CdA won’t hook up tower

Coeur d’Alene is unwilling to give Fernan Village additional residential sewer hookups, which will likely kill a proposal for a 30-story tower on Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive.

Deputy City Administrator Jon Ingalls said the City Council made the decision in a March 7 closed-door meeting, ruling that Coeur d’Alene doesn’t want to provide any more sewer hookups to any area outside the city limits, including Fernan.

Currently, Coeur d’Alene provides sewer service for Fernan, which totals about 77 hookups. That’s an agreement stemming from the 1970s.

“The council is not saying whether this is a good or bad project, or a good or bad fit, but looking at the agreement to expand services,” Ingalls said.

The developers of the planned mixed-use tower, which could become one of the Inland Northwest’s tallest high rises at 300 feet, haven’t received official notice from Coeur d’Alene or Fernan officials.

“We’ve heard lots of rumors and no formal feedback from anyone,” said Shawn Harriman of Charter Builders. “We’re kind of in limbo.”

Harriman said he’s been asking both cities for a response for two weeks and couldn’t comment on the fate of the project until he has all the information.

Ingalls said the city sent the architectural firm working on the project a letter Wednesday.

The letter, signed by City Administrator Wendy Gabriel, states that the council has been “very cautious when considering whether to expand its sewer and water services.”

The proposed tower site is now the home of Monte Vista Motel. Charter Builders has a contract to purchase the property, contingent on the availability of water and sewer, Harriman said.

If Coeur d’Alene won’t give Fernan additional sewer hookups, the company could ask Fernan to de-annex the property and then ask Coeur d’Alene to include it in its city limits.

Yet Harriman doesn’t think there’s any hope that Fernan will give up its only commercial area that has the potential for increasing the tax base.

“Fernan is saying, ‘No way,’ ” Harriman said.

Fernan Mayor Pat Acuff said neither Charter Builders nor Coeur d’Alene has formally pitched the de-annexation idea.

The Coeur d’Alene council met in executive session for the purpose of “general public awareness of probably litigation,” the March 7 council minutes state. The minutes also show no vote or action was taken.

Ingalls said the council met in private because the current sewer agreement with Fernan needs updating, which could potentially involve a lawsuit. He declined to specify what changes are needed.

Deputy City Attorney Warren Wilson didn’t attend the March 7 meeting, but he said no vote was needed because the council didn’t make any changes to the current contract with Fernan.