Rand Wichman, principal at Rand Wichman Planning, LLC, address the panel of commissioners while representing the builder of a proposed zone change. (Coeur d'Alene Press photo: Shawn Gust)

More than 500 people showed up Thursday night for the Kootenai County commissioners' public hearing on a zone-change request for 34 acres near Silverwood Theme Park. A developer, Dennis Swartout of Spokane, through Mort Construction of Coeur d'Alene, wants the zoning to change from rural to restricted residential so a subdivision with more than 80 lots for single-family homes can be built. No decision on the zone-change request was made before The Press deadline. There was such significant public interest in the zone-change request hearing that the county had to schedule the hearing at Boswell Hall at North Idaho College in the Schuler Performing Arts Center/David Cole, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.

Question: This will be an interesting test for the two new commissioners. Developer Dennis Swartout poured money into the 2014 political campaigns of Commissioners David Stewart & Marc Eberlein. But many in the Athol area don't want this development. Thoughts?