Dividing land in Kootenai County to gift or sell to a family member will be an easier process thanks to new ordinance that went into effect August 1.
The Board of County Commissioners approved the Family Division ordinance last month, paving the way for property owners to divide land to gift or sell to relatives in a process that is more streamlined and far less expensive than traditional subdivisions.
A Family Division is defined as a division of unplatted land for the purpose of a single gift or sale to the landowner’s spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild.
“It’s a much easier way to divide land than the usual minor or major subdivision process,” said Community Development Director David Callahan. “Property owners can save thousands just by eliminating the requirement to hire a professional surveyor.”
Though the Family Division process is exempt from provisions that are applicable to county subdivisions, Callahan cautioned that other regulations still apply. For instance, applicants must comply with requirements of all other federal, state and local agencies — like fire districts, water districts and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Not all parcels are eligible for the Family Division process.
“The parcel must be unplatted, meaning it has not been through the county’s formal subdivision process, and all resulting parcels must meet minimum lot sizes,” Callahan said. Minimum lot sizes are 5 acres, or 10 acres in the Agricultural and Rural zones within the Coeur d’Alene Tribe Reservation boundaries.
The county ordinance also limits the number of parcels a landowner can create through the Family Division process to four parcels in their lifetime, and the resulting parcels may not be re-divided again through the same process.
Previous efforts by county staff to create a Family Division ordinance did not gain traction, Callahan said, but the current board of County Commissioners favored the measure. This time, the proposal was brought forward by private planning consultant Rand Wichman.
Wichman, who previously served as the county’s planning director, was hired by a Kootenai County property owner to advise on a land division.
More information on Family Division, including an informative guide and answers to Frequently Asked Questions is available at www.keepingkootenai.com.