Residents' worries

POST FALLS — A five-hour meeting of the Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission drew droves of resident comments pleading the board to stop and consider how development affects the community.

Of the four public hearings discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting, the board recommended three be approved, and one denied. 

The sole denial, an amendment to the Foxtail Planned Unit Development, was the most contentious discussion of the night, encompassing the first two hours of deliberation. 

The project is part of a multistage development that includes several neighborhoods, parks on over 270 acres of land. Initially planned for 283 acres, the property owner — Lakeside Real Estate Holdings II, LLC, requested a zone change to cut down the development by 12 acres but increase dwelling units by 54%. 

Sitting between Prairie Avenue, Poleline Avenue, Zorros Road, and Meyer Road, neighbors from all corners of the mass construction zone submitted negative comments to the amendment. Many, like Tammy Lange, were quick to point out how the residents expected to live in Foxtail’s 1,331 dwelling units would contribute to traffic levels on already congested roads. 

“I purposely did not choose a house that was next to the apartment development because I didn’t want to deal with the traffic,” Lange said to the commission. “I would like to understand how this is going to affect me. How this will affect my quality of life, and affect me getting in and out of my community.” 

Several public comments begged the board to consider how hundreds of high-density units could adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods. Still, the looming housing crisis influenced commissioners to support the idea of more homes in Post Falls’ future.   

“I think that we all agree that we have a housing shortage,” Commissioner Ross Schlotthauer said. “I sympathize with a homeowner that feels like something’s happening that they didn’t buy into, but ultimately their property right is to stay or buy somewhere else the developer has the right to do what they think is best for themselves.”

After two motions to approve the amendment failed due to a tie split of the six present members, the board recommended the city council deny the requested changes. 

The second noteworthy discussion, the Pleasant View North Annexation, sought and received a recommendation to add 370 acres east of Pleasant View Road and north of Prairie Avenue into the city. 

Currently, the property is open land that surrounds Katherine Berg’s home that she bought last year. While she knew there would be development, she said she never expected the significant Pleasant View construction project. 

“We’re going to go from a five-acre agricultural lot to commercial, industrial and residential. I guess I don’t understand why this has been rammed down our throats,” Berg told the commission. “It seems like the only ones that benefit from this area are the developers, the landowners.” 

Tyler Emery expressed similar concerns. His wife grew up in an area nearby, and until recently, they were excited to raise their family and chickens on an acre of land near Prairie Avenue. 

“Now we have the potential to have apartments across the street. That’s not the Post Falls we want. That’s not the Post Falls people are moving here for,” Emery said. 

While he understood residents' worries, Commissioner Ryan Davis noted that the Pleasant View Annexation is part of a longtime process that the city has been looking into for new development and a possible urban renewal district. He also assured the community that the construction would be a gradual process and not overwhelm homeowners all at once. 

“This isn’t an overnight thing,” Davis said. “I think there’s definitely some advantages, but growing up in a rural community, I also understand the growing pain and the feeling of being a kid in a field.”

Other unanimous actions the commission took Tuesday:

• Recommendation of the Crown Enterprises Special Use Permit application to construct a general commodities freight terminal and fueling station on 16 acres north of Expo Parkway, east of Beck Road, south of Jacklin Road, and west of the Woodbridge South Subdivision. 
• Recommendation of the Jacklin-Riverbend Annexation to bring two parcels totaling 12 acres into the city south of the west Pointe Parkway and west Riverbend Avenue intersection. Approximately 10 acres of the property would be zoned high-density multifamily, and the remaining 1.6 acres would be zoned community commercial services. 

Decisions made by the commission will go to the city council for consideration in the coming months.