Dilemmas And Debates Of Development Residents, Utilities Concerned About Costs, Impact Of Growth

Recurring debate over crossing the Spokane River with sewer and water lines is, to some, a red herring.

Recent proposals to stretch such services to the bays, fields, rolling hills and tree-lined subdivisions south of the river near Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls are being battled by residents. And not merely because of the immediate impacts of such construction.

The real issue is one that has troubled communities nationwide for decades: Do utilities merely serve existing development or do they spark growth in rural areas?

“It’s kind of a what comes first - the chicken or the egg sort of thing,” said Collin Coles, associate planner with the city of Post Falls.

In Kootenai County the answer is typically more growth, land-use experts say. What that means for the south side of the river, however, will be determined by time, money and topography.

Developers say utilities would support an impending development boom. But, Washington Water Power doesn’t foresee a boom.

Residents fight the extensions because they fear such a boom. Health district officials aren’t sure what to think.

“In this area it (growth) is not automatic,” Coles said.

Last month the Coeur d’Alene City Council vetoed plans for a 292-pad recreational vehicle park south of the river on Blackwell Island. Part of the proposal called for running sewer lines along the U.S. Highway 95 Sewer/In public hearings, residents are still battling a proposal by McCormack Properties to trench the river and stretch a water line to an approved 92-lot subdivision overlooking Cougar Bay. Idaho Department of Lands officials are expected to rule on the request later this spring.In each case, developers argued the merits of the proposals.Ann Hall, owner of the 40-acre Blackwell Island plot, told Coeur d’Alene council members her development would draw tourism and was perfect for the site of the city’s abandoned landfill.Engineers for McCormack Properties recently told residents and public officials that silt fences would be used to trap debris and protect the river during construction.Opponents, meanwhile, worry that the projects would spark further extension of services, which in turn would promote more development on the south side.The proposals leave homeowners along rural Cougar Bay, Meadowbrook Road and Blackwell Hill nervous. These areas are open, the homes sometimes acres apart. Residents say they live along these fields and wooded subdivisions to enjoy a lifestyle made possible by limited development.”I think what people are afraid of is how easy it will be to annex and just keep annexing” if utilities were extended south of the river, said Denise Clark, who battled both projects with the Rural Kootenai Organization.It’s a legitimate fear, some planners say.City services - sewage treatment instead of septic tanks, city water instead of personal wells, natural gas instead of electricity - should not determine how or where a community grows, planners and health officials say.”Growth should be determined by proper community planning, not merely the technical things,” said Ken Babin, environmental health specialist with the Panhandle Health District.That’s rarely the case, however, said Sid Fredrickson, Coeur d’Alene’s wastewater superintendent.”Any time you provide a utility to an area it makes development easier and more desirable,” he said.That’s not specific to North Idaho.In Teton County, Wyo., a booming rural resort area with a high water table, elected officials worried that more septic tanks along the west bank of the Snake River would spark environmental catastrophe, said County Commissioner Sandy Shuptrine.Four years ago city leaders in the county seat of JacksoncomMemo: cq suggested running a line across the river to the town’s sewer treatment plant. Commissioners balked.”We feared it would stimulate higher density development in a pretty rural area,” Shuptrine said. “I still don’t know if it was the right decision.”Since then, the county dramatically limited septic tanks in that area, nearly stopping development.Back in Kootenai County, Washington Water Power has decided against crossing the river. WWP was a partner with McCormack Properties earlier, but no longer wants to extend natural gas lines south to Cougar Bay. The reason: Growth potential on the south side is not high enough to justify the expense.”There won’t be enough density and without adequate density, it’s not worth the cost. It’s that simple,” said spokesman Paul Anderson. “And we don’t just look in the short-term.”Coles, with the Post Falls planning department, said the steep slopes and hard rock south of the river limit development.”That means lift stations and miles of lines and that adds tremendous cost,” he said.Residents, however, don’t want to take the chance that he’s wrong.That’s why they attend meetings and scour public records searching for ways to halt proposals like McCormack’s.”Right now nobody knows how many homes would go out there,” Clark said. Running water lines is “sort of like asking for the poker pot without showing your hand.”After years of publicity about the environmental danger associated with failed septic tanks, any opportunity to connect a home to a treatment plant is cause for celebration, said Babin, with Panhandle Health District. “It could be a good thing,” he said. “There are a number of old, inadequate sewer systems on that side of the river.”Coles estimated there are up to 500 homes south of the river from State Line to Lake Coeur d’Alene.As of 1990, there were 330 homes just within 300 feet of the river - 152 of them served by outdated cesspools or septic tanks and drywells.Despite that, Babin’s not sure what to make of recent debates.”If putting sewer or water over there is the driving force behind more development, any gains could be offset,” he said. bridge.

