Hauser Lake Heights Wins Unanimous Approval

Kootenai County commissioners gave a Pocatello developer the thumbs-up Wednesday night for the first of three subdivisions proposed around Hauser Lake.

No one spoke in opposition to the project during its 30-minute public hearing Wednesday night. County commissioners unanimously approved the new subdivision.

Hauser Lake Heights, an 81-lot development on 160 acres, is southwest of Hauser Lake, adjacent to the Washington border.

Residents have expressed concern over two proposed subdivisions - Edgewood and Waterford Estates - not yet approved.

Developer Steve Vigliaturo agreed to several requests from county planners and highway officials, including installing turning lanes and street lights on state Highway 53 at Cloverleaf Road. He also removed two cul-de-sacs in the development, joining them in a loop.

Over the past five years, Vigliaturo has developed four subdivisions in southern Idaho. A Pocatello subdivision developed by Vigliaturo has 140 lots on 550 acres.

Vigliaturo bought the land in Hauser in 1999.

“What sold us on it was how pretty it was,” he said.

Hauser’s code book is so thick, the regulations and laws span the alphabet twice, from A to ZZ. Vigliaturo’s land falls within Hauser’s area of impact, and is subject to the code - not an easy obstacle for a developer, Vigliaturo said.

“We’ve done everything we can do to make it palatable for (planning officials),” he said. “Part of the reason is Hauser has some legitimate concerns for growth.”

The development will provide a 1,000-foot waterline to land adjacent to the Lakeland School District, said John Karpenko, engineer for the subdivision. When Hauser Lake Elementary is built, the line will be used as a water source for firefighters.

Hauser’s untouched lake and wildlife is certain to attract developers like himself, Vigliaturo said. But the city’s new codes are thorough.

“They obviously are growing faster than they thought they would,” he said.

Unlike Hauser’s other proposed developments, Vigliaturo said he’s heard no opposition to Hauser Lake Heights.

“Everybody around us has been more than happy to deal with us,” he said. “We’re going to be very good neighbors.”

Hauser Lake Heights will be different from other subdivisions because the houses will be built on one-acre lots, said Jack Carothers, a Post Falls Realtor working with the developer. People are already reserving lots, he said.

The area is just north of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer and doesn’t require the “five-acre rule,” in which developments are limited to five-acre parcels per septic tank.

One half of Hauser Lake Heights will have a sewer system. The other half will have septic tanks, Vigliaturo said.

Averaging about $45,000, lots will be sold directly to buyers, who can choose their own builders, Carothers said.

Some homes and landscaping will be restricted to “building envelopes” to protect wildlife and other residents’ lake views. None of the new houses can exceed a height of 35 feet.

A hiking trail will surround the development, as well as three tracts of land - 47 acres - that will be dedicated to the city of Hauser. That land will be preserved and kept in its natural state.

Wildlife corridors planned between the lots will protect wandering wild turkeys and moose, Vigliaturo said.