Subdivision keeps maintenance of streets - for now

POST FALLS - The Sunset Ridge Homeowners Association will still maintain the streets in the subdivision at the southeast corner of Chase and Poleline.

For now, at least.

The Post Falls City Council on Tuesday night unanimously agreed to vacate the subdivision's rights of way to the HOA.

The decision corrected an error and oversight on the 33-home subdivision's plat 15 years ago that stated the streets are city property. It also made the streets private - without question - to concur with the developer's and council's original intent, the council's minutes and the subdivision's covenants.

Council members' decision was based on what they believe the original intent of the subdivision was.

"The original intent was for the streets to be private," Councilman Ron Jacobson said. "They were built at less than the city standard to save money."

The homeowners have maintained the streets from the start, but wondered if the city would be held accountable for the plat error and take over maintenance. They pay about $150 per year for street maintenance, but that cost could double with more repairs needed in the future.

"The signature to the plat means little compared to the action the council took in my opinion," Councilman Skip Hissong said.

However, some council members were open to HOA President Ray Kimball's request for the city to come to the table to take over maintenance after the HOA repairs the streets up to city standards.

"The HOA has no desire or real ability to be in the street maintenance business," said Kimball, who discovered the plat error. "What would it take for us as a HOA to improve the streets to the point they meet city standards so the city can take over maintenance?"

While the subdivision's street widths were not up to standard when the subdivision was approved, the council later narrowed the standard to where the streets now fall under city code. Kimball said the HOA would be willing to put up signage and perform street upgrades necessary to bring the streets up to code.

Hissong said that, if those talks happen, the council has to be careful to not open the floodgates for all those on private streets to come to the city for a similar change.

City staff opposed the vacation request, wondering why all taxpayers should have to shoulder the burden of maintaining the streets now when the HOA has done so from the start. The city had no intention of accepting the streets because they did not meet city standards.