Residents will have to wait until fall for real leadership

See if you can follow this.

The Panhandle State Bank building has never been in front of the Sandpoint City Council — only the planning commission.

Building heights were raised by the City Council after an advisory vote of the people. PSB is built to the greatest height allowed — no restrictions.

The bank's original plan included 250 underground spaces. Before they appeared before the planning commission to get their conditional use permit approved, The Bee said PSB had slashed the $20 million parking garage for 250 vehicles as well as the additional surface parking for 125 cars. PSB offered no alternative solutions.

Because the city's (so-called) "planner" said the planning commission could not consider parking, PSB was let off the hook, which laid the groundwork for the mess we're in now.

Where else could this happen? Try Hagadone's attempts to bully the city of Coeur d'Alene into closing Sherman and moving a park for business deliveries every day.

You want leadership and cooperation. You're going to have to wait until after this fall's election.

Try talking with some "real" Sandpoint people to get the pulse of the town before you bow down to your corporate advertisers and write another false editorial. You might even try reading some of your back papers to gather some facts.

JOHN ELSA

Sandpoint