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 Kootneai County residents. Please read below to learn more about the process and complete the survey.

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.

Kootenai County:
We need your input!

Kootenai County is updating its Comprehensive Plan and creating the county’s first-ever Parks & Waterways Plan. If you are a Kootenai County resident, please complete this survey to help identify priority projects, define recreation areas and identify service gaps.

TAKE SURVEY

The Comprehensive Planning Process

Creating a Comprehensive Plan is a collaborative, multi-step process requiring significant effort. Each phase builds on the one before it, incorporating community feedback, data, and policy analysis to create a plan that reflects the needs and aspirations of Kootenai County residents.

Kootenai County Comprehensive Planning Timeline

Step 1: Research & Existing Conditions

We collect data and information on the county’s existing conditions, including demographics, land uses, and projected growth.

Step 2: Community Engagement

Public involvement is the most important step in the planning process. It is the community that should determine the country’s vision, policies, and future.

Step 3: Drafting the Plan

Preparation of the first full draft of the Comprehensive Plan and the very first Parks and Recreation plan, outlining proposed goals, policies, and strategies, and an inventory of parks and open land.

Step 4: Review & Refinement

The draft is presented for additional public review and review by county staff, the Planning Commission, Parks and Waterways Board, and the Board of County Commissioners to ensure it aligns with the community’s vision.

Step 5: Public Hearings & Adoption

The Planning & Zoning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners will hold final public hearings and make any further refinements before adoption of the plan.

Step 6: Implementation

Over the next 20 years, components of the plan will be implemented, with periodic reviews and updates to ensure that the actions and plans achieve the desired results.

VISUALIZING POTENTIAL GROWTH: The Community Profile Report includes conceptual renderings that seek to visualize maximum buildout under current zoning within the County’s jurisdiction. The image above illustrates existing development in Kootenai County.

Did You Know?

As part of this effort, a detailed Community Profile Report was created to inform future planning. See here for the full report . Below are some key findings from the report:

Kootenai County covers 1,238 square miles and is the state’s third‑most populous county.
According to official 2024 estimates, the county’s population reached 188,323, representing about 9.4% of Idaho’s total population.
Out of 188,323 people living in the county, only 53,409 live outside of city limits.
It has some of the most impressive geography and outdoor recreation in the state, boasting Lake Coeur d’Alene, a large lake 25 miles long with approximately 125 miles of shoreline and depths around 220 feet.
The Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer supplies most of the county’s (and that of Spokane and Spokane Valley) drinking water. It is Idaho’s only “sensitive resource aquifer,” requiring the highest level of protection, and covers 200 square miles, mostly in the county. There are significant efforts to protect the aquifer.
The top three hazards identified in the county are wildfire, severe winter weather, and flooding.
Kootenai County owns 35 recreational properties totaling approximately 172.3 acres. The Kootenai County Parks and Waterways Department manages several other properties owned by other public agencies, including the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation.
With only 3 developed county-owned parks, most maintained public recreational properties are small waterfront sites dedicated primarily to boat moorage or boat launches. Many waterfront areas are restricted to boat users due to limited access by other means.
As Idaho’s largest marine access provider in any other county in the state, boat registration and launch fees account for most of the department’s revenue, which is used for ongoing maintenance and, when feasible, to match grants for improvements.

COMMUNITY PROFILE REPORT

Parks & Waterways Plan

Parks, Waterways, Open Space & Trails

Parks, waterways, trails, and open spaces are among the county’s most valuable assets. Recreational amenities attract visitors, tourists, and businesses, helping support the regional economy and improve residents’ quality of life and health. As the county continues to grow, it is important to plan for increased maintenance costs and additional or improved recreation assets based on community needs now and into the future.

A Parks & Waterways Plan helps the county:

Identify opportunities for new or improved county recreational facilities.
Identify current and future park needs, demands, and levels of service, based on population growth, and geographic distribution. These metrics help determine whether the number, size, and types of parks, waterway amenities, open spaces, and trails can meet the region’s needs over time.
Preserve natural areas and shorelines that define the character of North Idaho and help protect natural resources, such as the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.
Expand trails, pathways, and outdoor access to support healthy, active lifestyles.
Improve year-round recreation options, including winter activities, water access, and multi-use open spaces.
Support tourism and local businesses by enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities.
Create and manage a park’s capital facilities plan to ensure that all parks are maintained, there is a budget to build new parks, and adequate funding is allocated and identified.

Parks and recreation opportunities are among the major factors that are driving the county’s growth. The plan will identify gaps in service for all users, ages and abilities. It will help balance the needs and desires of residents, with the need for economic benefits from recreational tourism. Planning for recreation has been shown to support broader economic development efforts and provide a better quality of life for residents.

Did you know?

As part of this effort, a detailed Community Profile Report was created to inform future planning.

LEARN MORE

Your Role

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: