County zoning man Weland anticipates a fine 53rd
August 8, 2011
Boundary County zoning administrator Mike Weland has big plans for his 53rd birthday August 29 ... the culmination of a process that began seven years ago, and one required by state law to occur every ten years.

"I don't know at this point if anything's guaranteed, because you never know what we're going to hear at public hearing," Weland said. "But I'm hopeful that eight years of effort is going to result in land use law we can all live with. A lot of work and thought has gone into it, the process has dragged on for a long time to allow that consideration, and I echo something that I said at the outset, back in 2005, 'the end result won't please everyone.'"

It's not going to be perfect, but it can be amended.

"We solicited and begged for public comment from day one," Weland said, "and over 100 county residents came together to draft the comprehensive plan in 1998. Not everyone agreed with that. I came up with a draft ordinance based on what I heard through that process ... and that draft bogged down in a quagmire.

County Commission chair Ron Smith, recognizing that the process could not drag on forever, with the county bound by land use laws drafted in the late 1990s proving unworkable, held his hand up and said, "this has got to stop."

With the consent of his fellow county commissioners, he directed Weland to start again from scratch, this time free of outside influence, but each section to be reviewed by county civil attorneys to ensure that what was proposed me the standards of Idaho Code.

Taken to public hearing in front of the planning and zoning commission; that draft me expected results, half of the less than 20 people who showed up thought it was too restrictive, half thought it was too lax.

In the many weeks since, the planning and zoning commission has worked the draft, available here, to reflect every concern raised. Every step of the way, chair Dan Studer referred to concerns raised during public hearing, and members participating concurred. P&Z co-chair Matt Cossalman brought forth and argued a different approach.

That's the draft going to public hearing on my brithday.

"I don't think that everything the P&Z commission proposes is going to stand legal concerns or the will of the public as expressed in the Comprehensive Plan," Weland said, "But I have no doubt that the members are sincere in their attempts to ensure that the people of Boundary County don't get bogged down by over-regulation. As administrator, I agree. I get great pleasure in telling people "yes, what you want to do is possible, and in having a clear set of rules by which I can say 'yes,' than in telling them 'maybe.'"

"I have every expectation that I'm going to be body slammed on my birthday," Weland said. "I hope for it. It was determined in 2005 that our current land use laws don't work for this community, and that was assurred by the Supreme Court ruling regarding gravel pits. I never thought it would take so long to arrive at a set of rules we can agree on, and I'm not sure yet, but I pray the end of this process is in sight. People and businesses are waiting in the wings to bring jobs and development to this county, but they want to know what our laws are."

"I hope everyone comes to my 53rd birthday party at 5:30 p.m. Monday, August 29, at the extension office," Weland said.