Rathdrum advances plan to develop mountain
RATHDRUM — Rathdrum has started its climb to develop its mountain property for recreational uses.
The city council has asked Public Works Director Kevin Jump to begin design work and develop cost estimates for improving the roads on and near the 557 acres the city owns on Rathdrum Mountain.
The council also directed consultants Jon Mueller and Brad Marshall to come back with cost proposals for a more-detailed development plan and Phase 1 improvements.
A committee of city staff, residents and other stakeholders have met three times to develop a conceptual plan that includes improved roadways, parking, gates, trails and shelters.
The city received $609,000 from a light harvest last fall on its mountain property.
"The council has not voted on the use of the $609,000, although it is likely the funds they will use to pay for improvements," said Brett Boyer, city administrator. "The next step we will have cost estimates for projects and the council will designate how much to spend at that time."
After gathering community and stakeholder input, the city last year decided to move ahead on developing its site for low-impact recreational uses such as hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, viewpoints and educational opportunities.
The city will need to make improvements to Barrett Drive, which the Post Falls Highway District in 2014 validated as a county road and leads to the city site. The validation ended a 20-year fight between the city and some adjacent landowners on whether the city could access its property.
The county will maintain the road once the city brings it up to standards.
The city's mountain site, which isn’t open to the public yet, includes streams, giant cedar trees and dirt Forest Service roads. Some areas offer partial views of Rathdrum and the Rathdrum Prairie.
As far as law enforcement at the site, which is under the jurisdiction of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Rathdrum police Chief Kevin Fuhr said he has been in contact with KCSO Sheriff Ben Wolfinger on a plan. Rathdrum Police would respond to day-to-day matters and perform routine checks at the site. For more serious situations, the police would call on the KCSO to respond for backup.