Hauser Development A Step Closer Neighbors Preparing To Fight Subdivision In The Rural Area

A unanimous decision Tuesday brought a proposed subdivision here one step closer to reality.

Neighbors say the development would ruin Hauser’s rural flavor. More than 20 people attended Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in Hauser, Idaho, hoping to curb developer Brent Lockhart’s plans to build 41 lots on 64 acres overlooking the lake’s east side.

With a 4-0 vote, the commission granted first approval for the development, known as Waterford Estates. Although the developer must receive final approval from the same commissioners, as well as the City Council, residents say they will fight the proposal all the way.

“I think it’s a done deal, myself,” said Richard Hubik, who opened his restaurant, Chef in the Forest, in 1989.

Hubik said he decided to move to Hauser because of its rural environment. He owns four acres, three cabins and a house adjacent to the proposed development.

After attending the meeting Tuesday, Hubik said he thinks Lockhart’s plans will easily receive city approval, despite neighbors’ protests.

In October, Lockhart proposed another subdivision, Edgewood Estates, on the west side of Hauser Lake. The city’s joint planning commission approved the 40-lot subdivision recently. A county commission public hearing on the subdivision was canceled Wednesday night because of the inclement weather.

If both subdivisions are approved, Hubik said he’ll be living in a city again.

“I can’t imagine the traffic,” Hubik said. “There’s only one small boat launch, a puny beach - the lake is only five acres - it’s not big enough.”

Hauser is a beautiful spot, near Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene and - most important - Spokane, Lockhart said. He said if he didn’t want to develop in the area, someone else would. Lockhart said the difference is that he’ll be responsible about the developments’ impact.

“We’ve followed the code and we went above and beyond to address (the residents’) concerns,” Lockhart said.

Under his Waterford Estates development plan, houses built on the one- to two-acre lots would be required to keep natural vegetation. And about 58percent of the land would be open space, Lockhart said.

The houses would cost between $150,000 and $300,000 - more than those in Lockart’s planned development on the lake’s west side. That’s because some homes will have views of the lake as well as the Rathdrum Prairie, Lockhart said.

The Panhandle Health District still needs to perform tests on the sites at Edgewood Estates to make sure septic tanks will work, said Rob Eachon, senior environmental health specialist.

Residents are gearing up to speak out against Edgewood Estates. Janelle Stevens and her husband, Chad, updated and re-posted 14 signs around the lake to tell neighbors about upcoming meetings. They have also gathered donations from neighbors to hire an attorney.

“We’ve really considered moving,” Janelle Stevens said. If approved, Edgewood Estates would surround her home. “Everybody along this strip’s talked about it.”

The couple have helped rally other residents around the lake. Everyone is opposed to new subdivisions in the area, Stevens said. The effort to save their rural setting has united old residents with new ones, on both sides of the lake.

Lockhart isn’t the only developer vying for a piece of Hauser’s beauty. Five developments are in the midst of approval, said Scott Brown, Hauser’s code administrator. Brown said it’s the most interest in Hauser Lake he’s seen in three years.

“We’ve been hit all of a sudden with a bunch” of developments, he said.

Water quality is the main issue developers must face, Brown said. But the lake only has two roads surrounding it, and neighbors worry about that, too.

Hauser’s development code is strict. Meetings last five to six hours while developers, such as Lockhart, explain how they plan to adhere to the plethora of rules. But if the thick code book is followed, the developer’s plans can be approved, despite protests.

“I live on Hauser Lake, and I always will,” Hubik said, despite his worries about growth. “It’s a sign of the times, I reckon.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: WINTER WOES Hearing canceled

The Kootenai County Commission’s public hearing for Edgewood Estates was canceled because of Wednesday’s snowfall, said Jan Gera, administrations supervisor. The hearing will be rescheduled. County officials have not specified a date.

For more more information, call the Kootenai County Planning Department at 666-8268.