Rathdrum development features waterfront lots

As a Post Falls native, Leza Wright never thought “in a million years” that she would live in Rathdrum.

“When I was growing up here, it was not the most desirable place to live,” Wright said. “It was always beautiful, but there wasn’t much out there.”

Radiant Lake, a new upscale waterfront community, helped change her mind.

Wright and her husband, Warren, and their three children are the first family to move in to Radiant Lake, a nearly 125-acre development wrapped around a 20-acre man-made lake.

“We love our location. We love our house,” said Wright, who moved in earlier this month. “I think it’s going to be a great neighborhood once it’s built up.”

The developers of the project – which eventually will be home to roughly 260 families – say they’re pleased with the way the subdivision is taking shape. So far, about 88 lots have been sold and nearly a dozen homes built on the property, located on a former bluegrass field just east of Highway 41 off Nagel Lane.

“I personally am very happy with where we’re at,” said Mike McPhee, a partner in developer JCAV LLC. Construction on a home begins about every three weeks, he said.

City officials say the private, upscale neighborhood gives a welcome mix to residential development in Rathdrum.

“I think having a wide variety of housing is good for our community,” said City Administrator Brett Boyer.

Last summer, construction began on Radiant Lake’s first homes. In fall 2005, the shallow, half-mile lake was finished, complete with two lighted fountains that can shoot water 50 feet into the air, McPhee said. A private well feeds the circular, lined lake, which residents can use for swimming, sail-boating or traversing with electric motor boats.

The project, which is inside city limits, also features about 2,000 feet of streambeds running through the property, more than 10,000 feet of sandy beach, roughly two miles of sidewalks and five parks, McPhee said.

An island in the lake includes 30 lots, which are yet to be released, he said. Lot prices typically range from $85,000 to $300,000 for an average of 12,200 square feet. The custom homes range from $300,000 to $750,000, McPhee said.

A five-acre parcel designated for condominiums is expected to be developed in the next few years, McPhee said.

Some local residents have scoffed at the idea of another lake in a county with 20 lakes, two major rivers and countless streams and creeks. Wright, who moved in this month, said she’s heard locals refer to Radiant Lake as “the Rathdrum Puddle.”

But she welcomes the man-made lake, Wright said. She went to college in Arizona, where man-made lakes are more plentiful, she said.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Wright, adding that her kids swam and played in the water last summer.

“It’s a new concept to North Idaho, but it’s not a new concept nationally,” said McPhee, who helped develop a man-made water-skiing lake in Orting, Wash.

The idea of waterfront property appealed to Sue and Ron Waltz, who are nearing the completion of their home in Radiant Lake.

“We’d been looking for a piece of property for three years, but the prices are so high,” Sue Waltz said. Radiant Lake fit the bill, especially with the community gathering areas and parks for future grandkids, she said.

“We’re excited about the development and what it will become hopefully,” she said.

Kent Jobe, builder and owner of Northlake Homes, built five houses in Radiant Lake, and he plans to keep one for his family.

These days, he gets about 40 groups each week touring the homes, he said.

“The comments are always, ‘I can’t believe this is in Rathdrum. It’s like Rathdrum is growing up,’ ” Jobe said. “It’s so nice to see.”