COOLIN — As part of a seven-and-a-half-hour hearing, the Bonner County zoning commission has again recommended approval for a proposed subdivision off Sherwood Beach Road after the file was remanded back to zoning commissioners.

The remanded Yoman Bluffs proposed subdivision was unanimously approved during a July 23 hearing in front of approximately 40 community members.  

The proposed subdivision will sit on approximately 38.27 acres off Sherwood Beach Road in Coolin. The 12 lots will range in size from 2.5 acres to 3.9 acres and will be served by an individual septic system. 

Opposition to the file continues to be prevalent among community members, with individuals continuing to share concerns about public safety, traffic impact and sewer concerns.  

The residentially zoned parcel brings worry to neighboring properties, as Sherwood Beach Road can only be accessed by a single narrow road that is heavily traveled during summer months, according to several public comments made during the hearing.  

Project applicants said they understood traffic concerns and said they are willing to partner with the county to facilitate road improvements through a roundabout near the proposed subdivision.

Other concerns highlighted Coolin’s active sewer district moratorium regarding new hookups to its wastewater system. Among those concerns, neighboring residents argued that allowing 12 new houses to bypass the district’s policy through creating an independent sewer system undermines the original purpose of the sewer district. Others claim that future tenants could be allowed a workaround that other residents didn’t receive.  

However, although the Coolin sewer district currently doesn’t allow for independent sewer systems unless a low-impact development connection is first approved, the district cannot dictate land use outcomes made by the county. 

Bonner County commissioners remanded the file back to the zoning commission in June after commissioners agreed that the file had been significantly revised, calling for the zoning commission to review the new changes before appropriately recommending either an approval or denial of the file.  

When the zoning commission first viewed the file, the preliminary plat included a proposed 23 residential lots, three tracts, and was attached to a planned unit development file. Although the zoning commission recommended approval of the original file in a 3-1 abstention vote, county commissioners denied the PUD due to compliance concerns and continued the hearing to deliberate on the subdivision.  

Following the PUD denial, applicants revised the subdivision down to 12 lots and one tract to address public concerns of traffic impact and density troubles. However, after applicants adjusted the file, county commissioners felt it was best to remand the file back to the  Zoning Commission after significant changes had been proposed.