COUNTY: You're not hearing us
The Planning Commission’s “workshops” on the county’s proposed zoning ordinances are farces, as far as I can determine. I attended both, the first on Dec. 10 and the second on Jan. 7.
At the first workshop, all the members of the public who spoke were in favor of more commercial and industrial development along Highway 95 between Hayden and Chilco. At the second meeting, seven people spoke in favor of more commercial services in the rural areas, while only two spoke in favor of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance’s (KEA) no-growth position.
At the end of the second session, Planning Commission Chairman Wes Hanson put his own proposals forth for discussion, which were solidly in favor of KEA’s positions. He ignored the comments given by the property owners during the first two public comment periods.
The “workshops” are farcical “show trials” where members of the public are encouraged to present their views, which are then summarily ignored and replaced by those favored by Hanson.
Property owners in the unincorporated areas of the county need to band together and demand fair, unbiased treatment by the commission. The property owners have hard cash invested in their land. They are not simply envisioning a utopian ideal from their easy chair while attempting to enforce their will on others. Many are counting on their property values to fund their retirements or their childrens’ educations. They want to be able to develop their property in a manner that they desire. They agree that their activities should not disturb their neighbors.
It’s difficult to understand how Hanson can support “small natural resource based land uses” (envision Heidi herding sheep) on properties that abut junk yards, front on a major freeway like Highway 95, are near a heavily used and extremely noisy railroad line and surrounded by predominantly industrial and commercial properties. How does Hanson intend to maintain a “rural” atmosphere in the midst of an industrial/commercial area? Yet that’s what he wants. He should not be allowed to impose his will on taxpaying property owners who have substantial investments in their land. He should have one vote like everyone else, and not more than one vote.
It’s time for all rural property owners to demand that their equity not be confiscated through government regulations. Please consider joining the Northwest Property Owners Association (www.nwpoa.org). Also, if you want to listen to the Planning Commissioners deliberate on the information they gathered at the “workshops,” please attend their meeting next Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. at the County Courthouse in downtown Coeur d’Alene. It would also be helpful, if you have any similar comments, to send a letter to the editor expressing them.
JOHN KEARNS
Coeur d’Alene