Land Use

Land use planning is the process of regulating how land is used by means of policy and ordinances such as zoning laws and subdivision regulations. Blaine County officials work with the incorporated cities to determine these land-use planning strategies. These strategies structure the development of the incorporated cities with the goal of positively impacting the community's quality of life. It is a tool that can help communities achieve a balance between sometimes conflicting development ideas. As our county's population grows and our climate changes, it’s apparent that climate resilience will continue to be a vital consideration throughout the land use planning process. Blaine County plans to further prioritize the development of its community in a way that meets the needs of each member equally and promotes access to a convenient and sustainable lifestyle.

Blaine County Comprehensive Plan 

In 2021 Blaine County released its Comprehensive Plan which includes a chapter on Land Use Planning. Blaine County involved community members to help determine the land use section’s guiding principles which then informed the plan's desired outcomes. These key principles guide our decision-makers as they regulate the land and how it is used and as they plan for our community's future.

Goals

• New growth will reflect policy priorities and balance competing interests for the public good.
• Sustainability is integrated into land-use decisions, with measurable progress resulting from these efforts.
• Modernized land use regulations and other planning tools are straightforward to apply, understandable to the public, and clearly implement policy goals.
• Balance property rights with a fair application of land use regulations.

Mobility 

When mobility is considered within the context of land use planning, consideration is given to the interaction between community-based transportation, pedestrian walkways, bike paths, roadways, and other forms of development. The way that communities plan for transportation greatly impacts the way that people choose to transport themselves.

Blaine County and its incorporated cities have prioritized the consideration of multi-modal mobility in the development of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. An update to the 2014 original plan is in the process of being made.  The plan update will serve as a tool for expanding and improving Blaine County's transportation system. 

You can learn more about the plan here.

Green House Gas Emissions 

 In 2018, transportation accounted for 40% of Blaine County’s greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Clean Energy Modeling and Feasibility Analysis, several high-impact practices were identified that would result in a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions if implemented.

Land Use and Mobility Taskforce 

In the beginning of 2022, 5B CAN began organizing task force groups for the following priority focus areas, Transportation, Clean Energy and Green Building, Land Use and Mobility, Solid Waste and Recycling, and Land and Water Conservation. Subject experts, community members, business owners, and elected officials have been meeting monthly to discuss and set goals and actions that will make up the bulk of the county’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. In October, these task force groups came together at a half-day charrette event where great progress was made in identifying priority actions for their goals. The task forces will continue meeting and finalizing the goals and actions for their priority areas. 

Stay tuned for more information about the great work our land use and mobility task force group is accomplishing.