'Agrihood' proposal sprouts up

HAYDEN LAKE — "Agrihoods," popping up like peppers across the country, are no longer a foreign concept to Kootenai County.

English Point Heights is a proposed 155-lot gated community on 95 acres — 20 of those a farm — at the corner of Lancaster and Hayden Lake roads.

The family of sister applicants KayDee Steele and Jeneen Steele Espe homesteaded on the property — often referred to as "Steele corner" — for more than 100 years.

"We fell in love with the relationship with the land, preserving the farming concept," KayDee said of the agri-hood community. "Residents will be involved (in the farm) as much or little as they want to be. It will be a beautiful way to teach lessons of where we get our food. It's not just about eating it. It's a way of life."

A public hearing on the proposal will take place at 6 p.m. on April 19 in the county's Administration Building, 451 Government Way, Coeur d'Alene. A subsequent hearing will be held before the county commissioners.

The log cabin on the property, built in the 1870s and believed to be the oldest building in the Hayden Lake area, will be moved and preserved by the Historic Preservation Commission.

The proposed farm would be owned and maintained by the homeowners association. That group would also be in charge of maintaining the roads in the subdivision.

Steve Syrcle, of Tri-State Consulting Engineers, who represents the sisters, said the farm subdivision concept is part of a national trend. Instead of having a golf course or clubhouse as an amenity, overlooking rows of veggies will be a benefit.

"We've been working on this for about a year and have done the homework," Syrcle said, referring to soil and wetland studies and corresponding with agencies. "This property has been in the family for decades and the sisters want to see it developed in a way that honors the family."

One of the ideas is to have a neighborhood farmers market in which residents can purchase produce from the farm.

"Our vision is to encompass family values and a sense of community," Jeneen said.

Lot sizes will range from a quarter of an acre to half an acre on the outer edge to help blend in with the adjacent rural properties. Syrcle said the housing styles will depend on the developer who would take over the site, and the sisters envision mid-range home prices.

KayDee said the project could have had as many as 212 lots under county code.

"We didn't feel it's wise or responsible to go to that density," she said.

The project would be developed in six phases, with each phase containing 17 and 35 lots.

Neighbor Dave Deeds calls the proposal a "serious mistake" and doesn't believe it would be a good fit in the area since it is surrounded by homes on 5 to 20 acres.

"It would be a breach of trust for the county officials to place this large-density subdivision squarely in the middle of these existing homeowners," Deeds wrote to the county planning staff. "The previous owners purchased their land and erected their homes in good faith while relying on the existing zoning conditions."

Deeds believes the environmental and groundwater studies are inadequate and that erosion issues need to be addressed.

The North Kootenai Water District would provide water, while the Hayden Lake Recreational Water District would treat the wastewater. There would be two access points off Lancaster to the project, including existing English Point Drive and the future Steele Drive. There would also be a future access at the north end of the project.