Rathdrum continues climb to finally access mountain
Photo courtesy of the city of Rathdrum Work on Barrett Road leading to Rathdrum’s property on Rathdrum Mountain that will be used for recreation started this fall, but did not finish before asphalt plants shut down for the winter. The mountain property is expected to open next summer.
Duce
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
RATHDRUM — Another year has passed without residents roaming Rathdrum's property on Rathdrum Mountain, but the city is planning for that to happen next summer, thanks to clearing recent regulatory hurdles.
Work on Barrett Road, which leads to the city's 556-acre recreation site from Reservoir Road, started this fall after a permit was obtained through the Post Falls Highway District.
"The road was widened, the slope was leveled and the foundation was put down, but the road did not get paved before the asphalt plants shut down for the winter," said Leon Duce, Rathdrum’s administrator. "We've had to change the grade and put in support walls and guardrails."
Duce said roadwork will resume in spring. Construction on the trailhead will also start then.
"We're hoping the site will be open in July or August," he said.
The site, which is less than a mile from city limits, includes views of the Rathdrum Prairie, streams, wildflowers, giant cedar and pine trees, wildlife trails and open greenspace for picnic tables, overlooks and shelters. Camping and motorized recreation will not be allowed.
Duce said a volunteer host will be sought to stay on the property to keep an eye on the site.
Work on Barrett Road will cost about $450,000, while the trailhead will cost $300,000. The trailhead will include about 20 parking spots.
Development of the site for light recreation opportunities is being paid for with timber harvest funds from the property.
Obtaining the road permit through the highway district was just the latest in a series of hurdles. The project has been in the works for several years.
Last year the city decided to tap a construction manager to handle the bid process because it couldn't answer some technical questions about the site. The original bids came in high, Duce said.
The highway district validated Barrett as a county road in 2014, ending a 20-year fight between the city and some adjacent landowners on whether the city could access its property.