[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6660519,"mediaKeyId","2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f","parentId",2434902,"title","Kootenai County approves 182‑day emergency moratorium on data centers to protect aquifer and review permitting","audioSeconds",530,"startMs",3645445,"endMs",4176300,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f&start=3645&end=4176","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f/thumbnail_3645445.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6660519/Kootenai-County/Idaho/Kootenai-County-approves-182day-emergency-moratorium-on-data-centers-to-protect-aquifer-and-review-permitting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660519-ddca4b89e6ee35aa0ea31688a449e781/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137991&Signature=RwK2~ifbB2i7E~~z4i7PTPiKTY6ivd642oX3agitHZgez5mu9aZEuFc3EUbNOV~H-NrXS7EQTYQyZWV8NFdBBwpO8TzHJJtMxeaaOy7p7OSEV7PfuZwkQTn1Zhi9trm3IxSNCeu-~sp042ngVmWnzlNKllUEebB0L5xeTg2xba8sYALk8n0wcOR5EmPXC~D5NvVNJKsf-YyUBAp2MSPYGGRTO8wQ13lINwSgVAu9fee6fS3cYptNb-Y~DG3-DpBqUkwrYOtgVLGcglCTShQBO-drAx8o7v2IMsPDS6G6S9hwEHrE06bCIuYrJpCiNciI8dc6fLGWgPhlkJA8kgUMZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kootenai County","date","2025-02-27T18:18:41.337Z","article","Kootenai County commissioners on Feb. 27 approved a 182‑day emergency moratorium on data centers to halt routine building permits while Community Development drafts a permitting process that would allow the county to condition such facilities.

David Callahan, Director of Community Development, told the Board the moratorium is intended to give staff time to \"work up a draft concept of processing these data centers by by a special use or conditional use permit.\" Callahan said that without such a process, the county must currently treat many data‑center projects as by‑right building permits and cannot impose site‑specific conditions.

Public commenters and two county partner organizations urged the moratorium. Susanne Scheidt, representing the Aquifer Protection District (APD), told commissioners APD \"supports the emergency moratorium for the data center\" citing concern that cooling practices could degrade aquifer water quality; the APD letter was entered into the record as Exhibit B1000. Jenny Graham of Panhandle Health District's Aquifer Protection Program also testified in support and said regulators and the public lack sufficient information about chemicals, wastewater and cooling practices at these facilities. Graham said areas that could host large data centers are often located directly over the Rathen Prairie aquifer and that gaps at the state level leave water protection incomplete without local oversight.

Tim Volas, speaking for the Rathen Prairie community, said the community is concerned about water quantity for future development and agriculture and noted the cumulative water use of housing and potential large data centers.

Commissioners discussed resource and utility impacts and the need for local permitting controls. Commissioner Eberlein and Commissioner Duncan supported giving Planning and Community Development staff time to develop a conditional‑use process and appropriate standards. Chair Metoyer moved the motion, and commissioners voted: Commissioner Eberlein — Aye; Commissioner Duncan — Aye; Chair Metoyer — Aye. The motion carried.

County staff noted they would draft a resolution to memorialize the moratorium and bring it to the Board at the next business meeting (scheduled Tuesday). The moratorium was announced as beginning on the date of the vote, Feb. 27, 2025, and will last 182 days unless superseded by subsequent Board action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2/27/2025 Board of County Commissioners: Community Development","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of County Commissioners voted to impose a 182‑day emergency moratorium on building permits for data centers so staff can draft a conditional‑use permitting process and study water, utility and environmental impacts; local health and aquifer groups supported the action.","taxTitle","Kootenai County, Idaho","taxId",3567,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660524,"Kootenai County approves 12‑lot Bunko Ranch final plat off Nunn Road",184,1434055,1618295,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f&start=1434&end=1618","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f/thumbnail_1434055.jpg","/articles/6660524/Kootenai-County/Idaho/Kootenai-County-approves-12lot-Bunko-Ranch-final-plat-off-Nunn-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660524-0af17cee870d57194204a64baf2a30e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137991&Signature=mlaZAGv-ifOUeBcoyQ1JpXDs4ujgVoBKKsPhJawGTcoO8d-ggy-RHAgL917lvUO3I871NlUtLN134PTCzYomkjnbCBPY~V6xjr0tAvy-etHifBc3xttPOO1E8MVL7STjfHexy370AzBpBQ5PApmQfzW~4z3fxGaq1FN2IRU2zaZDAZjfXiRVYRbgToLbFv-akq3zCsVTxXnA2ZK3m95X9~9T5gy~zzG9l2lDPS-0exHjD6URhlCd5d9nLOJm2DL1rI~7uy~2JCTWgvpD1ywoYCcMK~Qn7Bj5Ted~ZfOkfeFPqnMKQr9ZT5~Q-jkpeZS98sHsbuqLE1nIVT5D95GT1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners voted Feb. 27 to approve the final plat for Bunko Ranch (case MSF240003), a 12‑lot major subdivision located off Nunn Road north of Rathen Prairie.

Blaif Engel of Kootenai County Community Development presented the application and the staff recommendation. Engel said the subject property is approximately 80 acres and that the preliminary approval was granted in December 2022. The final plat application was submitted within the two‑year deadline and staff confirmed that required conditions of approval have been met.

