Lines Drawn In Cda Over Hydroplane Racing Advocates Plan Public Hearing As Local Opponents Organize

The battle over hydroplane racing on Lake Coeur d’Alene has been joined by a formal opposition group, and both sides are preparing for a war over public opinion.

On one side, The Coeur d’Alene Diamond Cup Association wants thousands of fans cheering hydroplanes Labor Day weekend. They say the races will mean tourist dollars injected into the local economy and national television exposure.

But on the other side, the newly formed Protect Our Lake Association politely wishes for a quiet Labor Day without races. Group organizers say that’s the way a majority of locals feel as well.

The Diamond Cup Association wants to change that, and will hold a public hearing Tuesday night to answer criticism and persuade the skeptical.

Opponents and supporters are invited to a 6 p.m. question and answer session at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

“So much misinformation has been tossed around, we want people to see the presentation first hand, before they oppose it,” said John McGruder, co-chairman of the association, in a statement Friday.

The association will hand out question cards to those who show up to keep the meeting from becoming unmanageable.

Public sentiment is definitely running against the hydros, said Scott Reed, a Coeur d’Alene attorney working with the Protect Our Lake Association.

“(Hydroplane supporters) said it themselves that they’ve only got the support of about a third of the public,” Reed said. “A lot of people oppose this, but they just haven’t been able to express it in a specific direction. That’s why we came about.”

Reed says some in his group may attend the association’s Tuesday hearing, but don’t plan to turn it into a raucous debate.

“It’s their show - we’ll let them have it,” Reed said. “We are serious about having civilized debate. We may have profound disagreement with what they want, but we respect their intents.”

The Coeur d’Alene City Council disappointed some residents when it canceled a hearing on the hydroplane issue last week. The council likely will decide whether to allow the races at a special hearing Jan. 29.

Coeur d’Alene tourism and media magnate Duane Hagadone Wednesday lauded the races as an economic development tool because of the ESPN coverage and the chance to tout Kootenai County.

Hagadone’s contacts with the unlimited hydroplane racing circuit helped bring the latest effort to life, and he admitted he has much at stake with the bid. The boats last raced on Lake Coeur d’Alene in the 1960s.

The issues on the table for Tuesday’s meeting include:

Crowd control. Both on the beaches and on the water. Policing the event will cost money.

Tubbs Hill. Opponents fear throngs of hydroplane watchers will rampage on the popular peninsula. Supporters say control measures can keep things under control.

Silver Beach. Should the races be run there instead of in front of the Coeur d’Alene Resort and City Beach?

Taxpayer cost. Will the investment in police and other services pay off? Supporters say hundreds of thousands of dollars will be pumped into local stores and hotels. Opponents are wary of their estimates.

, DataTimes