Rathdrum annex request OK'd

RATHDRUM — The Rathdrum City Council on Tuesday night approved a 60.7-acre annexation request north of Highway 53 and east of Meyer Road.

The council voted 3-1 to approve the request, with Councilor Fred Meckel casting the lone “no” vote.

The applicants are Viking Construction and the Rathdrum Lions Club.

 The Lions Club has its hall and ball fields on 9.5 acres at the southwest corner of the site. The remaining 30 acres along Highway 53 would be a combination of commercial (21.1 acres) and high-density or multi-family residential (8.8 acres). The northern 30 acres of the property would be suburban residential.

Buffering between the project and homes on 5-acre lots to the north is a condition of the annexation. Some neighbors had voiced concerns that the subdivision will decrease property values and infringe on their rural lifestyles.

The subdivision could have roughly 100 single-family homes, but that's subject to demand and other factors. Building will likely begin in 2012.

The council also agreed to hear a formal annexation request for 13 acres north of Park Rose Estates near Highway 53 and Meyer.