SANDPOINT — A land use hearing scheduled for today, April 16, for a remanded conditional use permit for a Cocolalla community facility has been postponed.  

At the hearing, Bonner County commissioners were expected to hear and decide on a 2023 remanded conditional use permit for a private community facility in Cocolalla. The file has a lengthy history of appeals, where it was originally recommended for approval by the county’s hearing examiner at an October 2023 hearing.  

Several months later, in February 2024, the Zoning Commission unanimously approved the file.  

In March 2024, the decision was appealed with concerns that the staff report had been changed several hours before the zoning hearing, where “erroneous information from applicants” was revised, according to the appellants. 

Once appealed, the 2024 Bonner County Board of County Commissioners upheld the zoning commission’s decision and affirmed the decision again in June 2024 to address deficiencies regarding the proposed retreat use of the facility.  

After a judicial review of the file in September 2025, the court remanded the file back to Bonner County after finding the decision was not in compliance with Idaho Code 67-6535. Code states that any approval or denial of an application must be accompanied by a reason statement explaining the decision. In its remand, the District Court officials ruled that the facility's retreat use had been withdrawn and should not be considered.  

As part of maintaining standards when approving or denying files, the current board of commissioners uses a reason worksheet to decide on a file.  

The permit would be used for a private community event facility/retreat to offer private gatherings and use of the property. The facility would sit on 20 acres in Cocolalla, where associated functions would include wedding ceremonies and receptions, family reunions, and seasonal and professional training events.  

In a narrative statement submitted to the board, applicants of the file had originally hosted Firebrand LLC wedding venue at the property, where individuals could get married at a “secluded and private setting.”