Rathdrum to fix blocked garage access

After a monthslong Rathdrum construction project left Bill Pope with no practical access to his garage and workshop, he and the city say a solution is coming. But neither knows when it will happen.

The approach to his garage and workshop has been inaccessible since a construction project on Washington Street began June 12. The project involved tearing up the surface and laying a new layer of asphalt, adding curbing and constructing roadside swales for drainage. 

By June 30, the swale had completely blocked access to the garage, and a no parking sign was left on the ground between what remained of the approach and the structure. After a dispute between Pope and Rathdrum, the city agreed to remedy the situation by installing a culvert and adding gravel to cross the swale. In Pope’s opinion, the solution wasn’t good enough.

“When you open the garage door, half of it's swale and another part of it is just a little bit of gravel,” Pope said. “They gave me temporary access across that swale and then they stopped it right in the middle of my garage.”

The approach requires a sharp turn and a dip in or out of the garage, making it difficult for Pope to access. On top of that, a no-parking sign had been placed on the temporary gravel approach, impeding access to the workshop door.

“If you look all the way down the street, everybody else that has driveway access or any kind of approach, it's nice and neat and clean,” Pope said. “I can't access my own property, which I've always had access to.”

The city of Rathdrum said the project had been continually delayed because crews unearthed past problems when they tore up the old asphalt. The delays led to the issues Pope has faced in not seeing his garage and shop access fixed right away.

“The (Lakeland) school district asked the contractor to do the parking lot for John Brown Elementary School and the sidewalks done last year weren't done to the requirements that the school district had issued,” Rathdrum City Administrator Leon Duce said. “But it wasn't visible until we pulled out the old asphalt. Then we had to make a change and add the sidewalks into the project.”

Rathdrum now says it will fix Pope’s approach to the garage and shop by widening the gravel access. The city couldn't estimate when this would be done, saying it needed to work with the contractor, Liberty Landworks, to extend the culvert underneath the access point before it could be widened.

“As soon as we get something from the contractors saying when they can come out and do the work, then we'll do that,” Duce said.

For Pope, it’s an ordeal he’s ready to put behind him.

“Had I known that I wouldn't have access to the shop, I never would have bought that house,” Pope said. “All I’ve heard (from the city) is talk so far, so what transpires from that is to be determined.”

    The swale and downed no parking sign blocking access to Bill Pope's garage and workshop on June 30.
  

    The swale in front of Bill Pope's garage on July 3.
  

    The swale, culvert and gravel access as seen from Bill Pope's garage on Aug. 12 during construction.
  

    A side view of the swale and tricky access to the garage and workshop on Sept. 10.