Commissioners approve Poulton Pines subdivision, with amendments

BONNERS FERRY — Poulton Pines, a 62-acre, 20 lot suburban subdivision located off of 822 Chokecherry Drive was approved by the Boundary County Commissioners on Oct. 4 with the condition of creating a looped road instead of a cul-de-sac for fire escape.

The 20 lots are on two separate parcels within the Bonners Ferry city of impact, North Bench Fire District jurisdiction and portions are within Three Mile water district.

By looking at the plat, it appears to be three parcels, but due to the legal description the western parcel is not continuous, but is in fact one parcel, Tess Vogel, Contract Assistant Planner with Ruen-Yeager & Associates, Inc. told the Herald.

The southern portion of the western parcel, 18.49 acres, did not originally appear in the Planning and Zoning packet, but once it was realized that piece was indeed part of the above parcel it was added to the plat.

This caused much confusion for neighbors, who thought an additional piece of land had been added to the subdivision and that they had not received proper notice.

Due to the southern portion being 18 acres, it does not meet the 20-acre requirement per county code to be subdivided and per the plat there are no plans to put housing on it, Vogel said.

At the Aug. 21 P&Z meeting only one public comment was given and it was against the development.

At the Oct. 4 meeting, Dick Staples with JRS Surveying spoke on behalf of the applicant, the Poulton Family Trust, and said the subdivision is an extension of the development already there. He added the lot sizes are suitable for the surrounding area.

There was no public comment in support of the development.

During the time for comments neutral to the development, Boundary Assessor Olivia Drake provided a presentation on future taxing issues and taxing district designation landowners in the development might face.

Some of the proposed lots sit on separate tax code districts. She drew two parcels, one on top of each other and added a line down the middle to indicate different taxing districts.

“When the landowner builds a house across the taxing code line, I’m not sure if I tax them the higher or lower levy rate,” Drake said.

One home may receive water from Three Mile water district, but wouldn’t be within the district, therefore they wouldn’t be unable to vote on water levies or bonds.

She added this has happened before with Cabinet Water District and that the second homeowners didn't realize they were out of the district until they tried to vote. They receive a service and levy rates they did not vote on.

Surrounding neighbors spoke against the development, due to believing they were not properly noticed in regard to the southern portion of the western parcel. They were also concerned about fire prevention, and wastewater that could come down the hill toward their homes in Marx Subdivision.

The Commissioners were not in favor of having a cul-de-sac in the subdivision, at the end of Poulton Way, due to not having an outlet in case of emergency.

Commissioner Tim Bertling told the Herald that if firefighters know a road is a dead end they won’t take their trucks down the road, due to not having a way to escape.

As a condition the commissioners requested the subdivision road, Poulton Way loop back to Chokecherry Road for fire safety, in a 3-0 vote.

The lots will be sold without power and landowners will have to dig their own wells.

Vogel told commissioners there is nothing in county code regarding erosion and code allows for off grid housing and holding a homeowner to providing their own water.

Bertling said he wanted Three Mile Water District looped into the conversation since the development could impact the district.

“But Three Mile might say 'that’s not my problem,'” he said, in regard to if lots are in or out of the district.

In regard to changing the district lines of Three Mile Water District, Drake said it could take up to a year depending on when the water district annually changes their lines.