Lewis County Comprehensive Plan 2009 k / -S-IS y/ii2 f 01 1 ¥rsrst"-^i^fM lif'f^°y^.^r%Sl f L j—j--'1' TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................-.........3 2. POPULATION...,......................................................................-..........^ 3. SCHOOL FACIUTIES............................................................................11 4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT........................,......................................^ 5. LANDUSE..........................................................................................22 —"FUTURE LAND USE MAP...............................................................28 6. NATURAL RESOURCES.......................................................................29 7. HAZARDOUS AREAS OR EVENTS........................................................31 8. PUBLIC SERVICES, FACILITIES, AND UTILITIES.........................,..........^ 9. PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY....«.........«.............«.............................43 10. QUASI-PUBUCFACILITIES..................................................................45 11. TRANSPORTATION............................................................................49 -GENERAL HIGHWAY MAP.................«.............«....«.«...............«54 12. RECRCREATIONANDTOUHISM.........................................................55 13. SPECIAL AREAS OR SITES«.»..............................................«..»....»....59 14. HOUS1NG...«............«..................«..«....««.......................................61 ^ '2: 17. TRiBALRElATIONS......».»»....»«.»...».......................«..............«.....66 18. IMPLEMENTATION.....................................................................,....^? 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is Community Planning? Long before the first birthday of the United States in 1776, citizens of small settlements along the Atlantic coast found a need for community planning. In order that their communities should be safe, healthy, comfortable places to live, and for the well-being of all citizens, they designated areas for grazing, establishing churches, schools, and meeting houses, and suggested feasible alternatives for uses of land that would not prove dangerous to life and health. Among the earliest measures of community planning was the assignment of certain areas away from the village centers for such uses as storing gun powder and tannmg leather; areas we designate today for industrial uses. Planning is not a new concept to our country. The logical tackling of community problems still exist today, but in a very complex setting. Planning is the development of events m the most logical order. As all Lewis County farmers know, rotating crops, fertilizing the soil, irrigating, seasonal planting, protectmg crops, and harvesting are all forms of planning. There are certain times of the year to plant certain crops In certain areas. No planning means no harvest. County planning uses the same principles as those used to operate a successful farm or nearly every other aspect of human endeavor. People generally try to conduct their activities in a logical way, and they "plan" so that their lives are not dictated by events, but rather events are shaped by their desires. Planning serves the identical purpose for counties and is really just the practice of using common sense for tackling county problems. Governor Cecil D. Andrus once stated, in an open letter to all Idahoans, Idaho is one of the fastest growing states m the nation. With such steady but rapid growth come increasingly complex changes which, if not guided and properly planned for, can become a force destmctive to the values we cherish and the quality of life we enjoy." The former Governor's thoughts are precisely the objectives of the Lewis County Comprehensive Plan. The plan will help legally protect our land and mdividual rights, retain the good qualities we currently share in the county, and strive to assist those areas in which we need improvement. Every citizen, whether his motives stem from personal economic benefit or from simple community pride, has a stake in orderly development and planned growth of his community. Growth devoid of planning leads to a number of problems which, when combined, result m a grotesque and disordered community. Inadequate planning for roads, drainage, and recreation facilities lead to the necessity of rebuilding these facilities In a few years at great cost to the taxpayers. The solution to these and the numerous other problems resulting from poor planning lies m a program of conscientious local government and citizen planning that looks realistically into the future. 1.2 What is a County Comprehensive Plan? County planning is much the same as planning the construction of a house. Through the preparation of a Comprehensive Plan, local residents are able to give some direction to the development ("building") of their community. The Comprehensive Plan is a public document adopted as a resolution by the local government. A resolution means that the plan is not a law or ordinance. The plan otdy contains suggestions and guidelines for the future. The plan then serves as a policy guide to decisions about the physical, social, and economic development of the county. The main objective of the Comprehensive Plan is that it tells the elected officials the direction the citizens want them to take regarding the future of their county. The Comprehensive Plan, in a booklet form, will show how residents feel about significant subjects that affect their county. The plan will identify any problems or opportunities the county may have, and suggest ways to correct the problems and capitalize upon the opportunities. Besides being comprehensive, the plan is general and long-range. "General" means that the plan summarizes the citizens' ideas, but does not include detailed solutions to the county's problems. "Long-range" means that the plan not only looks at the present issues of the community, but also the prospective problems and possibilities 10 or more years in the future. The Comprehensive Plan is the guideline for those features citizens want and do not want m thek county in the future. Following this guideline will add a higher degree of certainty that the county will be a safe, pleasant place to live m years to come. The plan incorporates the many different opmions held by the area's residents and combines these feelings into a guide that serves the best interest of the total community. 1.3 How is the Comprehensive Plan Used? On a day-to-day basis, the Comprehensive Plan is used by the county s elected officials to guide their decisions concerning development and changes within the county, based on the resident's desires. As previously stated, the plan suggests ways and alternatives to make the county a better place to live. An example of how the plan may work in one particular case 1s as follows: The residents of the county express the need for the county to be "cleaned up." This fact is reported in the Comprehensive Plan and alternatives and suggestions are then expressed m the plan to solve this particular problem. This is all the Comprehensive Plan can do in this case " - suggest alternatives - - and it is up to the county elected officials to decide how to follow through with the alternatives presented. The Comprehensive Plan has an inherent flexibility, which is responsible to the changing needs and desires of the people. This flexibility is characterized in two ways: • The statements in the plan are, in themselves, general enough to allow alternatives when applied to actual development; and • The plan Itself is designed to be revised as situations undergo great changes within the county. A primary feature of Comprehensive Planning is that it is an on-going process. If a plan, once completed, is filed away to gather dust on a shelf, it will not reflect the changing attitudes and needs of the county residents several years m the future. As the community grows m size or new interests come into the county, the plan must be updated regularly to deal with these changes and new ideas. 1-4 What are the Roles of the Board of County Commissioners, Planning Commission, and Residents in the Planning Process? The County Commissioners du'ect all matters dealing with planning, zoning, future development, etc., to the Plamung & Zoning Commission (P&Z Commission) for evaluation and action. The members of the P&Z Commission are volunteers appointed by the County Commissioners. The P&Z Commission members are citizens truly concerned about the future of their county and share the same interest and concerns as their neighbors in Lewis County. The residents' role m the planning process is primarily to become mvolved and provide constructive input in the decisions made about their county's future. The P&Z Commission anxiously awaits citizen Input and assistance on planning matters. The P&Z Commission acts only as public servants and presents the citizens' viewpoints in the best and most logical order so their desires become realities. As one can tell, the whole plannmg process is geared toward the citizens' desires for their county. We live in a democratic society and the Comprehensive Plan is a dkect output from our democratic philosophies. The Comprehensive Plan gives the citizens of a community the power to control their own destinies, accept growth on their own terms, and plan a future for their community in relationship to what they want. 1.5 In summary the Comprehensive Plan is: