Despite sign, don't count on drive-in

COEUR d'ALENE - Kirk Hughes said Thursday he was looking to have a bit of fun - and "bring a little happiness to the people" - when he posted signs advertising a "Drive-in Theater" that is "Coming Soon."

He owns the open 9.5-acre lot on the north side of Prairie Avenue just east of Meyer Road where the signs were posted Sunday. He said Kootenai County officials have told him to take them down.

"The reason we put the signs up in the first place was quite a few cars were stopping on Prairie while we were watering our new trees and asking what was this going to be," said Hughes. He has a permit to establish a storage facility.

He and his wife, Ginny, considered putting up another sign asking, "What do you think should go here?"

He said the response to the "Coming Soon" and "Drive-in Theater" signs has been all positive.

"You can't believe the calls I get," Hughes said.

People have great memories of drive-in theaters and hope he finds a way to make it happen.

But costs are high and business is seasonal, making it difficult to successfully run one, he said.

"We don't have enough information to seriously make a run for a drive-in theater at this time," Hughes said. "I would love to explore the possibilities and meet with Rand Wickman to discuss the idea."

Wickman is a land-use planning specialist based in Harrison who worked with Hughes on the permit for a storage facility on the site.