Sandpoint commission backs preliminary plat for Great Northern Commerce with conditions

SANDPOINT, Idaho — The Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission on July 15 recommended approval of the preliminary plat for the Great Northern Commerce subdivision, an approximately 15.6-acre industrial development east of Great Northern Road that would create 21 lots and new public roads to serve future industrial uses.

The vote sends the advisory recommendation to Sandpoint City Council with the conditions listed in the staff report and an added condition asking staff and the developer to amplify a proposed stormwater easement to allow for potential pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. "This is really the first step — we'll have the hearing with you, and then it goes before city council for approval," City Planner Bill Dean said during the presentation.

The project, presented by Drew Dittman of Lake City Engineering on behalf of Big Creek Land Company, would divide the parcel on Woodland Drive into 21 industrial lots with primary access from a new Commerce Drive and a stub called Innovation Drive intended to provide future connection to Great Northern. Dittman said the developer is willing to work with staff "on whatever easement is necessary to get that pedestrian access" and that the project team is "more than happy to live with that requirement" if the commission makes it a condition of approval.

Why it matters: The site lies next to the Amazon facility under development and is zoned Industrial General. The subdivision is designed to allow smaller, divisible industrial lots by requiring common access and maintenance covenants that let lot sizes drop below the usual one-acre minimum for the zone. The commission and staff emphasized the project's role in providing industrial land to local businesses and the potential to add multimodal connections in the future.

Key details and conditions - Size and layout: The applicant described the property as roughly 15.6 acres, proposing 21 lots served by a new Commerce Drive and a proposed stub (Innovation Drive) to the west. Staff noted that one corner of Block 1, Lot 14 lies within the airport overlay, which will trigger FAA review at the building permit stage. - Lot sizes: Staff remarks and the applicant’s presentation included inconsistent preliminary figures: staff cited a figure of about "59,000 square feet" on some exhibits, while the applicant described lots generally "about a half acre to 3/4 of an acre." Final lot sizes will be set with final plat and site development submittals. (See clarifying details.) - Utilities and easements: The plat shows utility and storm drainage easements along lot frontages and between lots; staff said reciprocal access and maintenance agreements (CC&Rs) will be required prior to final plat to ensure the shared access/parking and landscape maintenance that allow reduced lot sizes. - Stormwater and multimodal access: Staff and the applicant said a stormwater detention facility at the south end of the site has been preliminarily oversized (staff said by about a factor of 4) and that the southern stormwater easement could be amplified or overlaid to permit a pedestrian/bike path, provided it does not impair drainage function. Staff suggested that amplification would be recorded on the preliminary/final plat if the commission desires it. - Transportation: A traffic study was required because the development exceeds the city’s 300 average daily trip threshold; staff said the study did not show the project would push nearby intersections from acceptable to failing conditions, though the Boyer-Baldy intersection is projected to fail in coming years regardless of this project. - Agency review: Notices were sent to multiple agencies; Northern Lights (power) expressed availability to serve, the FAA deferred detailed review to the building permit phase, and BNSF noted ongoing discussions about Great Northern Road improvements.

Deliberation and vote: Commissioners asked detailed technical questions about shared parking, stormwater calculations, pedestrian connectivity, and build-out timing. Applicant Drew Dittman and city staff, including engineer Brandon Stragland, answered questions about the traffic study, the potential to overlay access/pedestrian easements on stormwater easements, and the process for final engineering. The commission moved to recommend approval with the staff conditions plus the amplified stormwater/utility easement allowing pedestrian and bicycle access within the stormwater easement area. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Wayne Benner and passed on a roll call vote.

Next steps: The preliminary plat recommendation goes to Sandpoint City Council for a final decision; final engineering, CC&Rs and the final plat will be required before lots can be recorded and building permits issued. Bill Dean, the planner, and the applicant emphasized the advisory nature of the commission’s recommendation as the next step is City Council review.