McEUEN: Put up a paradise

“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” So sang Joni Mitchell in her 1960s hit song “Big Yellow Taxi.” Her song railed against the insatiable appetite to build, thereby taking away much of the natural beauty in urban and suburban areas. Well, the folks who are designing the new McEuen Field are planning to do the opposite: They want to tear down a parking lot and create paradise for all of us North Idahoans.   

We drive by McEuen Field every day and seldom see anyone using this priceless piece of real estate. Even in the spring and summer, its use is limited. When this dream becomes a reality, the parking will be underground, which will allow more green space for our citizens to enjoy with the additional benefit of providing much needed parking in downtown. We believe the new McEuen Field will become the functional center of town, as it will be a source of year round recreation and relaxation for North Idahoans of all ages. 

LES and JANET ATCHLEY

Coeur d’Alene