Fuel tank proposal will go to public hearing

Interstate Concrete and Asphalt’s proposal to put two 20,000-gallon fuel tanks over the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer goes to a public hearing July 28.

The company wants the ability to use fuel oil or diesel instead of natural gas to fire its asphalt-making plants north of Hayden. It plans to put one fuel tank near the Hayden mine’s entrance on Murphy Road, which is off U.S. Highway 95. The other tank would be at the northeast corner of the property near Wyoming Avenue and Greensferry Road.

Neighbors and the Kootenai Environmental Alliance worry about putting the two tanks over the aquifer, which is the sole source of drinking water for more than 400,000 people. They also are concerned about potential air pollution from burning the fuel oil.

Interstate Environmental Manager Corky Witherwax said the tanks would have double-steel walls with a monitor in the space in between that would detect any leaks from the inner tank. The tanks also would be surrounded by 3,600-pound concrete blocks to protect them from any impacts, such as a truck ramming into them.

Witherwax said the company has no immediate plans to use the tanks but just wants the capability in case there is ever a natural gas shortage. He said the tanks would be about 300 feet above the aquifer, and he is doubtful fuels could ever reach the pit’s bottom if there was a spill.

The Kootenai County Commission will have the 10 a.m. hearing at its office in the County Administration Building, 451 Government Way. For more information, call 446-1070.

Land-use rules

After nearly two years of work, the Kootenai County Commission may make a decision Wednesday on new rules for dividing and classifying county land.

Some of the main changes would limit building on the county’s steep hillsides and decrease the number of homes developers can build in agriculture/suburban areas. The commission wants one home allowed on each two-acre lot in these areas that are transition between agriculture and more urban areas.

Developers and builders argue the hillside restrictions and limited density in agricultural/suburban areas will put a moratorium on building and increase the cost of homes.

The commission had postponed making a decision on either proposal, saying it needed more time to review comments received during a June 24 public hearing.

The county staff and the county Planning Commission are rewriting both the subdivision and zoning rules, which ultimately work together. During the last year there has been numerous public hearing on both proposals. Many residents, developers and environmentalist aren’t happy with how the rules are shaping up and they argue that there hasn’t been enough public involvement. The North Idaho Building Contractors Association offered during the June hearing to hire a moderator so the county could have another public workshop on the rules. The commission hasn’t yet made a decision on whether to accept the offer.

The 10 a.m. meeting is in the County Commission office in the County Administration Building, 451 Government Way. For more information, call 446-1070.

Green Meadows

A controversial housing development off Rimrock Road is getting another public hearing July 22 before the Kootenai County Commission makes a final decision.

Local real estate agent John Beutler has said he won’t give up on his plans to an 80-lot subdivision on the south side of Lancaster Road.

Traffic congestion is the latest problem bogging down plans for the development.

A Kootenai County hearing examiner recommended denial in April of Green Meadows because of possible traffic problems on U.S. Highway 95 and Lancaster Road. The examiner also said there were potential safety concerns with the proposed bike and pedestrian paths.

This is the second time Beutler has proposed the development, which was initially rejected by the commission in June 2003 because of concerns of putting 80 homes on the land marked by high groundwater and crossed by two creeks. The commission also had concerns about traffic congestion.

Beutler spent the winter reworking the project and got a commitment from the Hayden Lake Recreational Water and Sewer District to provide sewer hookups if he proves that the storm water and erosion control plans will protect Hayden Lake. The hearing examiner’s April recommendation acknowledged that Beutler had “satisfactorily demonstrated” how the high water can be addressed.

That leaves traffic congestion as the major concern.

The 6 p.m. meeting is at the Kootenai County Administration Building, 451 Government Way. For more information, call 446-1070.

Hauser mines

The Kootenai County Commission may decide July 22 if the county will allow surface mining on 750 acres of the Rathdrum Prairie that is within Hauser’s area of city impact.

Currently,Hauser doesn’t allow mining its area of city impact. Some property owners in that area think they should have the ability to get a permit for a mine if they meet the county and state conditions.

Robert Bonucelli, McFarland Cascade Holdings Inc. and McFarland Company Ltd. are asking for the rule change. The group’s attorney, Scott Poorman, has said the property owners have no intention of developing a mine, but it would make their land more marketable.

The Hauser Joint Planning Commission recommended denial of the proposal in April. The County Commission will make the final decision.

After the April hearing, Poorman said he felt the joint planning commission doesn’t want surface mines allowed on the Rathdrum Prairie under any circumstances.

The 6 p.m. hearing is at the Kootenai County Administration Building, 451 Government Way. For more information, call 446-1070.

State appointment

Former Bonner County Commissioner Steve Klatt was recently appointed by Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Board.

Klatt, who currently serves on the Bonner County Waterways Committee, will replace Bob Haakenson and represent Region 1. Haakenson, a former Kootenai County Commissioner and state legislator, served on the state board for 12 years.