MARINA: Article misrepresented local response

Your article characterizing the proposed Hayden Lake Marina expansion as receiving a “generally positive” response does not reflect the experience of many directly affected residents.

I (and my family) am a lakeside property owner at 3711 E. Tobler Road. Like many neighbors, I learned of this proposal only recently and was given a very short window to respond — despite the marina having spent roughly 2.5 years developing multiple design iterations. That imbalance alone should concern the community.

Traffic impacts are a major issue. East Tobler Road and surrounding lake roads are already narrow, with the lake on one side and homes on the other. Adding a large construction project and increased marina use raises real safety concerns. Yet the application assumes traffic conditions will not materially change and provides no current traffic study evaluating these roads or nearby intersections.

Our property values are also at risk. This expansion directly affects nearby homes, yet most adjacent property owners were never consulted during the planning process. Meaningful outreach did not occur.

Finally, there are notable deficiencies in the application itself, including unanswered questions around parking and land-use approvals, environmental impacts related to removing existing lake infrastructure, and the marina’s stated commercial motivations for expansion. These are not minor details.

This is not opposition to progress. It is a call for proper process, adequate study, and fair consideration of year-round residents. The community response is far from “generally positive,” and coverage should reflect that reality.

DAVID ASHWORTH,
REBEKAH ASHWORTH,
CHRISTOPHER UPTON,
JENNIFER UPTON 

(Owners of 3711 E. Tobler Road, in front of the marina on Hayden Lake)