Planning commission recommends approval of Moose Jaw short‑plat after wetlands review

The Fremont County Planning & Zoning Commission voted unanimously Feb. 23 to recommend approval of the Moose Jaw Short‑Plat Subdivision (#25‑087), a three‑lot subdivision staff said is needed to rectify prior illegal lot splits and restore building rights for affected owners.

Planning staff member Jacob Farnes presented the application and the accompanying wetland delineation, telling commissioners the 92‑acre parcel is largely covered by wetlands and FEMA Flood Zone A. Farnes said the subdivision will restore the 'partial whole' of parcels so owners can obtain building permits in compliance with county code. "Putting these lots in the subdivision and making the partial whole before the illegal split is how we are rectifying this," Farnes told the commission.

Applicant representative John Hall said the owners have paid residential property taxes for years and are seeking to correct what they believed were proper lot adjustments. "We are trying to clean up what was done to us," Hall said, adding the owners are in escrow on the large parcel and want to clear title and permitting rights.

Members of the public asked for clarity about future development and potential impacts. Resident Lila Gould, who owns property across the Salem Highway, said she was uncertain about the "end game" and whether the change would affect her land. "If the end game is something that would affect my property across the way, I just don't know what," she said. Another neighbor, Dustin Orr, said he had applied in 2018 for a boundary adjustment and asked that the record reflect he and others had paid taxes and believed they were compliant at the time.

Staff noted written comments from Idaho Fish and Game and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and recommended the commission forward the short‑plat to the Board of County Commissioners with a positive recommendation, subject to standard floodplain and wetlands requirements at the time of any future development. Farnes advised owners that future building permits on flood‑impacted lots will require elevation certificates and possibly a Letter of Map Amendment from FEMA.

After a brief deliberation, commissioners said their vote was limited to whether the application met the county's short‑plat criteria and standards. Commissioner JC Siddoway moved to approve the Moose Jaw Short‑Plat Subdivision (#25‑087); Commissioner Dennis Forbush seconded and the motion passed unanimously. The commission recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve the application.

Next steps: the commission's favorable recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners; any subsequent permits or subdivisions will require county review and, where applicable, additional public hearings and compliance with wetland and floodplain regulations.