Arguing that agriculture and timber no longer are viable uses for 961 acres overlooking Powderhorn Bay, developers want Kootenai County to change the zoning to allow three golf courses and 1,350 homes. Five separate landowners working with Heartland LLC of Seattle have asked the county to change the land classification to rural. That would allow Heartland to build an exclusive golf community near Harrison, similar to Gozzer Ranch and The Club at Black Rock, both of which are on Lake Coeur d'Alene.
About 22 percent of Kootenai County property owners received adjustments on the valuation of their property after appealing to the Kootenai County Commission. Of the 1,212 properties reviewed, the commission – acting as the county Board of Equalization – made 262 adjustments. Most of those adjustments decreased the value of the property while a few increased it, said County Assessor Mike McDowell, who released the preliminary results Thursday.
The November ballot will not include a $55 million sales tax proposal to expand the Kootenai County jail. County commissioners unanimously rejected the idea Tuesday.
Lake Coeur d'Alene isn't about to go dry. Yet nobody really knows how much water is sucked out of the picturesque icon that covers 50 square miles, an oasis for boaters, swimmers and fish.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare had received no complaints about the Coeur d'Alene household where a 13-month-old girl was left unattended and suffered deadly burns Wednesday, according to the agency's spokesman. Spokesman Ross Mason said he couldn't discuss the case of Kylla Pahl. The agency took her from her mother the day she was born because the infant tested positive for methamphetamine. He said the law doesn't allow him to talk about the decision to return Kylla to her mother when the baby was about 4 months old.
After nearly seven months of silence, a development proposal that could increase Hayden's population by one-third is active again. Hayden Canyon representatives met with neighbors last week to update them on improvements to the proposal that could eventually put 1,800 homes on the 618 acres off Lancaster Road.
After nearly seven months of silence, a development proposal that could increase Hayden's population by one-third is active again. Hayden Canyon representatives met with neighbors last week to update them on improvements to the proposal that could eventually put 1,800 homes on the 618 acres off Lancaster Road.
Kootenai County voters likely won't get to decide in November whether to pass a $55 million sales tax proposal to expand the jail. County commissioners haven't yet decided whether to pitch the measure, but it appears there isn't enough support to launch a campaign – at least not for the full price tag.
Get the refreshments ready: Kootenai County wants to have a meeting in your living room. The county commission is paying a Colorado consulting firm $82,000 to help get every resident possible involved in rewriting the county's comprehensive plan, the blueprint for how the area will grow.
SANDPOINT – The Bonner County Commission is moving forward with its plan to roll back property valuations to 2005 levels but likely will decide Tuesday to exempt business equipment, commercial property and perhaps mobile homes. The commission called a special meeting Thursday afternoon to hash out with the county assessor's office how to move forward with what's characterized as an unprecedented step in Idaho tax history.
Cracks have been found in the sealant that protects the concrete floors at BNSF Railway's depot atop the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, but railroad and state officials said there is no reason for concern and there is no evidence of fuel leaks. Yet a local environmental group questions why the cracks, characterized by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality as "hairline" fissures, weren't disclosed in public reports made monthly to the Kootenai County Commission.
Kootenai County is expecting another large turnout tonight for a public hearing on the proposed 1,100-acre expansion of Black Rock, the area's original lakefront luxury golf community owned by developer Marshall Chesrown. The hearing comes one week after nearly 350 people packed the county Administration Building to comment on Chateau de Loire, a similar multi-million-dollar golf retreat pitched for the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene overlooking Moscow Bay. The commission is expected to make a final decision on Chateau de Loire July 27.
In a surprise gesture Tuesday, Spokane developer John Stone offered to pay $100,000 and donate a marina slip for an emergency services boat – all as enticement for Coeur d'Alene to approve the seemingly stalled Blackwell Island annexation. Stone, who owns the former Foss Maritime property and marina just west of the Blackwell Island channel, didn't discuss the idea with Blackwell Island owner Duane Hagadone before he made the pitch to the Coeur d'Alene City Council.
