Diamond Cup talk dominates meeting

COEUR d'ALENE - It wasn't a public hearing about the Diamond Cup hydroplane races.

But it was. But it wasn't, technically.

But that's all anybody talked about Thursday night at the Kootenai County administrative building during the board of county commissioners' hearing.

Public comment lasted more than an hour, and approximately 60 people attended the hearing.

Supporters of the hydroplane races on Lake Coeur d'Alene arrived in force to support what is technically an unconnected zoning ordinance amendment that would allow administrative approval of annual special events in an agricultural-suburban zoning district.

Diamond Cup organizers want to have the event again this summer in the Silver Beach area, which just so happens to be an agricultural-suburban zoning district.

But the county commissioners didn't approve the ordinance amendment Thursday.

They decided that if they are to vote for such administrative approval of events in one zoning district - they should do it for all zoning districts.

The idea behind the amendment is to get special events approved faster, if County Community Development Director David Callahan finds they meet all the county's criteria.

But the issue is on hold until another hearing can be publicly noticed and conducted at a later date. No date has been set.

John Magnuson, a Coeur d'Alene attorney who represents the Diamond Cup organizers, said Ironman Coeur d'Alene just took place and he is frustrated that Ironman organizers didn't have to get a permit. For permitting purposes, he said, the events are the same, but they aren't being treated that way.

Kootenai County civil attorney Pat Braden said "similarly situated" events should be treated equally.

"We held the event this past summer without a special-events permit," Doug Miller, president of Diamond Cup, told the commissioners.

While saying it's not fair they should need a permit, Diamond Cup supporters still argued Callahan should be able to give them one, and quickly.

A dozen people spoke in favor of Diamond Cup, and the amendment.

The commissioners don't want to feel the rush of Diamond Cup's urgency as the Labor Day weekend event approaches. The commissioners said they just want any action they take to be fair and beneficial.

"I'm in favor of streamlining the process" for event permits, said Commissioner Todd Tondee.

The commissioners also want to ensure that public comment remains part of any streamlined, administrative process for noticed or advertised events.

"That seems to be a good idea because I think it would help give the director a little barometer, or not," said Commissioner Jai Nelson. "And maybe some things can be mitigated easily if they are known in advance."

The commissioners shouldn't feel rushed because of Diamond Cup, Nelson said, because Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger already has denied Diamond Cup a marine permit for the 2014 races. The race organizers are pressing on anyway, hoping the event still happens this year.

"I don't want to have to feel that pressure of doing something when I don't think it's going to make any difference, from what we've heard from Sheriff Wolfinger," Nelson said. Wolfinger has told The Press that his decision is final.

Braden, the county civil attorney, said Idaho code says that event organizers can apply for a marine permit 30 days prior to the event.

"It is possible that they can re-apply for that permit," Braden said.

Magnuson said Diamond Cup organizers will hear from the Idaho Department of Lands on yet another permit today.