Hearing for college Wednesday

SANDPOINT — City Council at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday will host a public hearing at city hall for the proposed development of college and high school campuses and technical education center near Sandpoint Airport.

The Wild Rose Foundation, which plans to buy the 77-acre Sandpoint Research and Extension Center on the east side of Boyer Avenue for developing the University of Idaho campus and new Lake Pend Oreille High School, needs a conditional use permit.

The 77 acres and a nearby 3.89 acres for the technical education center on the west side of Boyer Avenue lies in a residential zone. Schools are allowed in residential areas with permission from the city with a conditional use permit.

The city planning commission on June 5 voted unanimously to recommend the development. No one at the public hearing opposed it. Sandpoint City Council still needs to vote on it.

The first phase of the college campus will include an agriculture-life sciences building, an adminstration-classroom building with faculty office space, a fine arts building with a small theater and performing arts center, and a student union. A second phase could include dormitory space and more classrooms.

University of Idaho will offer bachelor's and master's degrees in music-theater. Other programs could include psychology, environmental science and nutrition-food science. North Idaho College and Lewis and Clark also will offer programs

The proposal also would turn over 32 acres to Lake Pend Oreille School District for the new school. However, that portion is subject to school board and voter approval.

The technical education center will be used for workforce training that could include various building trades, nursing and computers.

The application for the college needs to be into the State Board of Education by July 10 for its August meeting.