Proposed Development’S Impact Is Almost All Negative

Sat., Sept. 2, 2000

Larry Clark Special To Handle

What part of “denied” is not comprehensible to Rob Reagan, in regards to the proposed development, Timberline, in Rathdrum?

This proposed 115-lot subdivision has been denied not once, but twice, by Rathdrum Planning and Zoning and then denied one more time by Rathdrum City Council.

By going to the Rathdrum City Council, Reagan asked the City Council to disregard the decision made at two planning and zoning public hearings that the Timberline subdivision be denied. Did he really think the City Council was going to overturn the decision its own planning and zoning commission made twice?

So Timberline was denied for the third time. In July and August of this year, he requested two more public hearings, which he postponed just a day or two before each new hearing. The next public hearing will be Sept. 20. That makes the sixth scheduled public hearing.

Why was Timberline denied three times? Simple - this parcel of land is in violation with the city of Rathdrum’s Comprehensive Plan on a number of counts. For example, the four access routes of this proposed subdivision will, upon build out, drain 1,100 car trips a day into already established neighborhoods like Lakeland Pines, Copper Valley, Arthur’s Garden and Sunrise.

This proposed subdivision is landlocked because it has no direct access to a major sub-arterial. Therefore, it negatively impacts the other neighborhoods around it. A number of the older subdivisions in Rathdrum have narrow roads that are only chip-sealed, without sidewalks for children to walk to school.

Also, the comp plan says the city can annex land into the city only when there is no more suitable land within the city limits. Based on Timberline’s last request for R-1 zoning, the city of Rathdrum already has 440 acres of R-1 zoning within the city limits. That 440 acres of existing R-1 could easily support an additional 1,300 new homes in Rathdrum. That’s more homes than already exist in Rathdrum, so why annex this parcel into the city?

The other area I feel is impacted is the intersection of Vera Street and state Highway 41. According to Timberline’s own traffic study, 550 car trips a day will go through this intersection, right in front of Lakeland Junior High School and next to the school crosswalk. That area already is congested at the start and end of the school day. Thus, the safety of the children becomes another important issue.

The residents of the surrounding neighborhoods negatively impacted by the proposed Timberline subdivision have started a group called I.M.P.A.C.T. This stands for Identifying Major Problems, Access, Children, Traffic.

I have never seen so many people standing together in Rathdrum with one common cause in mind. That is to unite with the IMPACT group, so they can go to the next Rathdrum Planning and Zoning public hearing, when we will again ask to have Timberline denied.

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