PROJECT: River's Edge decision

On March 5, the Coeur d’Alene City Council will hear an appeal on a request for increased density and building heights for the River’s Edge Apartments along the Spokane River. City Council should grant this appeal because it will allow the city to continue negotiating without giving final approval for the project to be built.

In 2014, the city acquired railroad property that bisects River’s Edge with the intent of leveraging that property for public access to the river. Toward that end, the city entered an agreement with River’s Edge Apartments to trade the RR property for a much more marketable property in the Atlas Waterfront Project and other “to be negotiated” items. Either party can withdraw from the MOU with 30 days’ notice.

To date the city has negotiated for a 40-foot public access easement along the river that would be an extension of the Atlas Waterfront Greenbelt. River’s Edge has also reduced its original requested density and building height. Given more time, and with the leverage of the land swap, City Council may be able to ask for a wider easement and some other “quality control” over the River’s Edge development. These additional negotiations would be based on the land swap and are not available to the city via the normal land use regulations.

If negotiations continue, the city is required to have a public hearing on the land swap and could hold an open house to explain the pros and cons of the proposed land swap. If the negotiations do not live up to expectations, the city can withdraw from the land swap deal and the River’s Edge will have to re-design and start the application process all over.

CHET GAEDE

Coeur d’Alene