Blackwell Island annex proposal wins support

COEUR d'ALENE — The Marina Yacht Club LLC's annexation request for Blackwell Island gained momentum on Tuesday night.

The Coeur d'Alene Planning Commission unanimously recommended the City Council approve the 172-acre request at a future public hearing. Twenty-four of the acres are on land; the rest is on Lake Coeur d'Alene and Spokane River.

"We've been operating the marina since 2004, and the last couple years we've found the business to be growing significantly," said John Barlow, a consultant for the Hagadone Corp. "In the last year we've spent several million dollars improving the operation.

"With the growth, we've come to the point where we are overreaching our own utilities. We have our own well and drainfields and we believe the right thing to do is annex."

The unincorporated land is owned by Marina Yacht Club, a subsidiary of the Hagadone Corp., and is leased to the entities that operate The Cedars Floating Restaurant and Hagadone Marine Center.

The yacht club is seeking to annex the southern end of the island at the mouth of the river and lake to allow the marina and restaurant to connect to city water and sewer services.

Barlow said upgrades to the marina included service building improvements, stormwater runoff, curbing, added parking and an expanded sales area with improved lighting.

"We're the only facility that has an on-water showroom that we know of," Barlow said.

Plans for the island also include dry stacking of boats, which would allow vessels to be stored in bays on land and out of the sun. Barlow said the summer storage method is a trend and boat owners can have their boats on the water and ready to ride within a couple hours' notice.

Commissioners said the annex request conforms to the city's comprehensive plan and commercial land use envisioned for that area.

"I commend you for all the improvements you are doing," Commission Chairman Brad Jordan told Barlow. "When people drive into the city from the south, it's the first property that they see. (The site) has come a long way."

The Cedars restaurant has also enjoyed growth and shoreline improvements are planned for that area of the island, Barlow said.

He said plans for the portion of the island sought to be annexed are focused on improving or expanding the existing businesses, not creating a new business park.

"What you see today is what we'll continue operating as," Barlow said, adding the improvements wouldn't have been made if changes were planned.

While the yacht club would benefit from city utilities, the city would gain new property tax revenue with the annexation and the move would support lake users, Barlow said. Connecting to city services would also improve the water situation on Blackwell Hill, city water staff said.

Annexation on the island was attempted in 2006 when condos, shops and offices were proposed. However, the effort was turned back when then-Mayor Sandi Bloem cast a tie-breaking vote against bringing the property into Coeur d'Alene. Barlow said political issues were at the center of the request to annex the land.

A separate public hearing was held Tuesday on the yacht club's request for a 15.6-acre limited planned unit development (PUD) at the same site. That proposal was approved 5-1 with Peter Luttropp casting the lone dissenting vote.

The PUD was required to allow the businesses to continue to operate as they are.

Luttropp said while he was impressed with the improvements that have been made at the site, he voted against the PUD request because he didn't believe it was compatible with the comprehensive plan and shoreline ordinance.

Commission member Jon Ingalls was among those in support of the PUD.

"I look at it as making the existing restaurant and marina better," he said.

• In other business, the commission unanimously recommended the city council approve of Active West Builders' request for an 11-lot single-family project called Riviera Court in Riverstone between West Riverstone Drive and John Loop.