Black Rock project awaits feedback

Kootenai County is expecting another large turnout tonight for a public hearing on the proposed 1,100-acre expansion of Black Rock, the area’s original lakefront luxury golf community owned by developer Marshall Chesrown.

The hearing comes one week after nearly 350 people packed the county Administration Building to comment on Chateau de Loire, a similar multi-million-dollar golf retreat pitched for the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene overlooking Moscow Bay. The commission is expected to make a final decision on Chateau de Loire July 27.

Neighborhood groups from Athol to Harrison have been showing up to oppose any large rural development, especially exclusive golf communities. They argue that the county shouldn’t allow so many homes in the remaining rural areas.

“I think we are riding the crest of that wave,” said Jai Nelson, whose property borders the proposed Black Rock land. Nelson helped organize the opposition group Coalition for Positive Rural Impact at Rockford Bay and Loffs Bay.

She said there isn’t demand for another 18-hole golf course and 325 additional homes.

Chesrown said only 60 of the initial 375 lots are left, so it’s time to expand.

He said the arguments against development haven’t changed since the initial Black Rock hearings in 2000, but now there are a few more people. He said development around the lake is the future of Kootenai County and is what brings the extra services everyone wants, such as better fire protection, police and paved roads. The equation of lower property taxes, no growth and more public services doesn’t work, he said.

“We are the highest taxpayers in the county and the lowest users of public services,” he said, pointing out that these golf communities are gated with private roads and that the residents don’t have children in area schools.

“The police aren’t out investigating meth labs at Black Rock,” he said.

A county hearing examiner recommended approval of the Black Rock expansion in May but said Chesrown needs to address traffic concerns. The 1,100 additional acres are just across Loffs Bay Road from the initial Club at Black Rock, the exclusive community that opened three years ago.

Membership fees to the club are about $100,000 plus monthly dues of $500, with required purchase of residential lots starting at about $200,000.

If approved, the entire project would cover 1,800 acres of former farmland overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Rockford Bay and offer 700 lots, mostly second homes for people who want to play golf year-round.

In a separate issue, the Rockford Bay neighborhood group and Kootenai Environmental Alliance protested a change in Black Rock Utilities’ water permit, arguing the development wants to take too much water from Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Chesrown wants to change the water permit designation to municipal use from the current irrigation classification. He says he’s not asking for more water but that the municipal designation would allow him to use the water on the additional 1,100 acres.

Bob Haynes of the Idaho Department of Water Resources said the groups are still negotiating, but Chesrown said all the issues have been resolved. He said perhaps the state hasn’t yet signed the official document.