LAUNCH: Grab the Silver lining

The City of Coeur d’Alene has the rare and long-awaited chance to acquire additional city-owned waterfront and to build a new boat launch at Silver Beach, where the old interstate highway used run along the lake. Having been a lifelong Lake Coeur d’Alene boater who served on the Kootenai County Parks and Waterways Advisory Board for 10 years, two as chairman, I know the exhaustive efforts to find additional boat launching facilities around Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The Idaho Transportation Department board has offered to deed over the old highway right-of-way from Silver Beach to Higgens Point in exchange for the city taking over the maintenance. This would provide the city more than five miles of mostly waterfront land and developed pocket parks and a public trail that is part of the North Idaho Centennial Trail system, plus the opportunity to build a much needed modern boat launch within the east city limits, directly accessible to the freeway without going through downtown.

Details have to be worked out and funds for constructing a boat launch confirmed, but this town has long been known as “the lake city” and having such an opportunity to add most of the north end of the lake to the city park system should be taken without delay. Having the Centennial Trail and most of the public access on the north end of the lake under the city with another much-needed boat launch would add immeasurably to boater and public access, as well as to the dynamics of our great community.

J.A. “SANDY” EMERSON

Coeur d’Alene