In public hearings, residents are still battling a proposal by McCormack Properties to trench the river and stretch a water line to an approved 92-lot subdivision overlooking Cougar Bay. Idaho Department of Lands officials are expected to rule on the request later this spring.

In each case, developers argued the merits of the proposals.

Ann Hall, owner of the 40-acre Blackwell Island plot, told Coeur d’Alene council members her development would draw tourism and was perfect for the site of the city’s abandoned landfill.

Engineers for McCormack Properties recently told residents and public officials that silt fences would be used to trap debris and protect the river during construction.

Opponents, meanwhile, worry that the projects would spark further extension of services, which in turn would promote more development on the south side.

The proposals leave homeowners along rural Cougar Bay, Meadowbrook Road and Blackwell Hill nervous. These areas are open, the homes sometimes acres apart. Residents say they live along these fields and wooded subdivisions to enjoy a lifestyle made possible by limited development.

“I think what people are afraid of is how easy it will be to annex and just keep annexing” if utilities were extended south of the river, said Denise Clark, who battled both projects with the Rural Kootenai Organization.

It’s a legitimate fear, some planners say.

City services - sewage treatment instead of septic tanks, city water instead of personal wells, natural gas instead of electricity - should not determine how or where a community grows, planners and health officials say.

“Growth should be determined by proper community planning, not merely the technical things,” said Ken Babin, environmental health specialist with the Panhandle Health District.

That’s rarely the case, however, said Sid Fredrickson, Coeur d’Alene’s wastewater superintendent.

“Any time you provide a utility to an area it makes development easier and more desirable,” he said.

That’s not specific to North Idaho.

In Teton County, Wyo., a booming rural resort area with a high water table, elected officials worried that more septic tanks along the west bank of the Snake River would spark environmental catastrophe, said County Commissioner Sandy Shuptrine.

Four years ago city leaders in the county seat of Jackson suggested running a line across the river to the town’s sewer treatment plant. Commissioners balked.

“We feared it would stimulate higher density development in a pretty rural area,” Shuptrine said. “I still don’t know if it was the right decision.”

Since then, the county dramatically limited septic tanks in that area, nearly stopping development.

Back in Kootenai County, Washington Water Power has decided against crossing the river. WWP was a partner with McCormack Properties earlier, but no longer wants to extend natural gas lines south to Cougar Bay. The reason: Growth potential on the south side is not high enough to justify the expense.

“There won’t be enough density and without adequate density, it’s not worth the cost. It’s that simple,” said spokesman Paul Anderson. “And we don’t just look in the short-term.”

Coles, with the Post Falls planning department, said the steep slopes and hard rock south of the river limit development.

“That means lift stations and miles of lines and that adds tremendous cost,” he said.

Residents, however, don’t want to take the chance that he’s wrong.

That’s why they attend meetings and scour public records searching for ways to halt proposals like McCormack’s.

“Right now nobody knows how many homes would go out there,” Clark said. Running water lines is “sort of like asking for the poker pot without showing your hand.”

After years of publicity about the environmental danger associated with failed septic tanks, any opportunity to connect a home to a treatment plant is cause for celebration, said Babin, with Panhandle Health District.

“It could be a good thing,” he said. “There are a number of old, inadequate sewer systems on that side of the river.”

Coles estimated there are up to 500 homes south of the river from State Line to Lake Coeur d’Alene.

As of 1990, there were 330 homes just within 300 feet of the river - 152 of them served by outdated cesspools or septic tanks and drywells.

Despite that, Babin’s not sure what to make of recent debates.

“If putting sewer or water over there is the driving force behind more development, any gains could be offset,” he said.