SANDPOINT — A complete overhaul of Sandpoint’s downtown zoning got a thumbs up from the City Council on Wednesday.

The updates are put together by Bill Dean, Sandpoint’s city planner, and aim to concentrate economic activity downtown by narrowing the city’s commercial zoning code. Dean has done so by introducing the idea of two new zoning districts, the downtown core and downtown outer core, with their own regulations. 

“What occurred to me was we have an awful lot of property dedicated to commercial activity, and what happens when you do that as a community? It's like taking butter and spreading it over too much bread,” Dean said. “I love butter and I love bread, but it really tastes a whole lot better when you get a little piece of bread and a lot of butter on it. And that's exactly what I'm proposing.” 

What is allowed in the new zoning districts is an ongoing debate in the Planning and Zoning commission, but in the draft language Dean presents two major changes. In the downtown core, which envelops First Avenue from Superior to Cedar, offices would not be allowed on the ground floor. 

Dean said the restrictions around offices stem from the idea of generating economic activity in the core and making downtown a “walk, shop, eat and entertain” area. Current office buildings can remain, however, if the changes are adopted, no ground floor space could be occupied by new offices.  

“Sometimes those land uses can be wonderful, awesome businesses in our community, but they're not necessarily the ones that generate the activity that in these special 35 acres,” Dean said. "Can 9% or 10% of your commercial property be a little more restrictive, so you can get the concentration and drive some of those higher activity generators are there?" 

The second significant change proposed would be allowing ground floor residential development in the downtown outer core, which wraps around the core and stretches from Cedar and Fifth down to Superior Street. Dean said in order to generate an alive feeling downtown; people need to have easy access to the area.  

One of the ways to bring people downtown, Dean said, is to have them live there, which is why he is proposing bringing more residential space into the outer core. 

“Right now, we're have a real disincentive by saying, ‘No, your ground floor has to be retail,’” Dean said. “How do you get it filled with people? We have to invite some people down there, number one by allowing them to live there.” 

In addition to the zoning changes, Dean also introduced a historic overlay district, which would protect guarantee certain buildings maintain their historic look moving forward. Councilors generally received the proposed changes positively and gave Dean the go-ahead to continue working with P&Z in this direction. 

"I can see Ellie smiling behind you the whole time. So, if she's happy and I see Wayne smiling, too,” Council President Deb Ruehle said about two committee members in the audience. "I would say that we're definitely headed in the right direction. This is in the strategic plan. This is what we've been asking for.” 

Councilors Pam Duquette and Kyle Schreiber expressed concern about the allowed building heights in the districts, which sat at a 65-foot maximum in the draft language. Duquette said she felt the maximum was too high and would block the views of the surrounding mountains downtown. 

“To me, that'll just ruin downtown,” Duquette said. “It makes me think of Coeur d’Alene and down around their lake. You know what they've done with all those tall buildings? And you just really lose what is Sandpoint.” 

Dean said he was also concerned about the 65-foot maximum and invited further discussion on the matter. Schreiber also questioned the core’s southward reach and referenced Dean’s bread and butter analogy.  

“This map shows more what I was thinking that those southernmost properties are quite a distance from the rest of the downtown core,” Schreiber said. “It kind of strings out our butter across a bigger piece of bread.” 

Initially, Dean’s proposal for the core and outer core was much smaller and that the current map was developed based off input from P&Z. During the meeting, Dean said the council will be able to iterate on the map and other changes when it comes before them later in the year. 

The Sandpoint City Council’s next scheduled meeting is set for March 4 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.