A proposed high-density residential area west of Mission Street was taken out of McCall's draft comprehensive land-use plan last week.  (See: McCall comprehensive plan changes seek to contain sprawl)

The McCall Area Planning and Zoning Commission changed a portion of the proposed land-use plan for McCall that would designate 16 acres of Forest Service property west of the Krassel Ranger District offices for up to 16 units per acre.

Several citizens who live near the property complained about the plan during a public hearing held last week on the draft plan.

The idea behind the change was to create an infill area within the core of the city, Community Planning Manager Michelle Groenevelt said.

The basic premise of the city's comprehensive land-use plan is to have higher density properties near downtown McCall and lower density property as the city transitions to the area of impact, Groenevelt said.

"The future land-use designation came up in a meeting on the comprehensive plan," she said.

"City staff, the consultant team and the Forest Service agreed to a high land-use designation due to its close proximity to downtown and (McCall-Donnelly High School)."

Planners looked at the undeveloped parcels within the core of McCall for potential high-density development to create a "compact town" and to make efficient use of land and urban services, Groenevelt said.

Lack of Consensus
The P&Z struggled with the future designation for the property on the future land-use map as well. Eventually, they went in a separate direction and designated the land as a civic zone.
Commission Chair Bob Youde first tried to change the designation from high density to medium density, but his motion died without a second.

Commission member Sarah Jessup tried to have the property split into tvm designations, medium density and a civic zone, but that motion also died for a lack of a second.

Commission member Claudia Delaney then moved to have the property designated as a civic zone, but that also failed, this time on a split vote.

Youde then moved to have the property designated low density, as it is currently zoned, and that too failed.

Jessup then proposed for a second time to have the property
designated as civic zone and this time the motion passed with commission members Jessup,

Delaney and Kim Apperson voting for the civic zone designation.
Youde and commission member Doug Russell voted against the civic zone designation.

Commission member Shane Jeffries abstained from the votes on the property since he is McCall District Ranger for the Payette National Forest.

Jeffries wanted to quell any rumors that the Forest Service and the city of McCall were using the high-density designation as a way to make the Payette National Forest more money if they decide to sell the land.

"We haven't decided to sell the land," Jeffries said. "The Forest Service has no intention of rezoning the land."

Currently the property is zoned for up to four housing units per acre. A designation on the future land-use map does not mean the land is rezoned, although it does express the intent of the city.

"The property is not being rezoned," Groenevelt said. "The map is a vision for land uses for the next 20 years."

A rezone requires a separate application process and public hearing before the commission and the McCall City Council, she said.

The future land-use map is referred to by the commission when a rezone is requested to see if the request conforms with the map.

"Any rezone would be based on a specific site plan that meets all code requirements and design review guidelines, and it would require a development agreement," Groenevelt said.