A comprehensive plan is a broad statement of community goals and policies that direct the orderly and coordinated physical development of a community. As a community's adopted official growth policy, a comprehensive plan provides direction, but lacks the enforceability of actual regulation. A comprehensive plan is the official link between policy and regulation. By contrast, land-use regulations specify how policies will actually be carried out. Land-use regulations are legally enforceable.

Kootenai County's 2010 Comprehensive Plan can be viewed at the link below or at the Community Development Department, located in the Kootenai County Administration Building at 451 Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

 The 2010 Kootenai County Comprehensive Plan expresses many community values concerning property rights, the environment, rural communities, economic activities and public services. The 2010 plan's large size and numerous goals and policies, however, made it hard to interpret and implement. This prompted the then-Board of County Commissioners in 2018 to ask the Planning and Zoning Commission to create a simplified update.

At the direction of the Board of County Commissioners, the Planning and Zoning Commission thoroughly examined the 2010 Comprehensive Plan's values, data, goals, objectives and policies and produced a proposed Comprehensive Plan Update that contains consolidated goals, objectives and policies for public review.

The proposed Comprehensive Plan Update is, for the most part, a highly condensed version of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan. The arrangement of its chapters (called "Elements" in the Update), follows the order found in Idaho state law. Only the goals, objectives and policies appear because the Planning and Zoning Commission believes they are the core of the Comprehensive Plan Update which will guide the writing of enforceable land-uses regulation. For that reason, the 2010 Comprehensive Plan's background materials and data will be placed in an accompanying index.

The general themes of the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update include:  

• Simplifying the 2010 plan by eliminating approximately 347 goal and policy statements and modifying or adding goals and policies that are clear, concise and consistent with county values.
• Increasing the Property Rights element's goals, objectives and policies in recognition of the importance of property rights to county citizens.
• Establishing policies to identify public views on such important areas as property rights, rural character and shoreline protection.
• Adding policies that specifically address the importance of supporting agricultural and timber industries.
• Providing policies that increase public involvement in planning, environmental protection and public recreation opportunities.

The Kootenai County Planning Commission published the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update on April 1 on the KeepingKootenai.com website. Community feedback meetings were held at five locations throughout the county. The public also provided feedback through an online comment form and written comments sent directly to Community Development.  

The planning commission organized all the comments received by June 26 under the various sections of the proposed update, discussed them at workshops held in July and August and made adjustments to the proposed goals, objectives and policies. In all, over 40 changes were made based on public feedback. Comments received after June 26 will be considered during the Public Hearing Process.

To view the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update with revisions incorporated, please click the button below.

The Kootenai County Planning Commission has prepared a summary citing those statements that were modified after a review of the public comments and others remained unchanged. The document can be accessed by clicking the button below.

 For more information on the Comprehensive Plan Update Approval Process, please click the button below.   

County residents can offer feedback on the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update at the Planning Commission's September 26 public hearing, in writing or using the online comment form at KeepingKootenai.com. The Community Development Department will regularly update this website with news and updates. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @keepingkootenai.

 Comments and feedback on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be submitted in writing to the Community Development Department, PO Box 9000, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816. You can also submit comments online at  https://keepingkootenai.com/contact-us 

Click below to view a schedule of upcoming community meetings.

 A local group has mistakenly indicated that the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update is a Unified Land Use Code Update. The proposed Comprehensive Plan Update is an update of the Comprehensive Plan approved in 2010. A comprehensive plan is simply a guiding document and not enforceable land-use regulations.

The Unified Land Use Code was a rewrite of county development and zoning laws, drafted with the assistance of an outside consulting firm several years ago. The ULUC was never adopted, due largely to the public outcry.

The Board of County Commissioners asked the Planning and Zoning Commission to review and amend the existing land use code to reduce conflicts and clear up inconsistencies. The public was included in the process through numerous workshops and public hearings. The code was brought before County Commissioners and adopted in 2016.

The county’s land use code is separate and distinct from the 2010 Comprehensive Plan.

The 2010 Comprehensive Plan was large in size and difficult to interpret and implement. For that reason, the then-Board of County Commissioners in 2018 asked the Planning and Zoning Commission to create a simplified update. The elected county commissioners at the time included Marc Eberlein, Bob Bingham and Chris Fillios.

The proposed Comprehensive Plan Update is not associated with the ULUC.