| SANDPOINT PLANNING DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the City of Sandpoint Planning Department is to enhance the quality of life for present and future generations. We do this by:
- Providing quality service
- Encouraging citizen involvement
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- Promoting good planning
- Implementing our City Code
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This is a summary of our mission. Full and complete mission statements are available, just ask us. |
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| DEPARTMENT SERVICES
There are number of helpful services the Planning Department provides to the public. Take a look at what we offer.
- Zoning classification information for property in the City limits
- Bulk, height and area requirements specific to your property
- Signage permits
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- Information on land use,
demographics and fair housing
- Free feedback on preliminary site plans
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The Planning Department
consists of two primary components, Long
Range Planning and Current Planning.
LONG RANGE PLANNING
The Long Range Planning
Program assists the community in evaluating
trends and developing innovative plans in
anticipation of changes that may affect the
future of the City. This work includes
implementing and updating the primary
long-range planning document for the city,
the Comprehensive Plan, and developing
sub-area or neighborhood plans such as the
Area of City Impact and Downtown Development
Plans. In addition, the Planning
Department manages and prepares technical
studies that augment and enhance the
Comprehensive Plan and other planning
documents. Recent examples of
supporting technical studies include the
Development Impact Fee Program and the
Economic Development Opportunities
associated with the City–owned Bonner
Business Center.
The Long Range Planning
Program is also responsible for creating
implementing ordinances based on the
recommendations described in adopted city
plans and technical reports. Land use
ordinances are intended to influence where
and how things are built and where and how
land is preserved. The tangible
outcome of the regulations is the shaping of
the built and natural environment within the
city limits – the buildings, parks, city
streets, public spaces, etc. Some
recent examples of land use regulations
include the comprehensive set of revisions
to the Sandpoint zoning regulations
governing Commercial, Industrial and
Residential areas in town.
CURRENT PLANNING
The Current Planning
Program serves to implement the ordinances
and Plans put forward by the Long Range
Planning Program through the land use
application process, as well as review of
building permits for compliance with current
zoning regulations. The Current Planning
Staff works with applicants on projects
ranging from sign permits to annexations and
subdivisions and also staffs the front
counter from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. for all
land use-related questions from the
community.
In many cases, the land
use application process begins with a
pre-application meeting to identify the
feasibility of a project and any specific
issues that will need to be addressed.
Once a completed application packet is
submitted, Planning Staff distributes the
packet to other Departments within the City
(Fire, Police, Public Works, etc.) for
their specific requirements on the project
as proposed. Depending on
the type of project, this administrative
review is either followed by the issuance of
a conditional approval letter listing
conditions the applicant needs to satisfy in
order to obtain the necessary development
permits, or with presentation of the project
in a public hearing before the City's
Planning Commission and/or City Council, who
will take public testimony before making a
decision on the project.
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| FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Does my property fall within the limits of the City of Sandpoint?
Property that lies generally east of Chuck
Slough and the Union Pacific Railroad, south
of the Bonner County Fairgrounds, west of
Sand Creek and Lake Pend Oreille and north
of the Pend Oreille River are likely within
the City's boundaries. The Planning
Department can only provide zoning
information for properties within our
boundaries. Property outside of the
City may fall under the authority of Bonner
County or one of our neighboring cities.
Click
here if you have the parcel number
assigned to your property by the County
available to see who you need to contact.
Still not sure? Give us a call or contact us by e-mail and we would be happy to help.
Q. Does the City have zoning requirements? Yes. The City is divided up into many different zoning categories, each with its own set of requirements. Whether you are remodeling a structure, building a new one or adding on to an existing structure you should check in with us to make sure you meet requirements. When you contact us be sure to have either a legal description of the property, tax parcel number, or address. This will help us find the property quickly and give you the information you need.
Click
on the tab in the top menu to go to City Code. Click
here to access some general zoning information.
Q. Does the City require building permits? Yes. The City requires building permits for most types of construction within our boundaries. The City has a fully functioning building department with a full-time building inspector. For more information, contact the Building Department at
208-263-3407.
Construction of new or additions to existing
multi-family or nonresidential structures
require additional review through the Site
Plan Review process before a building permit
can be issued.
Q. Do I need a permit for a commercial sign? A sign permit is required anytime you want to
erect, construct, reconstruct, or alter any sign,
or to allow the use of a portable sign or
banner. Certain size and location
restrictions apply. Review of permit requests are done by administrative staff and usually can be issued in a week or less. You can contact us if you need a permit or have questions about what types of signs are allowed.
Q. Does the City require business licenses? The City requires registration of all businesses
(including home businesses). Please click on "Business Registration
Application" under the New Business tab in
the top menu for a copy of the registration form. Annual registration fee is $25. Additional licenses are also required for pawn shops, taxi cab operations, tourist homes, and for any business selling beer, wine or alcohol. For information regarding these licenses, please call the City Clerk's office at
208-263-3317.
Q. How do I find my property line? The best way to determine the location of your property lines is to have the property professionally surveyed. However, before hiring a surveyor check around property corners to see if any stakes or pins are in the ground. If you find pins or stakes they most often delineate the corners of your property. If no pins exist and you haven't hired a surveyor, you can visit the Bonner County Assessors office which maintains copies of property maps including the size of property and surrounding lots.
Do not assume that fence lines and street curbs follow property lines.
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The City's revised Comprehensive Plan is now available on the Comprehensive Plan web page. |
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THE SANDPOINT PLANNING COMMISSION
The Sandpoint Planning Commission makes
decisions on land use requests such as rezones
and conditional use permits. Current members
are: Collin Beggs, Deb Fragoso, Cate Huisman
(Chair), Kathleen
Hyde-Bordenave (Vice Chair),
Jeff Kuhns, Thomas Russell,
and Yuri Simon. The Planning Commission meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 5:30 pm in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. (Click HERE
for a list of our upcoming meetings and deadlines.
Click
HERE for the current agenda.) All of our meetings are open to the public and we encourage everyone to attend. |
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