New county zoning laws take effect Thursday
|
|
October 31, 2011 |
On Thursday, November 3, a new set of land use
laws governing those who live outside city
limits in this county are going to take effect.
It's taken six years to put them all together,
everyone who has played a part in their
development knows they aren't perfect ... but
they will be law.
For most of county residents, the new laws won't
mean anything ... this is a county whose
neighbors get along well together and who
respect the rights of property owners to enjoy use of their land.
The new ordinance doesn't infringe on your right to build
the
home you want, and the permit fee hasn't changed.
It doesn't tell you what to build. After six
years of study, argument and toil ... Boundary
County will most often only refer you to the resources ...
it's still up to you if you want to take the
advice.
Boundary County will not, either, preserve your
property rights at the expense of another.
We're trying hard to keep alive the mores this
county was built on.
The biggest change in the new ordinance is how
property owners might divide their property ...
an issue that started the fissure years ago when
land prices were booming and those who had land
sold.
Those who bought land did so recognizing the
weaknesses in our ordinances, and those who
arrived in time made a lot of money and were
gone with a pocketful, leaving the
county with problems not of our making, and
leaving a lot of new neighbors expecting
promises that no one here ever made.
It took six years to come up with a new set of
rules as to how to accommodate the interests of
those who live here against those who would come
here, take advantage and leave.
The law has to apply equally to all.
All without unduly burdening property owners and
without growing the planning and zoning office;
which will remain a one-person shop, one of few,
if any other such county P&Z offices in the
state.
There is no doubt the new county land use laws
are going to add a burden to the land owner who
wants to divide a piece of property. In most
cases, to make clear title, a process through
the county is going to need to be coped with if
you want to finance or borrow money on land you
own, or if you want to assure the buyer that
they have a lot that can be built on.
After six year's effort, the new law allows much
... it just asks that all of us remember we are
neighbors.
The county has already been verbally threatened wtih law
suits, points of law and reasons as to why this
new ordinance will fail, but on Thursday, the
new law goes into effect.
"I know that few are happy with what we've
accopmplished, but I hope that they give what
we've done a chance to work," said
county zoning administrator Mike Weland.
"Nothing is perfect, but what we've done is a
big step. Let the new comp plan and ordinance
apply, let the new ordinance work, and let's see
if the way it's applied lets us find common
ground."
The new ordinance is available online by
clicking here. For information on
the new ordinance, call the county planning and
zoning office, (208) 267-7212.
|
|
Questions or comments? Click
here to
email! |
|
|
|
|
