Trestle Creek resort

P&Z endorses Trestle Creek resort
Posted: Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008 - 09:34:49 am PST
By KEITH KINNAIRD
News editor

SANDPOINT -- The Bonner County Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved a large-scale planned unit development for resort on Lake Pend Oreille at Trestle Creek.
An accompanying zone change from rural to recreation for the 109-unit development was approved on a 4-1 vote. The development's conditional use permit and zone change are headed to county commissioners with do-pass recommendations.

The planning commission tabled decisions on Pend Oreille Bonner Development's proposal earlier this month due to time constraints. Tuesday's hearing was open to testimony, although it was limited to allow testimony only from people who didn't speak at the prior hearing.

Nearly all of the testimony at the earlier hearing was in support of the project. At Tuesday's hearing, three people testified and each raised concerns about the proposal.

Mount Eagen resident Janelle Shields said she was discomforted by the density of the housing and its impact on the shoreline. Although developers say the resort would have lesser impacts than the RV park its supplanting, Shields pointed out the trailer park was seasonal."The trailer park had its highest use three months out of the year," she said. "There will be an impact year-round with this density."

Lori Goldrick echoed Shields' remarks and questioned the safety of the resort's dependence on track-level railroad crossings motorists would have to negotiate and the "privatization of the lake shore."The North Idaho Country Resort RV park has always been private property, although anybody could pull off the Highway 200 and pay a fee to camp or stay there.On rebuttal, project representative Marty Taylor emphasized the resort would be developed at a density lower than code allows and it would have no effect on the adjacent recreation area maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The commission's deliberation concerned mainly the conditions of approval.Developers plan to restore a branch of Trestle Creek to its natural course, which is expected to enhance critical bull trout habitat, but Commissioner Margaret Hall questioned what was being done to