Copper Ridge project defended

Developers who want to put 40 homes on the flattest portion of Copper Ridge insisted Tuesday their project is the best way to guarantee this particular foothill of Canfield Mountain isn’t covered with houses.

And if the city and neighbors truly want to preserve the steeper slopes for open space, then they’d better get serious about buying it, Copper Ridge LLC attorney Steve Wetzel told the Coeur d’Alene Planning Commission.With nearly 50 people signed up to testify about the controversial proposal that’s in its third draft, the commission was well into its third hour of testimony at 9:30 p.m., but still planned to make a decision after everyone was heard.

“If you don’t do this, then you run the risk of another developer doing something on the hillside,” Wetzel said after reiterating that Copper Ridge LLC has never proposed building homes on the steepest 23.8 acres of the property at the end of Shadduck Lane.

He said the developers would agree to a condition prohibiting any building on the area intended for open space without city approval. Wetzel said the developer intentionally left that land undisturbed and is willing to negotiate with the city or neighbors to sell the property or put it in some type of conservation easement. But until that type of agreement is reached, the landowners will prohibit access to the treed hillside that’s been a popular recreation spot for decades.

“Nobody has ever said anyone should take this land without compensation,” said Jim Pierce, spokesman for the opposition group Canfield Mountain Alliance. “Trying to buy it has always been the goal.”

The majority of the speakers opposed the proposal to put 40 homes on the 49 acres. The plan includes a zone change on the lower portion of land. The remaining, steeper property, about 24 acres, would stay in the current zone that allows only one home per acre.

Before Tuesday’s hearing, the commission had received 263 responses about the plan, and the authors of 235 of them opposed the idea. Twenty-five people supported the plan and three comments were neutral.

The city has already denied two proposals for Copper Ridge, including one that would have donated a 20-acre public park to the city.

Those proposals sparked a public outcry from neighbors and other local residents who believe the hillside should be preserved. More than 1,000 people signed a petition last year saying they were willing to pay higher taxes if it meant stopping the development of local landmarks such as Canfield.

Canfield Mountain Alliance is upset that the city has taken so long to create an open space committee to look at various funding options and map which lands should be considered for open space.

The Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation Commission suggested Monday the names of six people who may be interested in serving on the ad hoc committee. The commission will meet with those people later in the month to see if they are willing to commit.