Officials Finalizing Building Permit For Depot

Tue., Nov. 28, 2000

By Zaz Hollander zazh@spokesman.com

Once a controversial train fueling facility on the Rathdrum Prairie secures a building permit, it will be three years before the depot is built.

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway and Kootenai County officials are finalizing a building permit for a new diesel refueling depot on the Rathdrum Prairie.

The depot is planned for a site east of the intersection of McGuire Road and state Highway 53. Before construction can begin, the railroad must meet some of the 33 conditions placed on the depot by county commissioners in May.

“BNSF is continuing to work towards finalizing elements of the fueling facility project before construction actually begins,” railroad spokesman Gus Melonas said.

Melonas said construction will take three years, beginning next year, with the bulk of the work occurring in 2002.

County building officials, who retained a Seattle engineer to review plans for the depot, meet with Kootenai County commissioners today to request changes to BNSF’s engineering plans. The county’s engineer wants clarification on how the railroad plans to deal with issues of fire and community safety and hazardous materials spills, according to Nik Bentley, the county’s building officer.

“We’re trying to work out the final odds and ends,” Bentley said.

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Officials Finalizing Building Permit For Depot

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