GROWTH: Amount of construction is distressing

As a newer arrival to Cd’A (2022, purchased a smaller existing home), I am distressed at all of the residential and business construction occurring or planned, particularly the high density, view- and town-character-diminishing kind. Evidently, a majority of longtime Cd’A residents are OK with it all, as they voted for the City Council members who gave approval for the townhouses, condominiums, apartments, hotel rooms and businesses/offices which are now, or soon will be, under construction. Evidently, tourism, resort lifestyle and greater tax and fee revenue trump small town, quiet, historical character with veteran homeowners here, which is a surprise to me, though there did seem to be much opposition to the Marriot at Sixth and Sherman — not enough, I guess. Do they not believe that adding hundreds, if not thousands of guest rooms, residences, and offices/businesses will have a huge impact on traffic (auto and pedestrian), emergency services, visual aesthetics, water, electricity, and sewer and other utility capacities, whose expansion will be paid for by higher property taxes/fees (particularly onerous for  fixed smaller income retirees like myself), but probably not by lowering or eliminating areas of city government employee costs/compensations, a good number of which are excessive, I feel. Horse has already left the barn on much of this — here’s hoping the current council will seriously consider a big future slowdown on all the population adding construction.  

TED TURRENTINE

Coeur d’Alene