City on the fence about blocking off East Tubbs water access

Locals who’ve grown fond of East Tubbs Park might have noticed a new addition to the popular Coeur d’Alene pocket park over the past few days.

The city is debating whether or not to erect a chain link fence around a section of the park, a section that has cordoned off the inlet that has become a well-known launching spot for kayakers and paddleboarders. Officials said abuse of the grounds — and, in particular, the well house — has forced the city’s hand.

“We’ve had ongoing problems with vandalism in that well house,” Parks and Recreation director Bill Greenwood said. “We found three people who were either living or camping in there.”

Posts have already been installed for the approximately 15 feet of fencing that would block public access in order to protect the city well house. But it also blocks the small point that has become a popular launch for stand-up paddleboarders and kayakers. That, Greenwood said, is by design.

“We actually have domestic water rights to that spot,” Greenwood said. “We’re going to irrigate that park with lake water, like we do at Independence Point and City Park. That will be an absolute boon for the city.”

But that boon is tainted by potential contamination, as Greenwood said the location is threatened by reports of motorized watercraft stopping and refueling at East Tubbs.

Residents have complained to both the Coeur d’Alene Press and the city about the closure, with many saying they frequently use that area to unleash their dogs. That, Greenwood said, is also a problem.

“That’s not a no-leash area,” he said. “We have no-leash areas, but [East Tubbs] isn’t one of them.”

Nor is the location authorized for commercial use. Despite negotiations that led to authorized commercial activity at drop-off zones at either ends of the beach along Rosenberry Drive by North Idaho College, many vendors are still using the area to teach kayaking or paddleboarding classes, in violation of city ordinances.

“We created a spot for those commercial vendors,” Greenwood said. “We have this large zone for commercial vendors to operate. And we’re attuned to what their needs are. But we need to protect city property, and it’s really not the responsibility of the city to facilitate unauthorized activity.”

Greenwood said the city is exploring solutions to mitigate the vandalism while satisfying the concerns of the public. Until then, the fencing will likely remain.

“It’s always a delicate balance trying to weigh safety factors and public access,” he said.