Keeping Kootenai
Kootenai County Community Development
Keeping Kootenai is an outreach of Kootenai County’s Community Development Department, providing important news, updates and resources related to development in Kootenai County, Idaho.
Kootenai County’s Comprehensive Plan
Kootenai County is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan and creating the county’s first Parks & Waterways Plan. As part of this long-range planning process, expected to run through April 2027, the county is conducting a survey to gather input from Kootenai County residents.
Kootenai County:
We need your input!
Kootenai County is updating its Comprehensive Plan and creating the county’s first-ever Parks & Waterways Plan.
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A Comprehensive Plan is like a playbook for how the county will address a range of topics, including growth, economic development, housing, parks, open space, trails, and transportation improvements over the next 20 years. The plan must reflect local values identified through public feedback and best available data, which then guides decision-making to ensure that, as new development and growth occur, they are done in a way that supports the community’s vision, maintains or improves quality of life, and is fiscally sustainable, despite change that may come.
The plan must also meet state requirements and be coordinated with other agencies, service districts, and jurisdictions within the county to help ensure that it can be implemented over time.
A Comprehensive Plan is important because it:
- Is required under Idaho state law (Idaho Code §67-6508).
- Establishes where and how growth can occur.
- Provides transparency and predictability to residents, property owners, investors, and businesses regarding the county’s development and management.
- Supports coordination among agencies and jurisdictions, serving as a powerful interagency planning tool.
- Helps avoid “crisis-driven” policy making
- Guides to budgets and capital investment, including long-term planning for facilities and infrastructure by connecting levels of service to demands from new growth.
Get Involved in Kootenai County’s Comprehensive Planning Process
Community input is vital. Throughout the planning process, our planning team will send electronic surveys, host open houses, and set up booths to talk to the community in person at major events such as the county fair. Your feedback will help identify priority projects, define beloved recreation areas, and identify service gaps.
Check out the links below to learn more about how you can get involved in planning for Kootenai County’s future:
EXPLORE
Learn about the Comprehensive Plan Update and creation of a Parks & Waterways Plan.
COMPLETE THE SURVEY
Your feedback will help identify priority projects, define beloved recreation areas and identify service gaps.
STAY INFORMED
Join Keeping Kootenai’s email list for the latest updates on the Comprehensive Plan process.
Resources & Development Guides
Areas of Impact
Senate Bill 1403 affects how cities and counties plan for growth and manage “areas of impact.”
Conservation Easements
Granting a conservation easement to a qualified nonprofit has substantial tax benefits and preserves open space.
Family Division
County Commissioners approved a process for divisions of land for family members without the formal subdivision process.
Fire Safety Resources
As wildfire season approaches, there are many things you can do to help protect your home and neighborhood.
Good Neighbors Guide
Moving near or next to undeveloped land? That land is likely managed to provide a living for those who own and manage it.
Growth Management
Growth management strategies can help ensure the great qualities of Kootenai County are not lost to unplanned sprawl.
Shoreline Management
Shoreline Management Areas in Kootenai County include areas adjacent to rivers, lakes and streams.
Site Development
If you are developing a site for construction or building a road in Kootenai County check out this helpful brochure.