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Commissioners debate 20-acre minimum, 32-person cap for new 'semi-primitive' category
Summary
Staff proposed renaming 'backcountry' as 'semi-primitive' with a 20-acre minimum and a 32-person maximum in some configurations; commissioners questioned shape of parcels, mining-claim parcels, and whether the 32-person cap should be site-specific.
At the Aug. 10 work session staff proposed replacing the 'backcountry' zoning label with "semi-primitive" and introducing a minimum lot size of 20 acres intended to limit commercial development in sensitive areas. Anne Schneider said the change was intended to reduce impacts in backcountry areas while allowing some limited supportive structures; staff also flagged the need to address additional water supplies for fire mitigation and OWTS compliance.
Commissioners pressed for clarity. "32 people is a lot of people," one commissioner said during the discussion, questioning whether the cap should be uniform or tailored to site hazards and infrastructure. Commissioners also asked whether the 20-acre minimum applies regardless of parcel shape and raised complications involving mining-claim rectangles on the county's east side. Staff responded that site selection criteria and emergency planning would guide final determinations.
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