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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Typo delays Canfield Mountain hearing

A typo is delaying a public hearing for a controversial housing development proposed for the base of Canfield Mountain.

The Coeur d’Alene City Council canceled tonight’s public hearing on the Copper Ridge subdivision because of a mistake found in the legal description that was included in April 30 publications announcing the hearing. The legal description was about five miles off from the actual location of the property, which is at the end of Shadduck Lane.

Woodie Pierce and other residents in the neighboring developments alerted the city to the mistake Friday and said it was confusing people. The city decided to postpone the public hearing until June 15, which gives staff enough time to fix the typo and republish the public notice.

“The misrepresentation is causing confusion and negatively compromising the public process,” Pierce said. He added that the postponement will give neighbors more time to inform people about the proposed subdivision. To prepare for Tuesday’s initial meeting, the group stapled fliers to telephone poles and put yard signs around town, including across from City Hall.

Quest Development, owned by local residents Fred LeClair and Greg Snyder, wants to build a 28-lot planned unit development and also has asked the city to change the zoning to allow three homes per acre on the land. The current zoning allows one home per acre.

Neighbors who oppose the proposed subdivision think if the city allows the developers to build on that land that it will open the door for development on the steeper slopes of Canfield Mountain. They fear that any future developments may look like Marvin Erickson’s home with the notorious Z-shaped road up the hillside’s face.

The residents also oppose the proposed three-home per acre density, arguing all the current homes in the area comply with the one house per acre restriction.

The group appealed the Coeur d’Alene Planning Commission’s April 13 recommendation to approve plans for the 28-lot development. During the same meeting, the commission also recommended changing the zoning.

Quest attorney Steve Wetzel has said the neighbors are confused and that the current proposal is for the flat land where the Seventh-day Adventist Church once had planned to build a school. He said the subdivision and zone change proposals have nothing to do with the hillside property and that the developers have agreed not to change the zoning on the hillside area, meaning it would stay one home per acre. Wetzel wasn’t available for comment Monday.

Quest’s long-term plan is to eventually put up to 30 residences on the hillside while leaving the remaining area open. Wetzel has said those plans would require separate city approval and public hearings.

In other business during tonight’s meeting, the council is scheduled to vote on whether to change the city’s curfew laws for minors so it doesn’t infringe upon juveniles’ First Amendment rights. The city recently realized its curfew laws were similar to the San Diego law that was ruled unconstitutional by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The 6 p.m. council meeting is at City Hall, 710 E. Mullan Ave. For more information, call 769-2300.