County halts Bayview restaurant remodel

A Bayview developer has been ordered by the county to stop work on remodel of a lakeside restaurant.

Waterford Park Homes received a permit to remove the roof of the Vista Bay Clubhouse, but more than just the roof was removed.

The building is down to little more than wood studs.

Kootenai County issued a stop-work order on March 27, stalling Waterford’s plans to turn the former restaurant into a clubhouse for boaters.

“Our goal was to have the clubhouse completed … before the true boating season starts,” Waterford development manager Dennis Scott said.

Scott said he doesn’t believe the work done violates the county’s permit but that the county just didn’t clearly define the limits of the permit.

County Planning Director Scott Clark said that’s “absolutely untrue.”

“It’s very much the opposite,” Clark said. “We were very explicit in what could happen. They applied to have the roof removed. That was it.”

Along with the roof, contractors removed siding and interior sheetrock, exposing the studs.

“We thought that was OK,” Scott said. “There were no structural members involved in that.”

Waterford has applied for a permit to remodel the entire building, so Scott said he doesn’t understand why the demolition is an issue.

“When that permit is issued, I’ll assume it will authorize whatever demolition needs to be done,” he said.

Clark said the plans are being reviewed.

Waterford will be fined for code violations, but Clark said he didn’t have exact figures available Tuesday.

Waterford Park Homes, owned by Bob Holland, was fined $2,500 in 2007 for pounding pilings into the lakebed without a permit, damaging kokanee spawning beds.

Idaho Fish and Game estimated the loss of the eggs and fry was worth more than $1 million to the Lake Pend Oreille sport fishery.

The developer completed remediation of the spawning beds in the fall.

Scott said the company had not had any problems since.

“We kept our nose clean and complied with regulation requirements,” he said.