By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff
The Wednesday, Dec. 18 City Council meeting will include a number of hot-button issues.
First, the council will make a decision on whether to adopt the Sandpoint Airport Comprehensive Plan component and future land use map amendment, as well as vote on an ordinance establishing an airport zoning overlay that includes a number of safety zones extending from the runway. Officials will also consider lifting the moratorium on accepting zone change applications within the airport overlay.
Council members will vote on whether to repeal and replace a portion of City Code regarding new sidewalk construction. The proposed ordinance would “place more responsibility for sidewalk construction and associated costs on the city rather than property owners,” according to the city, and include an “in lieu” fee payable by property owners rather than installing new sidewalk. The measure is intended to encourage sidewalk construction “on a block basis vs. by the parcel.”
Finally, the council plans to make a final determination on the type of turf that will replace the grass at War Memorial Field. According to previous statements from the city, only natural infill such as coconut or cork will be considered. The range of infill options will be on display at City Hall beginning Thursday, Dec. 12.
On Sunday, Dec. 15, the city will begin releasing a series of weekly surveys using its Open Town Hall outreach platform.
Intended to gather feedback on a range of master planning efforts, the surveys are available at sandpointidaho.gov/engage, the city’s Facebook page and on the Engage Sandpoint mobile app.
The first survey is on multimodal transportation, streets, sidewalks, paths and accessibility. The Dec. 29 survey covers jobs and economic development.
While we have you ...
... if you appreciate that access to the news, opinion, humor, entertainment and cultural reporting in the Sandpoint Reader is freely available in our print newspaper as well as here on our website, we have a favor to ask. The Reader is locally owned and free of the large corporate, big-money influence that affects so much of the media today. We're supported entirely by our valued advertisers and readers. We're committed to continued free access to our paper and our website here with NO PAYWALL - period. But of course, it does cost money to produce the Reader. If you're a reader who appreciates the value of an independent, local news source, we hope you'll consider a voluntary contribution. You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
You can contribute at either Paypal or Patreon.
Contribute at Patreon Contribute at Paypal
Coming up this week! Don’t miss out on Live performances of music & theater, fundraising, and more! See the full list of events in the 