Engel described the subdivision layout: 12 residential lots, a new interior road that will be dedicated to Lakes Highway District for maintenance, and three shared/common driveways that will remain privately maintained through CC&Rs. Engel said individual and shared wells and individual septic systems will serve the lots, and that warranty bonding for the common driveways has been accepted by the county and will be held for 12 months pending an engineer's final letter verifying no deficiencies.

A commissioner moved approval and the motion carried with recorded votes of Commissioner Eberlein: Aye; Commissioner Duncan: Aye; Chair Metoyer: Aye. Community Development staff will release the warranty bond after a 12‑month warranty period if no deficiencies are reported by the project engineer.

No additional conditions were imposed at the hearing, and the county's recommendation noted outstanding compliance items had been addressed by the applicant. The applicants were listed in the staff report as Dom Construction and Brian Rush.","The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved final plat MSF240003 (Bunko Ranch), a 12‑lot subdivision on roughly 80 acres north of Nunn Road; roads and driveways constructed, bonding and warranty accepted and a 12‑month warranty hold established.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660529,"Kootenai County directs written notice, sets March 13 deadline for Windsong Lane easement owner after repeated code violations",1238,131035,1369230,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f&start=131&end=1369","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2434902-a50f80f0fbdf08181f2374ce91961e5f/thumbnail_131035.jpg","/articles/6660529/Kootenai-County/Idaho/Kootenai-County-directs-written-notice-sets-March-13-deadline-for-Windsong-Lane-easement-owner-after-repeated-code-violations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660529-987ff038c7b1c66c7e0cb6ba22bcbf5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137991&Signature=OosxRCLWwIXny3MinrJrzm5bO0ok19ro6SmQPJAPf707W0STiW4fhx0X-mUhvrj76aswvjCDVfGJlcEzf3sdizZMg0APcTvvpr0yRcZ8~Qh2OZZ2j0WS~~kVe9piv~uqCTpRi9HtFqhNx~ATir8ZmcijPFVFNsp6q3w2aOoXYA6loyppx0Pq664YLdkzh5Prn-9kY5mbJGNlGna72imtH4SwSva61scRxyrr3FKnJSGjpk184gtTE3v4oolhMFCVrxaCfDRCSL800emP7c4-vc91vPgsdaF5W4Zuee-mbvHaLL4SjNO1yZwoEwK1sBDDZwNOIoPAiqrm3AV-YPtayg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kootenai County commissioners directed Community Development staff on Feb. 27 to deliver a written notice to the owner of a 1.3‑acre recorded easement on Windsong Lane, setting a compliance deadline of March 13, 2025 and warning that legal action would follow if the owner did not remove debris and other materials.

Craig Davidson, Deputy Director of Operations, told the Board that the parcel \"is basically a recorded easement and it's about a 1.3 acre\" parcel and that the county has taken possession of the property on multiple prior occasions because of tax issues. Davidson said the county has documented three code enforcement cases, including temporary RV occupancy, recorded nuisance/garbage violations and an outstanding zoning infraction related to unsecured domestic fowl. The notice of violation for rubbish and debris was recorded Feb. 14, 2025; the zoning infraction was due to be recorded March 14, 2025, Davidson said.

David Callahan, Director of Community Development, said the county treasurer has sold similar parcels at tax sale and that some parcels later proved unsuitable for private ownership because they are road easements or otherwise unbuildable. \"This property is unbuildable. It's a road easement,\" Callahan said, adding that when such parcels are sold at tax sale the county would normally advise that they be sold to abutting neighbors rather than to a private party.

Code Compliance Supervisor George Sepulveda inspected the site earlier in the week and confirmed remaining debris, fabric, fencing materials and mattresses within the easement. Davidson said the RV that previously occupied the parcel had been removed and that the owner still owes fees; the county's main enforcement focus, he said, is the rubbish and garbage left on the easement. Davidson described possible enforcement options under the county's code, including continued recorded status, setting a date certain for compliance, initiating an enhanced civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day, or initiating a notice of intended legal action.

During deliberations, Commissioners discussed steps to ensure adequate notice. Commissioner Eberlein said phone contact was insufficient and recommended providing a written list of specific items to be removed, leaving a copy at the property and attempting personal service or mailing to a relative the county has on file. Commissioner Duncan said he supported issuing notice of legal action now and adding the $1,000‑per‑day penalty if the owner returns and reoccupies or increases violations. Chair Metoyer summarized the direction: staff should issue a written notice with a specific removal list, set a compliance inspection for March 13, 2025, and, if noncompliant, file the March 14 notice and proceed with legal action.

The commissioners did not take a formal, recorded vote on a penalty amount during the meeting; they gave staff direction to pursue written notice and legal action if the March 13 inspection shows noncompliance. The county also noted that the easement's status and sale history will be reviewed by department heads and commissioners to consider whether such parcels should be handled differently at tax sale in the future.

Next steps: Community Development staff said they would prepare the written notice and make sure it is issued by Monday; March 13, 2025 will be the compliance inspection date. If the owner has not complied by the inspection, staff will file the recorded notice on March 14, 2025 and proceed with enforcement as appropriate.","County staff described repeated code violations on a privately owned 1.3‑acre recorded easement on Windsong Lane and commissioners directed staff to deliver written notice requiring cleanup by March 13, 2025 and to prepare legal action if the owner does not comply.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Kootenai County approves 182‑day emergency moratorium on data centers to protect aquifer and review permitting

Kootenai County approves 12‑lot Bunko Ranch final plat off Nunn Road

Kootenai County directs written notice, sets March 13 deadline for Windsong Lane easement owner after repeated code violations