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In The Loop-Monthly Musings from Henrys Lake Foundation



December 2024


THE SAGA OF THE FLATS

Many of you may not realize what has been going on this year in the community.  The Henrys Lake Flats. It’s a bucolic scene. One of shared use with low density residential, minimal development, angling, wildlife moving through, and ranching. The ranches have been operating for over 100 years here. The wildlife, including elk, deer, pronghorn, wolverine, grizzly and black bear, moose, bats, raptors, sandhill cranes, long billed curlews and more move through here or summer here. We might take it for granted as we drive through it, but its hard to think what it would look like with it fully developed with gosh knows what.


Henrys Lake Flat is zoned as rural in the Fremont County Comprehensive Plan, as well as City of Island Park P and Z code. As such it “is not intended to accommodate non-agricultural development”. The zone "is intended to promote and enhance the cultural significance and character of open rural and scenic non-urban landscapes, to provide for agricultural and rangeland uses consistent with the conservation of environmental and landscape values of the area; to protect fish, wildlife and recreation resources consistent with Idaho Code."


Last winter we started hearing rumors about two developments on the southern portion of the Flats that surely could not be true. Development! On the Flats? Island Park residents decided this was too much. They decided to fight.


The first thing we faced was the “Burtenshaw” property, 70 acres on the west side of Hwy 20 adjacent to Sawtelle Rd /Macks area. A developer, Ensign Designs, on behalf of Marriott Hotels, contracted with the owner to purchase the property IF a 132- room hotel could get approved for the property. 


The community rallied and mounted an argument as to why this approval was not good for the community, the water resources, the wildlife and the character of the area. After denial by the Island Park P and Z committee, the developer started working with Fremont County P and Z Commissioner. With some redesign they are currently re-applying to Fremont County to get the hotel approved as a Class II permit. Class II permits typically are the Short-Term Rental permits, those used for residential properties that can accommodate up to 30 guests. A Hotel is not what the Class II residential was intended for.


Here again, the community is organized, and working on their arguments of why this Hotel does not belong here on the Flat. The hearing should have happened sometime in September.


The second insult to our sensibilities started shortly after the Hotel issue. On the east side of Hwy 20, just north of IP Village, 431 acres has been purchased for development of an Airpark: 30 residential lots surrounding a private jet runway, and accompanied by 8 or so hangars. Seriously. In a zoned “Rural” property, butting up to the outlet on the east, ranchland and the Nature Conservancy property on north, and immediately bordering Hwy 20 on the west.


Island Park did not sit still. Hundreds of people worked hard getting the word out, passing petitions around, and rallying folks to attend the Fremont Co. P and Z committee in August held in the County EMS building in IP. Its estimated 500 people attended this meeting, others listening in on YouTube. The most folks attending a County P and Z meeting ever. At stake here was an application to amend the County Comprehensive Code to allow industrial use (a far stretch from rural zoning) and then applying for a permit for their plan.   

         

The meeting lasted 5 hours and the number of comments submitted broke a record as well. The community was focused on the issues of why this plan, and a change to the Comprehensive Plan was incompatible with the community. The County P and Z got the message, and unanimously denied the application.


The community won this round, but like the Hotel, there are more rounds to go. If you want to know more, offer your services, or even know someone that would be interested in 400+ acres on the east side of the Flat for conservation, contact Involved Property Owners of Island Park, ippropertyowners@gmail.com


But it was not over then. The last round, which was the “Hotel” was to be later in the summer. Based on the turnout of the airpark hearing, P and Z administrator decided against holding another hearing during the mid summer. Delayed and delayed, it was finally scheduled for Nov 9, when most seasonal residents had gone elsewhere, and surely the crowd would be lower. Nevertheless, a good 75-80 attendees were in the room, and another 65 on the YouTube link. After hearing the Administrator try to convince the crowd that a “guest lodge” (included in a Rural Base zoning designation) was the same as a “Hotel” (which was not included in a Rural Base zoning designation), a litany of the community members spoke to recommend the P and Z Committee deny the application based on the fact that the Hotel complex was larger than the zoning allowed (and was larger than the Marriott at Macks Inn!). Additionally, fire, rescue winter access if the road was closed, traffic, ability to get a well permit, water quality, wildlife movements and a host of other issues were raised.  


 In the end, the P and Z Committee did the right thing and denied the application based on the size of the commercial development and the Rural Base zoning requirements.


If you never stopped to consider that one of the greatest assets of this area here at Henrys Lake is the community, you are missing something. The people. They work hard, they moved here for the value of the rural community, they want to be left alone to enjoy their quality of life here, and love what they have. Its not only the trophy fishing, or the hunting opportunity, the abundant wildlife, the things to do and see here, or the proximity to two national parks. It’s the community that cares about what they have, and the efforts they will go to, to preserve it. They are retired professionals and people skilled in many of the professions that truly added value and expertise to the conversation. They know what they like, and they definitely know what they don’t like. They didn’t like either of these developments and thank goodness for that.



Mary Vanfleet 

HLF Board Member

            



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