RIVERSTONE: In defense of arches

I would like to correct Alison Granier with respect to her article regarding McDonald’s.

1) Alison is incorrect when she states that Riverstone has been subsidized by the taxpayers. That is completely false. There has not been one dollar of public money spent on anything other than the public areas that have public ownership. Additionally, we donated the land for the public park, pond and roadways — a total of more than 20 acres and over $8 million worth of land.

2) The property under McDonald’s was sold approximately six years ago to a third party, who in turn was the one who sold it to McDonald’s. The owner of the property had every right to sell it to a legitimate company and the property was properly zoned for this use.

3) If you look at the building, you will notice the limited amount of signage in and around the building because of the architectural review that was done by Riverstone. You will also see that the LED sign was taken down and that the monument sign is reduced in size because McDonald’s put up a sign that was approved by the city, but was inconsistent with our architectural review. Time and efforts were put into making sure that this building looked compatible with other buildings at Riverstone.

4) Lastly, McDonald’s has some healthy food choices and as you can tell by the line of cars outside, it is a product that is desired by Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding area. McDonald’s may not coincide with your taste but there are a lot of others who like the convenience and the food they provide.

We are proud of the job we have done at Riverstone. Riverstone is a well planned and successful community that offers something for everyone.

JOHN STONE

Riverstone Development