Island Park Airpark Development Presentation to County

 Island Air Park Narrative- Fremont County Sketch Plan

The subject property is a 431-acre parcel located in Island Park, Idaho. The property is located approximately 6,400 feet above sea level with the approximate center of the project located at 44.53865671 degrees, -111.32315652 degrees in decimal degrees. (Figure 1; aerial photo). The property is owned by ImperialInvestments, a Montana Limited liability Company, but is in the process of being transferred into the Island Air Park Limited Liability Company, an Idaho LLC, owned by Kevin and Douglas Button. The property was purchased in 2022 after an initial wetlands assessment was conducted in November of 2021 with a strong indication that the majority of the property were not regulated wetlands as defined by the US Army Corp of Engineers, but would require a complete Aquatic Resources Delineation Report such that the Buttons could obtain Section 404 permit(s) if activities impacted regulated areas that could not be avoided .This study was conducted in July of 2021,with the results submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers in December of that year.

In summary, of the 431-acre property, only 27.72 acres were determined wetlands and the remaining 403.28acres were not regulated. These studies were conducted by Kagel Environmental, one of the premier environmental engineering firms in the United States. As a result of a precedent case heard by the United States Supreme Court involving wetlands, our study was put in a holding pattern until last fall when we were given a favorable review by the Army Core of Engineers.

The property was purchased in 2021 with the express purpose of placing a private runway with a small number of private hangar homes, and private hangars on either side of the runway. The current zoning density allows for 120 homes or lots on a parcel this size, without community water and sewer and 150 with the bonus. It was never the vision for this property to create a dense population of dwellings, most of which, in the current regulatory environment, would inevitably become short term rentals. Our preference was to instill a sense of openness and privacy by limiting lot size to a minimum of 1.77 acres and rising to 1O lots of 22-65 acres+ parcels. (Figure 2 -subdivision plat) A runway located in the center travelling South to North of approximately 5200 feet in length would be accessed by taxi ways, or directly from residences.
Access to the development will be via two private access roads off of Highway 20. One at the very South edge of the property and the other in the North half of the property frontage on Hwy 20, approximately halfway between the shared property line with the Island Park Cemetery and the North property line shared with the State of Idaho 450 acre parcel. Both accesses would be Idaho State Transportation compliant with deceleration lanes approved by IDT. (Figure 3 - Entrance lanes).

Traditional placement of home fronts typically face major transportation arteries, but in this development, they will face the rear or Easterly direction. This will have the effect of limiting the visual impact of movement in the development. Added to this will be the placement of fir trees inside the property line adjacent to Hwy 20 but placed in a common area or 20-foot-wide open space controlled by the association. Trees will be placed such that a wall of trees will be visible from the highway in five to ten years. Trees will be maintained by the HOA.

The local FAA office in Helena MT approved the FAA7480 from with no restrictions noted and approval was granted on June 12, 2023 (the County was given a copy). The 5200-foot runway will be hard surfaced and maintained by the HOA. The property is bounded on the North by 450 acres of State of Idaho land, and on the South by 150 acres of State of Idaho land. In both directions, the nearest other property, that is not State land, is 2600 feet or one half of a mile away. All aircraft will be hanged at night or securely fastened to the ground. Runway access will be restricted to owners or lessors of property of the HOA. Courtesy access for emergency situations are being evaluated for such organizations as LifeFlight, Law Enforcement Agencies, and Firefighting Agencies, but no agreements or decisions have been made at this time.

The majority of the Eastern edge of the property line will be dedicated open space along the North to South boundary with future plans to provide environmentally sensitive walking paths constructed- of environmentally friendly materials and equipped with occasional benches as well as monitored and bearproof waste receptacles. The possibility of having days open to the public are under consideration, as well as the possibility of constructing a youth fishing pond with specific public access days.

There are 674 Airparks in the Continental United States and 176 of them are private. There are sixteen airparks in Idaho alone. It is our intention to make the Island Airpark one of the premier developments of its kind in the State and an asset to the community; by limiting the number of homes allowed on 431 acres of prime development land; by establishing and promoting environmentally sound protocols in the management of the community; by striving to protect the groundwater and promoting the sense of community among its owners and guests.