Post Falls Oks Two Subdivisions Struggling Businesses Welcome Council’S Decision

The City Council approved two subdivisions Tuesday that could bring 450 houses and many more people to west Post Falls.

In separate votes, council members voted 3-1 and 4-0 to approve the two developments, bringing more residents to an area originally planned for commercial and industrial businesses.

The approval is good news for businesses in the area suffering from stagnant and declining sales.

“I love the idea,” said Jorge Garcia, Burger King’s managing director. “It’s just going to be great.”

Garcia and Larry Guthrie, owner of two service stations north and south of Interstate 90 off Pleasant View Road, have watched as other businesses, including Subway, close because of poor sales. If nearby businesses didn’t close this year, they’ve certainly suffered, Guthrie said.

Sales at Guthrie’s Texaco store have dropped 10 to 15 percent since last October. And rising gas prices haven’t helped.

“We’re still in a huge decline,” Guthrie said. “Who knows how many more businesses are going to bottom out. I thought we bottomed out.”

Residents living in the area is “an excellent thing,” said Guthrie, who hopes to see increased sales as soon as construction starts this spring. He expects construction workers to stop at his store for gas and food.

Developer Jim Watson, of Seal Beach, Calif., originally planned to build a 600-acre retail and industrial center in west Post Falls called Expo. After it failed to attract as many businesses as expected, the development was scaled back to about 300 acres.

Watson now wants to create an “integrated project” that includes single-family housing, retail and hi-tech businesses. Watson said he envisions a high-quality project in an undeveloped and uncrowded area of Post Falls.

In May, with a 3-1 vote, City Council members approved Watson’s request to amend the city’s comprehensive plan and rezone Watson’s project to allow houses. Nearby residential developers argued they wanted to keep the light industrial zoning.

Watson’s first subdivision, known as Woodbridge, will be west of Pleasant View Road and between Interstate 90 and Seltice Way. The development will include a fiveacre park with two soccer fields for the public, and a trail for hiking and biking. Each of the development’s smaller parks will have a sledding hill.

The neighborhood gets its name from the two wood-covered bridges planned for the area. The council decided to examine the bridge idea for potential liability issues.

The planned Prairie Meadows subdivision will be on 137 acres east of McGuire Road and north of Poleline Road. Fourteen acres will be given to the city for park space.

Both Garcia and Guthrie think the subdivisions will help their businesses even more than commercial activity would in west Post Falls.

“I think for my type of business, a mix is better,” Guthrie said.

“We become the local neighborhood grocery.”

In other business, the council heard an annexation request from 24 owners for 240 acres of land along both sides of state Highway 41, from 16th Avenue to Poleline Road.

The council decided it wanted to review the proposed area’s sewer issues more before annexing it.

This sidebar appeared with the story: IN OTHER ACTION Library upheld

Mayor Gus Johnson told a crowd of more than 30 residents Tuesday that the City Council stands behind a recent library board decision concerning R-rated movies.

Last week, Post Falls Public Library’s five-member board denied resident Pat Kilpatrick’s request to ban children’s access to the library’s 26 R-rated movies.

“City Council can not overrule that board, and this council will abide by those laws,” Johnson said.

State laws say the council cannot overrule the board’s decision, said Michele Veale, president. But it does determine how much money the library receives from the city and who serves on the board.

Because the issue was not on the council’s agenda, City Attorney Jerry Mason limited public testimony to Kilpatrick and resident Dee Lawless. Mason cited open-meeting laws.

Residents opposed the board’s decision that if a parent complains about the policy, a child’s card will be marked. The marked card prohibits the child from checking out any videotapes.

“We used to think a library was a safe place for our children,” said Lawless, a former librarian. “Not any more.”