ITD: U.S. 95 plans in brainstorming stages

SAGLE — Despite rumors circulating of a new freeway being built through multiple Sagle family farms and properties, Idaho Transportation Department public information officer Heather McDaniel said those ideas are many years away from developing, if they happen at all.

At last week’s Bonner County commissioners’ meeting, a concerned resident spoke about the proposed route, saying it would destroy many multi-generational farms and force residents out of their lifelong homes. The resident also claimed ITD was planning on using eminent domain — the governmental ability to obtain private property and convert it into public use — to take control of these properties.

However, McDaniel said that if the project were to go forward, eminent domain would only be used as a final option if nothing else could be done.

“While eminent domain is a tool available for property acquisition to meet the transportation needs of the state, ITD views it as a last resort and would much rather engage in collaborative, good faith negotiations with property owners,” she said.

A screenshot of the alleged route was shared on social media pages, sparking outrage from residents who felt the use of eminent domain to procure the land from locals is wrong.

Those rumors aren’t completely true, McDaniel said. Right now, ITD is examining two proposed projects for the area, but they are in the very early brainstorming phases and are nowhere near the approval stage for either idea.

“[The screenshot of the area] does depict a similar route option that is being explored by ITD based on some of the feedback we received after last fall’s public meeting regarding expansion and improvements along the US-95 corridor in Sagle,” McDaniel said. “At this point, those discussions and that alternative are simply in the exploration phase as we work to investigate whether or not it might be a feasible concept to consider as an official alternative for this project.”

One of ITD’s proposals for the Sagle area — a stretch of U.S. 95 that consistently has problems with backed up traffic and numerous multi-vehicle accidents — would maintain the current stretch of highway through Sagle, but would expand it into a four-lane section with frontage roads from Dufort Road to Lakeshore Drive. This option would require ITD to obtain multiple rights of way from the businesses along that stretch of highway to expand the road in both directions.

Residents have voiced concerns that this option could ruin business for the small town.

The other proposed option, which residents are equally as concerned about, would curve the highway around the town completely, which is what the resident at the commissioners’ meeting brought up. This option would cut through multiple properties.

Despite the extremely early stages that McDaniel said the proposed options are in, local residents have been banding together the last few weeks to write a plethora of letters to ITD voicing their unhappiness and disapproval of the proposed right of way.

“We need them to listen,” said Monica Gunter on a Facebook group that has been created specifically to keep locals informed on the situation. “Sagle does not need a high-speed freeway right next to Sagle school.”

Residents have noticed survey crews in the area of the proposed project, which has raised concerns that plans are much farther along than ITD is letting on. However, McDaniel said that is not the case, as no funding for the proposed project has been raised, so it could not progress even if that was the final plan.

“This project is still very much in the preliminary design phase as we work through the environmental reevaluation process — meaning that any sort of land transactions occurring is still a very long way off and can’t even be considered until a final route has been identified and selected to proceed with,” she said.

Until the next ITD public hearing this  fall regarding all projected roadwork in the area, Sagle residents will continue to collect as many letters as possible letting the department know they do not want either project to be approved.

Letters can be emailed to info@us95duforttolakeshore.org.