Roseth Knows Sanders Beach

Hank Roseth believes the city could find grant money to buy Sanders Beach.

That’s one of the things he would pursue if he’s elected to the City Council Nov. 4.

Roseth literally has a front row seat to the fight to keep Sanders Beach open to the public. He’s lived on East Lakeshore Drive, which is edged by Sanders Beach, for seven years. And he owns one portion of the beach which has been used by the public for years.

One of the residents there, Joe Chapman, is attempting to build a house on his slice of sand. Roseth is opposed.

Other people in the area say it means an end to 100 years of public use of the beach.

At a minimum, “if he gets away with it, others will do it,” Roseth said. But the fight should have never gotten this far.

To date, the city has given “all lip service … let’s not bother with it,” he said. Instead they should have been looking for ways to buy the beach or an easement without using tax dollars.

Roseth, a private investor and political newcomer, also says he would bring new blood and a businessman’s eye for profit and loss to the city.

“I would ask is it being well run? Is there a lot of deadwood?” he said.

“The voter is going to select a mind set,” he added. “Mine happens to be a business background.”

Roseth would investigate whether the fire department is adequately staffed and equipped to deal with Coeur d’Alene’s growth. He also would probe the standard fare of city government - the budget, taxation, city services, he said.

He’s an avid supporter of the downtown revitalization plan and thinks the current council’s decision to spend $45,000 on a consultant was a wise investment. A theater, a satellite store from one of the big mall-based retailers - such as the Bon Marche - might be the next steps.

“You have to create the attraction and then support it,” he said.

In the course of deciding how to revive the retail district, he also supports reconsidering the future of McEuen Field.

“I’m not sure it’s fully utilized as a baseball field by the city of Coeur d’Alene,” Roseth said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo