PLANNING EXPERTS: ‘Growth first/infrastructure later mentality’

The Coeur d’Alene area seems to have lots of experts helping the area grow and develop like P&Z committees, KMPO and CDA Vision 2030. The biggest flaw I see in all these groups is their acquiescence to a growth first/infrastructure later mentality. Sure, let’s build thousands of homes and then maybe we will upgrade a few streets. Just look at Atlas between Seltice and Kathleen, or Hayden Avenue west of 95. But hey, let’s start lining Hayden Avenue with high density apartment buildings. I’m sure all those cars won’t clog up our pathetic little Hayden Avenue. Oh wait, a couple of roundabouts should fix it up just fine. Not!

This leads me to what is maybe one of the worst cumulative decisions these “experts” have made over the years, the lack of adequate east/west travel corridors. Everywhere you look there are major east/west routes that dead end into subdivisions or are used as subdivision streets lined with homes making them poor corridors for traffic, such as Wilbur, Hanley, Dalton and Kathleen. A perfect example of this continuing problem is the controversial Coeur Terre development. Based on recent comments by the Coeur d’Alene City Council, it appears they will compound their previous mistakes and add one more huge development without adequate east/west connectivity.

We hear so much about “Smart Growth” from the supposed experts that surround us, but we see so little evidence of it in the decisions made by our city councils. Why is that?

DAVID BROWN

Post Falls