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Rathdrum council to mull annex request

by Brian Walker
| August 10, 2010 9:00 PM

RATHDRUM - The Rathdrum City Council tonight will consider a 160-acre annexation and zoning request for an education campus, among other uses, at the southwest corner of Lancaster and Meyer roads.

A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 8047 W. Main St.

Applicants are the Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) group, North Idaho College, Lakeland School District and the Meyer family.

The zoning request for 98 acres is for public use, 26 acres for industrial, 10 commercial and 22 for multi-family housing.

"The annexation and zoning will initiate the development of a mixed-use area comprised of technical professional and traditional education facilities, light industry, business and a mix of residential uses in an emerging area of the city of Rathdrum," said Brad Marshall of JUB Engineers, which represents the applicants.

Voting to build a professional-technical high school campus (KTEC) will go before voters in the Lakeland, Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene school districts on Aug. 24.

Successful passage of the levy requires 55 percent voter approval in each district.

If the levies are approved, KTEC construction may start in 2012. If funding for the project is approved, the $9.5 million, 50,000-square-foot building is expected to be ready to open by the fall of 2013.

NIC also plans to build a campus at the site, while another Lakeland high school is planned for around 2020.

The Meyer family is hopeful that industry will be located after KTEC is established, followed by homes and commercial uses, Marshall said.

The property is located adjacent to city limits and within the area of city impact.

Commercial uses such as a local gym, a neighborhood market, coffee shop, day care and professional offices are envisioned to be developed over time on the corner of Lancaster and Meyer.

In other business, the council will:

• hear a mobilization briefing from the Idaho National Guard about the deployment in September;

• hear an update on the Bridging the Valley project, which will eliminate at-grade railroad crossings on the prairie;

• consider contracts for a railroad quiet zone; and

• award a bid for the first phase of Majestic Park on 11.9 acres east of Meyer Road next to the water tower.