Carlin Bay expansion request with hotel receives approval

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

COEUR d'ALENE — A conditional-use permit will be granted for a controversial project that includes a hotel, restaurant, bar and convenience store at Carlin Bay Resort.

County Commissioners Bob Bingham and Marc Eberlein ruled that the request falls within applicable regulations and voted to approve the request on Thursday night. Commissioner Chris Fillios dissented.

Forty-three residents spoke in favor of the proposal on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene, while 25 were opposed. One of those in opposition spoke on behalf of about 10 residents.

Meanwhile, a request by Jesse Goetz that drew concerns and proposed to increase the density of property south of Post Falls from two residential units per acre to three was denied. The project life was extended five years. Both decisions were supported by Eberlein and Bingham. Fillios voted against the motion.

The decision will also require that a preliminary subdivision application be filed within five years.

The 42-acre site is on both sides of West Riverview Drive south of Post Falls between Greensferry and Highland.

"Goetz didn't get the three (units) per acre he wanted and the district didn't get the lower density we'd requested," said John Austin, manager of the Green Ferry Water District, which had concerns about the septic tank impact on its wells. "Unfortunately, it means up to 82 homes could go on the acreage and the board believes that would impact our water quality."

Kelly Hollingsworth, who lives near the site, said she has concerns that a U.S. Geological Survey map that shows the property over the aquifer hasn't been followed in the decision-making process.

"There's no due process when no one is evaluating the evidence and giving it the proper weight," she said.

The Carlin Bay project on 5.3 acres at 33917 S. Highway 97 will remove the existing restaurant and bar and allow for the construction of a new hotel that would have a maximum of 24 rooms and not exceed four stories, restaurant, bar and convenience store. It also will remove the existing eight cabins and to replace those with eight new cabins.

Those in opposition had concerns that the project will hamper the rural nature of the area.