Blackwell Island annexation rejected
The Coeur d’Alene City Council on Tuesday rejected an annexation that developer Duane Hagadone needed for his proposed Blackwell Island development.
Hagadone had asked the city to expand its boundaries to envelop the 78 acres where he planned to build condominiums, shops and offices. The plans also included expanding an existing marina.
A unanimous council tentatively approved the annexation last August, subject to agreement on fees, public access to the Spokane River waterfront and other matters. In the end, those details remained unsettled, Deputy City Attorney Warren Wilson said shortly after Tuesday’s 3-4 decision, in which Mayor Sandi Bloem cast the deciding vote.
A scaled-back development may still be possible, as well as an expanded marina, if Hagadone gets the necessary state and federal permits to dredge a channel.
– Staff reports
Spokane
Two arrested after brief police chase
Two people were arrested Tuesday morning when a stolen BMW ran onto a lawn with Spokane police in pursuit.
The chase began downtown about 5:15 a.m. and ended a few minutes later on a lawn at Fairview Avenue and Cedar Street, according to Cpl. Tom Lee.
Police had been looking for the 1988 sedan, which was reported stolen Monday in northeast Spokane. It may have been involved in an overnight robbery, Lee said. A man leaving a restaurant at Sprague Avenue and Altamont Street about 11 p.m. was robbed of his wallet, and witnesses told police the suspect got away in the BMW that later crashed.
The robbery was still under investigation Tuesday, and no charges had been filed.
Lee said the driver, 30-year-old Alfred H. Jordan, was booked into jail on suspicion of first-degree possession of stolen property and attempting to elude police. The passenger, 18-year-old Crystal A. Russell, was booked on suspicion of possession of crack cocaine.
– John Craig
No injuries reported in two house fires
Spokane firefighters responded to two fires that caused significant damage to homes early Tuesday.
No one was hurt.
Officials credited smoke detectors for saving a family’s life when a fire started in the basement of a home in the 600 block of East 18th Avenue.
Brian Schaeffer, Spokane Fire Department’s assistant chief, said a father awoke to an alarm sounding about 2:25 a.m. and rushed to the basement, where his daughter was sleeping. The cause of the fire was not known Tuesday and a damage estimate was unavailable.
“The cost to install detectors in a home is minimal, and they are one of the best insurance policies a parent can provide for their family,” Schaeffer said.
The second fire was reported about 5 a.m. in the 1500 block of West Dalton Avenue, Schaeffer said. Fire damage was contained to the first floor, but the upper level sustained heat and smoke damage.
The cause of that blaze was under investigation Tuesday, Schaeffer said.
– John Craig