Boundary County, Idaho
COMPREHENSIVE Planning
Introduction
This Comprehensive Plan is a policy document of Boundary County, developed by interested citizens and refined by appointed and elected county officials. It is not designed to establish nor carry the weight of law, but to enunciate data that defines this county and to guide the promulgation of local land use laws in conformance with the objectives defined herein so that development occurring now leads ultimately to the future envisioned by those in our community who participated in this process.
This plan is not, nor is it intended, to be precise. Rather, it serves to identify those multi-faceted attributes of the county that its citizens deem of importance, and to establish objectives by which to weigh those attributes.
During the course of developing this plan, it became clear that residents relatively new to Boundary County expect to have schools, roads, emergency services, utilities and a choice of places to live, work and shop. It is also clear that those who have long been residents of Boundary County value their independence and wish to retain their ability to use their land as befits they and their neighbors, with minimal or no governmental interference. It is hoped that this document fairly balances both points of view.
There are 14 chapters comprising this plan; chapters one through 12 provide data on the various topics studied, chapter 13, Land Use, establishes a basis for developing zone districts and chapter 14, Implementation, summarizes the data of the preceding chapters and establishes broad objectives.
Using this document as a foundation, the county will adopt and administer zoning and subdivision ordinances, which are more technical standards and procedures that will carry the weight of law. In administering those ordinances, Boundary County will be called upon to render quasi-judicial decisions, which generally affect one or a small group of property owners, and legislative decisions, which typically, but not always, affect a group of citizens and serve to establish or amend laws. When those ordinances direct decision makers to review this plan in rendering a quasi-judicial decision, a review of Chapter 14 should satisfy that requirement. When those ordinances direct a comprehensive review so as to render a legislative decision, a review of chapters 13 and 14 should suffice.
In addition to serving the duties of Boundary County government, this document is recommended to those wanting to learn more about Boundary County, and as a guide to those proposing to live, invest or develop in the county. In addition, this plan serves as a basis for coordinating efforts and fostering understanding on issues related to local growth and development.