SCHOOL: Power play alert

My three years on the Coeur d’Alene School District’s Long-Range Planning Committee has provided me with unique insight into construction dilemmas. I believe Lakes Highway District must be held accountable for its 11th hour change of mind and double standards, which have stalled the district from building a school in the highest area of need.

Over the last seven months, Lakes Highway District has mandated multiple concessions from the district to gain approval to build the school. These include: thousands spent on a traffic study, moving access from Prairie to a side road, among others. The district followed through with each mandate. If Lakes Highway District had reservations all along about the school on that site, why did they wait until the Nov. 5 meeting to halt everything — AFTER the district had spent thousands and had made effort after effort to meet their demands?

Lakes Highway District’s hesitation is a double standard, at best. They haven’t hesitated to grant multiple neighborhoods, high-density apartment complexes, a strip mall, a restaurant and a park access to Prairie Avenue. They claim intentions to maintain this road as a high-speed thoroughfare. Apparently, they haven’t taken note that the transition from 45 mph to 35 mph is directly in the center of the proposed school site. Moving the speed limit sign by only 200 feet would have very little impact on traffic.

The three commissioners’ efforts to stalemate plans to alleviate overcrowding in our schools is a power play and calls into question ulterior motives.

CHRISTENA LINFORD

Coeur d’Alene