Denial urged for storage unit plan

COEUR d’ALENE _ A Kootenai County hearing examiner has recommended denial of a proposal for 200 mini-storage units on State Highway 97 near Beauty Bay.

Examiner Gary Young said the storage units wouldn’t fit in with the rural area off the designated Scenic Byway.

Property owner Jack Finney is asking for a conditional use permit for his 10 acres just east of Burma Road. He wants to build the storage units, a 10,000-square-foot rental warehouse and a caretaker’s residence to give seasonal and permanent residents who live on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene a place to store boats, boat trailers and other belongings.

Finney has asked the Kootenai County Commission for another public hearing, which won’t take place until late October or November. The commission will make the final decision.