COEUR TERRE: Bait and switch

Phase 2 of the Coeur Terre development goes before Planning and Zoning on July 14. Back when the initial development was approved, we were promised a new traffic study at each phase. As council sought to mitigate the concerns of uncontrolled growth and pedestrian safety, this was a logical solution.  

Well, here we are at Phase 2. The Traffic Impact Study (TIA) submitted with the developer’s request is using the same data set from Phase 1, which was collected in March of 2025.  

I’m sure the developer would say that 15 months is not long enough to make a difference, but we all know different. Conditions have changed significantly over that period of time.   

How many new homes and apartments on Seltice and the Rathdrum Prairie have come online over that period of time? Would anyone argue that Atlas traffic is only 2.3% higher than in March of 2025 (this is the TIA assumed growth rate)?

And how about pedestrian traffic? The new Faith park on Nez Perce is likely doubling any foot traffic on the Atlas Bike Path.  

Those of us who live along Atlas know that adding thousands of trips a day through Coeur Terre will mean significant congestion. A new traffic study will acknowledge this and hopefully give the city the means to require upgrades to infrastructure on the developers’ dime.  

We need Planning and Zoning to step up and request we get what we paid for. To borrow a line from a popular column, it’s just common sense.

KEVIN McCLELLAND

Coeur d’Alene