Priest Lake Polls Mood On Center Residents Queried On Community Facility Plans

A committee in the resort area of Priest Lake is surveying full- and part-time residents as well as vacationers, trying to gauge interest in building a community center.

There are two visions for such a center, said Ken Rawlinson, secretary for the steering committee.

The Priest Lake Association, a group of homeowners, would like to make a center part of its year-round plan for bolstering the tourist economy. It would have a theme. Locals would be able to use it, Rawlinson said Monday.

“Others say we don’t need a grandiose plan,” he said. “Finances are a big part of it. You have to be able to maintain it year-round, not just during the summer tourist season.”

A complicating factor is what kind of future people see for their rural community.

“Some people don’t want tourists up here. Some want a lot of tourists,” Rawlinson said. “We’re trying to be open and frank and allow all points of view.”

The location for a community center is another issue.

“The lake is so large, it’s 19 miles long, that you almost have a community on each side of the lake,” he said. “It can be a 30-mile round trip to go to a meeting.”

The survey asks what kind of activities people envision for a center, ranging from volleyball to lectures, pinochle to weight training.

It asks what residents would consider a reasonable membership fee and if respondents would like to help.

No tax support will be sought, Rawlinson said.

The surveys were distributed through the Priest Lake Newsletter. Comments can be sent to Ken Rawlinson at 1601 Cavanaugh Bay Road, Coolin ID 83821.

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This sidebar appeared with the story: SURVEY Comments can be sent to Ken Rawlinson at 1601 Cavanaugh Bay Road, Coolin, ID 83821.