Bloem: CdA must preserve its identity

Coeur d’Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem said the city’s biggest challenge is keeping its sense of place – what she calls the identity and feeling of community.

Bloem weaved that idea throughout her annual State of the City speech to 300 people at the Coeur d’Alene Resort on Tuesday morning. Fresh from November’s landslide re-election, Bloem told the audience that with Coeur d’Alene’s rapid growth, it must preserve the very things that make it distinct.

“We have to embrace the idea that the space we are in only becomes a place when we get to know it better and view it with value,” she said.

In an interview after the speech, Bloem – a fourth-generation native – added that the city has always had a sense of place but that talking with visitors in town for the annual Ironman triathlon made her realize how different Coeur d’Alene is from other towns. That’s how she decided to push the idea of place.

“People who visited were saying ‘You know who you are and there is a real sense of community,’ ” Bloem said. “Sometimes those of us who have lived here might not recognize that it is unique and unusual.”

One of the things that will help maintain that community feeling, which is highlighted by the area’s natural beauty, is the city’s proposal to restrict building heights downtown in an effort to preserve the views of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Bloem said.

The city also is working on updating its Comprehensive Plan, which Bloem said defines the general vision of how the city should grow.

That’s important since there were 700 new building permits last year and 19,000 building inspections requested.

The city’s planning department oversaw more than 60 land-use applications, ranging from annexations to subdivision proposals.

To have a sense of place, Coeur d’Alene also must have a sense of safety, Bloem said.

That means hiring more police officers and firefighters.

Other top priorities are acquiring parkland, expanding recreational opportunities and starting construction on the downtown library in the spring, she said.

Bloem also is confident the city will secure funding for a $29 million Kroc Community Center from The Salvation Army and work out a compromise with Washington state on ways to protect the Spokane River from pollution as well as the increased demand for wastewater treatment.

Audience member Cheryl Burchell applauded Bloem’s speech, saying the mayor always provides a lot of comprehensive information in her progress report. She couldn’t think of anything that Bloem left out.

“Sandi always covers it entirely,” Burchell said.

During the speech, Bloem also thanked Councilman Ben Wolfinger, who decided not to run for re-election, for his commitment to the city over the years.

“I understand you have other dreams, goals or adventures,” Bloem said. “Or maybe you just want to rest.”

She also recognized Councilman-elect Mike Kennedy, who will replace Wolfinger during a Jan. 3 swearing-in ceremony.