Rathdrum wants to hear from residents
The city of Rathdrum is accepting public comments on what its next park should look like. Majestic Park is one of the city’s more recently added parks. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
RATHDRUM — Rathdrum officials want to know what citizens think the city’s next park should look like. They also want to hear from residents interested in updating its comprehensive plan.
“We want to know what people would like to see in the next park before we look for land and purchase it,” Duce said.
Duce said the most logical locations for the next park would be in either the southwest or northeast part of the city.
“It would have to be on the edge of town and there is land annexed already that may be a possibility,” he said. “But we won’t start to look at land prices or location until we have an idea on what people want. It wouldn’t do any good to buy a 5-acre park when you need 10 acres.”
Duce said the city has saved $672,639 in impact fees for the purchase of land and the development of a park.
Rathdrum has nearly five acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. The purchase of a site for a new park would help the city retain that goal.
The donation of land by a developer is always a possibility, but the city can’t make that a requirement when it’s charging impact fees. The city also has the ability to reduce an impact fee if a donation is made.
Another planning initiative the city is embarking on this year is updating its comprehensive plan. The last plan update was five years ago.
“With all the annexations and growth we’ve experienced over the past five years, we need to review it,” Duce said.
The city will take names of residents who are interested in being a part of the plan update process.
For more information on the comprehensive plan or to provide comments about it, residents can email cary@rathdrum.org.
To provide input on what the city’s next park should look like, email eric@rathdrum.org.