Off-road idea could be a head-on crash

Some county officials and a whole bunch of off-road vehicle enthusiasts have their eye on a possible fuel-injected playground. But there’s a long way to go from here to there, and ultimately, the road might lead nowhere.

The site in question is comprised of more than 500 acres owned by taxpayers via the Idaho Department of Lands, which at least initially appears willing to hand over property to Kootenai County in exchange for a small percentage of annual proceeds from the prospective park.

While North Idaho is known as a haven for hunters, anglers and ORV lovers, not everybody is thrilled about the prospect of a popular high-RPM gathering place in a place where man and wilderness blissfully co-exist. John Strobel, who lives near the target area, penned a powerful piece against the plan. His column, scheduled to appear tomorrow on the front page of the Local section, no doubt speaks for many others whose rural peace and quiet would likely be annihilated by a nearby ORV park.

In our view, drastically changing the character of what essentially is wilderness area should have to clear high hurdles. This isn’t merely another NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) temper tantrum. While the county should be commended for exploring possible services for citizens through expanded parkland — and maybe even making a buck or two that could be used to defray property taxes — we can’t think of many reasonable people who would welcome ear-splitting noise, increased traffic and a probable steep decline in property values that would go with the ORV park. These nearby residents moved to the country for a reason, some making the largest investments of their lives. Their concerns need to be respectfully heard.

It’s also logical to consider how much of a priority such a park should be for the county. Two-thirds of the county’s leadership group is going to be brand new when Chris Fillios and Bob Bingham take office in January. They’ll join Marc Eberlein, who has just two years experience as a county commissioner. For Fillios and Bingham, the learning curve just to get the basics down will be plenty daunting. When do you think they’ll want to tackle a massive, controversial acquisition like this?

Common sense suggests proceeding with caution and consideration on any plans for a county-sponsored ORV park.