Foes Sue Over Blackwell Island Annexation Group Says Cda Officials Met With Developers Behind Closed Doors

Alleging that city officials met with developers behind closed doors and made significant errors in annexing Blackwell Island, opponents of growth south of the Spokane River are making a last stand in court.

The Rural Kootenai Organization and Coeur d’Alene resident Denise Clark filed suit Monday against the city of Coeur d’Alene and Blackwell’s developers.

The suit says the city Planning and Zoning Commission should not have approved key provisions of the development before the land was annexed.

The Blackwell Island annexation was approved by the City Council in mid-September after months of delays and several public hearings. The Hall family intends to build a 220-unit RV park and accompanying commercial development.

The Planning Commission granted a special use permit to the developer even before the annexation was approved, said attorney Chuck Sheroke, who represents the development’s opponents.

The suit also charges that city officials violated open meetings laws by meeting with other developers who have land adjacent to Blackwell Island.

The Blackwell annexation will make city water and sewer available south of the river. The Rural Kootenai Organization believes that opens the door for real estate speculators to pave the landscape with high-density development.

Planning Commission decisions should not pose a legal problem because “its approvals were contingent upon the actual annexation,” said City Attorney Jeff Jones.

And, he added, “I think any discussions that occurred will be in compliance with open meetings laws.”

Opponents also fought the development on the grounds that it sits on top of an old city dump and is below the flood plain.

The council voted 4-2 to go ahead, with only Ron Edinger and Dan English opposing the plan.

, DataTimes