commissioners approved the preliminary plat.  

A preliminary plat is a detailed map that shows the layout of the proposed subdivision, including where the lots are located, and must be approved before development begins. A final plat is a more precise, technical drawing of the subdivision that shows how the subdivision will be executed.  

Similar to the preliminary plat, the subdivision’s final plat was approved in a 2-1 vote, with commissioners Brian Domke and Ron Korn in favor and Asia Williams opposing.  

Unlike previous hearings on the project, the plat was easily approved without much dialogue or deliberation. 

The plat consists of 23 lots located in a 6.77-acre parcel in Sagle. The lot is part of a Suburban-zoned area.  

Concerns about the location of the subdivision were raised during a late July meeting, as it will be accessed by a heavily trafficked road near the intersection of Bottle Bay Road and U.S. 95. However, the limited increase of traffic due to the subdivision was not high enough to trigger a traffic impact study by Idaho Transportation Department.  

While the Bonner County Road and Bridge noted the congested intersection, it said the issue under ITD jurisdiction and that it would not be feasible to require a developer or contractor to make major highway improvements.  

ITD was given the opportunity to comment on potential traffic impacts but responded with “no comment.”