Cd'A: Is bigger really better?

Coeur d’Alene Idaho is, has been, and is going to be a very special place to live. Nestled between the lakes, plain and mountains, it is beautiful. From Hayden to Tubbs Hill, from Post Falls to Lake Fernan and along the foothill neighborhoods, Coeur d’Alene is a city searching for an identity and moving toward destiny.

As the years have moved along, Coeur d’Alene has been discovered by each new generation of citizens in the bravura and realities of the period. This has led to a hodgepodge of different styles, leaving us a certain comfortable charm, all its own. I believe this makes us special, in this monolithic world we live in and find permeating our society.

Why don’t we make some attempt to plan our destiny ourselves. Why do we allow developers to impose their standards upon “We the people of Coeur d’Alene.” Standards the current developer, from Aspen, Colo., cannot impose where his base is, because the City of Aspen has limits and they have a destiny-based plan for their world renowned beautiful city. They fully intend to keep it beautiful.

Developers who purchased 201 N. 1st St. site have no interest in destiny. They want to impress with the new project and make the project attractive. But once it is built, it is there and what can anyone do? If it fits in and looks good, does it fit with our overall destiny? Do we have a real plan approved and controlled by the people? Or are we pandering to short-sighted glitzy ideas, to bring money into the area?

Another question arises. What if the predicted building site interferes with civic functions, traffic flow, and other important aspects such as the right of view, air, sunlight and uncluttered access to and from people’s own existing premises? Our civic parades pass this area and are impacted. The Coeur d’Alene Visitor Center will have to contend with many unknown problems.

There are many other reasons this is not a good fit. This is a natural place for an arts center or museum. Not another bedroom enterprise. We have very few spots left that are this accessible to a holiday atmosphere. The parking existing across the way at the park is not conducive to residential parking.

It may be too late to make regulations to control this ill-advised building project, but are we going to learn from this obviously misguided mistake? They say to the people, “You can’t fight City Hall.” The last questions are: Is City Hall going to fight for the people? What is Coeur d’Alene’s destiny?

CURT OLSON

Coeur d’Alene