Council OKs Comp Plan

COEUR d’ALENE — Following more than three hours of public testimony and fierce arguments on both sides, the Coeur d’Alene City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to approve the 2022-2042 Comprehensive Plan.

“At some point you have to make a decision and you have to move on,” said Councilwoman Christie Wood, who said the plan, which cost $245,000, was well done.

Councilman Woody McEvers said the plan would not have any immediate direct impact.

“The change is evolutionary. It’s down the road,” he said.

Councilman Dan Gookin at one point made a motion to delay a decision to get more public input, then retracted it when it wasn’t clear if a second was needed on his motion and how that input would be received. He voted no.

He said the plan doesn’t do enough to protect downtown, called it “fuzzy” and said it was subject to change for future developments. He pointed out the county’s comprehensive plan was about 15 pages. The city’s, more than 100.

“To say this was vetted, it wasn’t vetted by me,” he said.

Gookin said an outside, independent agency that is not accountable to the citizens or open meeting laws should not be setting city policy.

“That’s our job,” he said.

The meeting was attended by about 150 people, and about 40 spoke in the Library Community Room. For the most part the crowd was respectful and quiet, but Mayor Jim Hammond twice threatened to have people removed if they didn’t stop interrupting. There were eight city police officers present.

The Planning Commissioner voted 5-0 to approve the plan last week, despite strong objections from about 25 people.

The plan, referred to as “Envision Coeur d’Alene,” has been a collaboration between the city of Coeur d’Alene and CDA 2030 to shape growth and identify priorities for the future of Coeur d’Alene, according to the city’s website.

The city’s Planning Commission, city staff, CDA 2030, consultants at MIG, volunteers, and the public “have worked diligently to prepare this new comprehensive plan and identify priority action items based on community feedback,” according to a statement on the city website.

“Beginning in September 2019, thousands of community members from all walks of life came together to provide their thoughts, ideas and sentiments on what their vision of Coeur d’Alene should be over the next 20 years,” it states.

The public engagement effort included a kick-off event that attracted more than 80 people, stakeholder discussions, game nights, visioning exercises, surveys, mapping scenarios and volunteers serving on the Community Advisory Committee and six focus groups that met more than 20 times.

The process involved more than 60 community service groups, more than 1,400 people and more than 11,000 data points.

Many spoke against the plan, and many spoke for it.

Some who against it said they knew nothing of it, were given just two weeks to comment on the finish product, and that it was a one-sided process to promote growth. They said it encouraged high-density housing, high rises, even more congested roadways, and transit that would result in crime, gangs and homelessness.

Others said they moved here for the city’s quality of life, small town atmosphere and friendly ways. They feared that would be lost.

Julie Lind was critical of the council, the public hearing and the process to approve the plan. She said it seemed no matter how many spoke in opposition, the council would approve it.

“It’s like a formality we’re going through,” she said. “It’s really disheartening to me to see that.”

Glen Warriner of Coeur d’Alene said the plan offers “only a choice of density. More density.”

“It’s not true that people keep coming. They won’t come if there’s no place to live,’ he said.

Catherine Bedford of Coeur d’Alene said she used to live in San Diego, Calif. She said almost every piece of land there has been developed for housing and she didn’t want that to happen in Coeur d’Alene.

“I don’t think proposed growth is a good thing,” she said.

She said many have told her they are moving to Coeur d’Alene

“We have to think about what we are planning. Do we want to be California?” She said.

Proponents said it didn’t change zoning laws or existing neighborhoods, and a goal was to create live, work and play areas. They said there had to be allowances to try and provide low-income housing, which meant high-density areas.

Marie Nail said the secret was out: Coeur d’Alene was a great place to live. Their plan could help absorb those headed this way down the road.

“It is crucial to provide an opportunity for a variety of housing products,” Nail, who grew up in Coeur d’Alene.

Jennifer Drake said she comes from a family that has five generations in Coeur d’Alene. Growth and change has been going on for more than century, she said.

She said newcomers opposed to the plan lacked context.

“This is a plan for the future that we know is coming but cannot see,” she said.

Mayor Hammond said there was a misperception the council didn’t care about high density and didn’t care about preserving neighborhoods.

“We love this city also," he said. "We don’t want it to become something different than what it is.”