ZONING: Opposition to request curious

I was quite surprised at the opposition to a zone change request by Tapley Cabinets located on Lacrosse Avenue and College Way. If I am not mistaken, the cabinet maker was located on Lacrosse in 1946, which at that time was the village of Gibbs, Idaho.

There were no houses around the cabinet maker and the lot sub-division came some time later.

The cabinet maker requested zone change from R-12 to Light Manufacturing. It was granted, but the opposition should remember that the sub-division on College Way came long after the cabinet maker started its business. Good example is a sub-division being developed down wind from a stock yard and then the new residents crying they hate the smell and want the stock yard to be removed.

R-12 allows 12 units of mixed housing to be built on one gross acre. I believe there are three lots there owned by the cabinet company with about one-third acre per lot. Thus they could have built at least 12 mixed use condos, homes, apartments or whatever.

Which is best for the neighbors? A storage facility that looks like a home or 12 mixed use homes? If a building permit was requested for multiple housing on the remaining two lots, would the homeowners oppose this also?

JAMES CROWE

Coeur d’Alene