More Public Beach Access Part Of Deal State, Huckleberry Bay Co. Happy With Outcome Of Negotiations
A batch of private boat docks could be built on Huckleberry Bay at Priest Lake, but the public will be ensured more access to the popular beach.
That’s the idea behind an agreement reached Tuesday between the Idaho Land Board and the Huckleberry Bay Co.
Richard Barbieri, vice president and general counsel for the development company, said his firm believes it has the right to build up to 67 docks along the lakeshore. But, he said, “We don’t think that’s the ideal solution.”
The state Lands Department had told the firm that under terms of an easement that guarantees public access to the lakeshore, it could build just one community dock.
After daylong negotiations Tuesday, the two sides agreed on a compromise that includes:
The company, and the lot owners who’ve bought property in the development, may apply for permits to build a total of seven private docks and three multislip community docks. The seven private docks will be shared by owners of 14 lots that border the public lakefront.
Two of the community docks, one at Huckleberry Bay and the other to the north at Canoe Point, will allow public boat tie-ups at the end of the docks, and use of the docks to access the beaches.
Huckleberry Bay property owners will maintain the beaches, provide trash pickup and maintain signs.
The developers will build a six-space gravel parking lot for the public at Huckleberry Bay, allow public access all along the beach including past the community docks, and will maintain three public accesses to the beach.
The developers will give the state an easement to build a road from their property to a stretch of state land between Huckleberry Bay and Canoe Point. Eight cabins and four undeveloped lots along the lakefront stretch of state land now are accessible only by boat.
State Controller J.D. Williams said, “I think the public is coming out ahead in this deal, even without the access to the 12 lots, which is of substantial value to the state endowment.”
“The public is actually going to get more access to this beach property than they had before,” Williams said.
State Superintendent of Schools Anne Fox said, “I just want to compliment the folks on working this out and being as cooperative as you have been.”
Barbieri and Huckleberry Bay Co. President David Bell met with Williams and Attorney General Al Lance several times over the past two months to try to reach a compromise. But when they presented their proposal to the Land Board Tuesday morning, there still were some sticking points.
The two met with Land Board lawyers and staff members and negotiated for the rest of the morning.
After the board’s unanimous vote to approve the agreement in concept, Barbieri said, “This to us is a good example of people in good faith constructively working out their understanding, and aiming at a position that’s better for the public than what they started out with.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Dock deal
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