County mulling moratorium on developmen t

Current residential development in Elmore County may slow considerably if the Board of Commissioners pass a proposed interim moratorium on Planned Unit Developments (PUD) this month.

A hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 at the courthouse to hear public testimony regarding the moratorium.

According to the resolution, the commissioners feel that the current ordinance is "vague" regarding requirements for PUDs and that "there is an imminent peril to the public health, safety and welfare of the people of Elmore County because of the inadequacies of the present ordinance."

Under Idaho law the moratorium may be in effect for no longer than one calendar year.

Prompted by developers interested in making application for PUDs or planned communities in Elmore County that could house thousands of residents, the commissioners are seeking time to revise the current ordinance regarding PUDs and/or also develop a new ordinance for planned communities.

Commissioners were unavailable to comment on the anticipated effects of the proposed action on future developments in the county.

At the present time, the County Growth & Development office has one application on file for a PUD that includes 586 residential and some commercial lots.

That project, submitted by Weitz and Company, is located in Elmore County but is within the City of Mountain Home Area of Impact. That development has been rejected by the city.

But there are proposals in the works for planned communities, especially in the Mayfield area, that would involve thousands of housing units.

Mark Pecchinino, Ada County planner and consultant for Elmore County, explained some key differences in PUDs and planned communities.

"Planned communities are designed to be self-sufficient developments where residents can work, live and recreate. The developer assumes the burden for providing infrastructure such as schools, emergency services and waste water treatment facilities. "

The planned communities are not reliant on a taxpayer base, unlike PUDs, which typically will rely on city water and sewer as well as essential services like law enforcement and fire protection, according to Pecchinino.

The County Planning & Zoning Commission has been working on a draft ordinance for planned communities that they hope to finalize in January.

"Some of the proposed planned communities in Ada County overlap into Elmore County and we are working on requirements that will work across county lines," Pecchinino said.

Planned communities can take 15-20 years to build out and it can take from 1-3 years and $1-2 million dollars to complete the studies and meet the application requirements for one of those types of developments.

"It is really about controlled growth, protecting open space, and making smart choices for the future." Pecchinino said.

Pecchinino has worked with Ada County and Canyon County in developing their ordinances for planned communities.

The County Planning & Zoning commission has been struggling to keep up with the need to revise zoning ordinances due to growth in the Elmore County.

Since adopting the Comprehensive Plan a couple of years ago, the six-member board has been attending special workshops to learn more about land-use planning and also to amend current ordinances to better reflect "smart growth" goals and decisions.

Unlike the City of Mountain Home government, where the Planning & Zoning Board makes recommendations to the city council, the final decision maker, the County Planning & Zoning Commission is a decision-making body and has the final authority on land use decisions, though appeals may be made to the Board of County Commissioners.

The members of the county P&Z commission serve for a term of four years and there is no mention of term limits in their by-laws.

Four of the members will finish their term in 2007 and the county recently advertised to add another member to the board. They can have a maximum of nine members on the commission.

The members receive $25 per meeting and mileage reimbursement and meet two to three times per month.

There is not an education or planning experience requirement to serve on the commission though a person needs to have been a resident of Elmore County for the past two years.