Condo proposal gets split decision

HAYDEN — The Hayden City Council approved a proposed 12-lot subdivision adjacent to Hayden Lake Country Club, but voted against a requested special-use permit for five two-family condominium units that were to be part of the project.

The proposed subdivision is planned for 4.7 acres on the north side of Hayden Avenue, west of the country club, and east of Hillview Drive, said Lisa Key, Hayden’s community development director. Seven single-family homes also are part of the planned subdivision.

The property currently is a vacant field, and the city annexed it last summer, said Key. The developers, Gordon Longwell and Keith Coltrap, own the nearly five acres under the name Cactus Pines LLC.

The council voted Tuesday night, following a public hearing for the subdivision and special-use permit. The vote to approve the subdivision was 3-1, while all four council members voted against the special-use permit, Key said.

The council voted against the duplexes because the two-family condos would not have been consistent with the character of the neighborhood, which mostly is made up of single-family homes, Key said.

Longwell said he’s undecided about his next step forward with the project, following the council’s vote on the special-use permit.

Key said about six people spoke during the hearing against the special-use permit.

“They were concerned the property would have been developed too densely,” she said.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the council approve both the subdivision and special-use permit, finding the two-family condos were compatible with the neighborhood.