Public discord over expensive new developments on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene is expected to surface Thursday night when Kootenai County commissioners hold a hearing on a proposal to build a French-themed golf community overlooking Moscow Bay. The Las Vegas-based Kirk-Hughes Development Company wants to build a private golf course, 475 luxury condos and homes, a day spa, a dock, and a fitness center on the former 600-acre Flying Arrow Ranch, just west of the U.S. Forest Service's Beauty Bay Campground.
Public discord over expensive new developments on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene is expected to surface Thursday night when Kootenai County commissioners hold a hearing on a proposal to build a French-themed golf community overlooking Moscow Bay. The Las Vegas-based Kirk-Hughes Development Company wants to build a private golf course, 475 luxury condos and homes, a day spa, a dock, and a fitness center on the former 600-acre Flying Arrow Ranch, just west of the U.S. Forest Service's Beauty Bay Campground.
Growth is putting a lot of cash in the Kootenai County coffers. The county estimates its 2007 budget will increase by several million dollars, perhaps totaling about $65 million. The swell is occurring even though county commissioners have pledged not to take the 3 percent property tax increase allowed each year by Idaho law.
Building height is no longer limitless in downtown Coeur d'Alene after the City Council unanimously passed new rules Wednesday restricting the tallness and bulk of towers. Council members acknowledged that the regulations, which will likely take effect by August, are imperfect and may need tweaking during the next couple of years.
The Coeur d'Alene City Council will have a public hearing Wednesday on a proposal to limit building heights and girth in downtown, yet most of the controversy has seemingly simmered down after changes were made in May. The Planning Commission made the modifications after numerous workshops at which downtown property owners and other city residents picked apart the proposal aimed at transforming downtown into an urban core that mixes businesses with high-density living, such as condominiums and apartments. The city wants to encourage high-rise buildings while protecting the city's views of the nearby mountains, Tubbs Hill and Lake Coeur d'Alene.
East Side Fire District isn't troubled by the prospect of 3,000 new homes on the rural side of Lake Coeur d'Alene, where narrow and twisty Highway 97 often makes quick response times difficult. "We are ready for the changes," Fire Commissioner Sandy Scott said. "We can handle them. We are actually looking forward to it."
Sanders Beach is going naked this holiday weekend. Except for a white chalk line that a property owner drew across the sand Friday, there is nothing to indicate the line where private property ends and public land begins.
The Kootenai County Commission hasn't yet decided whether to pitch another jail expansion measure – a $55 million sales tax proposal – this November. Commissioner Katie Brodie said Tuesday the commission realizes it can't hold up potential campaign efforts but that it needs time to evaluate the new proposal from the Jail Expansion Citizen's Advisory Committee.
A record 2,700 Bonner County property owners have appealed their new property valuations, while so many last-minute appeals swamped Kootenai County that officials won't have a final count until this afternoon. There were also a record number of appeals in Benewah and Shoshone counties, officials said Tuesday.
Beige. It's one color you won't find in Coeur d'Alene's newest waterfront neighborhood that opts against the blasé and goes for the rainbow. Vibrant red, blue, purple and yellow are among the hues covering the Hardy Plank and cedar shingles on the craftsman-style homes at Mill River, an upscale development on the former Crown Pacific mill site along the Spokane River. The jumble of meticulously chosen colors causes rubbernecking by drivers on Seltice Way. And it's created buzz – even prompting the nickname "Clown Town" by some.
Attorney Rami Amaro spent $57,216, including nearly $48,000 of her own money, on her failed attempt to unseat 1st District Judge John T. Mitchell in last month's primary election. Mitchell spent just more than $50,000, including about $11,000 of his money. He won with 65 percent of the vote.
Kootenai County is trying to ensure that residents can put up pole barns without turning some areas into rows of metal warehouses. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Thursday on proposed changes to the county's zoning laws that would clarify when and where residents can build the garage-like structures, often used to store RVs, boats or cars.
