(Note: This story is the first of a two-week series on the proposed revisions to the McCall comprehensive land-use plan.)
The city of McCall is nearing the end of an 18-month rewrite of the city's comprehensive land-use plan from 2000.
"I think the community has faced a lot of growth pressures since the last comp plan was adopted in 2000," community planning manager Michelle Groenevelt said. "Therefore the new comp plan should be an accurate representation of how the community feels McCall should develop."
The plan attempts to corral the vast comments and thoughts of the community into a workable plan to steer the city into the future.
The plan calls for a growth rate of 3.5 percent and seeks to manage a build-out population up to 35,000.
The draft plan also calls for an expansion of the city's impact area to Johnson Lane to the south. The city's current impact area ends just south of Elo Road. East, west and northern boundaries of the area remain largely the same.
In order for the extra land to be included in McCall's impact area, both the city council and the Valley County Board of Commissioners will have to approve the plan.
"We want to expand the impact area so that we have more control over what happens in that area in regards to land use," Groenevelt said.
Scenic Routes Proposed The plan calls for cluster overlays in the Elo Road area to the south and the Bear Basin area to the west. Within these overlays, homes would be clustered, which leaves more open space that is connected, she said.
The plan designates land due south of the McCall Municipal Airport as a conservation easement area to avoid residential development being built there.
The plan also calls for "heritage landscapes" to be incorporated in the Elo Road and West Mountain areas to maintain the scenic, rural character of the areas.
A scenic overlay would to be created along Idaho 55 west of town. The Big Pine scenic overlay would be created to protect the scenic corridor as a signature entrance to McCall from the west.
Large ponderosa pines would be protected in the area, and visual screens to structures and developments would be maintained.
McCall's southern entrance would also see changes. Retail and highway oriented commercial developments would be limited south of Four Corners on Idaho 55. The plan is in place to protect the scenic quality as motorists enter McCall from the south
A scenic overlay would be developed on the southern edge of the impact area north to Deinhard Lane. Setbacks, building height restrictions, and other development standards would be implemented to protect the rural character of the area and maintain the mountain views.
North of town around Payette Lake is designated as agriculture forest, a design to limit development around the lake to preserve the natural landscape.
The plan's outer edges are designed to produce central growth instead of sprawl.
While the plan attempts to preserve McCall's natural beauty and scenic entrances to town, it also tries to create an atmosphere for a more sustainable economy.
"It increases areas identified for light industrial type businesses around the airport," Groenevelt said. "The plan 'provides more places for businesses in areas they can operate."
The city will encourage professional, telecommunications, light industrial, recreational and retail jobs.
A diversified economy would be encouraged by additional zones for business parks and light industrial. Educational, cultural and arts facilities would be recruited to locate within McCall as well.
Other ways the plan addresses creating and maintaining a year round viable economy in McCall is by continuing to address the city's affordable housing needs, business start-up assistance, retention of existing businesses, and improvements to Third Street and the downtown.
