Trestle Creek marina plan resurfaces

SANDPOINT — A plan to develop a private marina on Lake Pend Oreille at Trestle Creek will be the subject of a public hearing on Tuesday at Sandpoint Community Hall.

The Idaho Department of Lands is conducting the 6 p.m. hearing.

The 124-slip project, which is split into north and south halves, would serve a 109-unit condominium and housing development approved earlier this year by Bonner County. The marina and housing plan are being done by Pend Oreille Bonner Development, which redeveloped Hidden Lakes Golf Resort into The Idaho Club.

Pend Oreille Bonner Development sought a joint encroachment permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and IDL earlier this year, but withdrew the application so the marina plan could be reconfigured.

“They reduced the size of the impact,” said Jim Brady, a senior lands resource specialist for IDL’s Pend Oreille Supervisory Area.

The revised marina plan has roughly the same number of slips as originally proposed, although the total square footage of the marina has been scaled back. The docks’ encroachment into the lake has also been reduced.

Work at the northern half of the marina involves reconfiguring the boat basin and removing an artificial island within it. A linear channel will also be filled in and the north branch of Trestle Creek will be restored to its historic alignment, which will improve fish access to the creek and the lake, the application states.

Existing docking structures will be slightly reconfigured and improved on the southern half of the project. A timber breakwater will also be replaced.

The northern half will provide 105 slips and the southern half will provide 19 more. Together, the marina will cover 20,158 square feet, according to the revised application.

All dredging and excavation will occur after the lake level is drawn down to its winter pool, which means no in-water work is proposed or planned.

The original marina plan proposed a float plane dock, an element which attracted opposition from some residents who said current air traffic from prospective buyers was creating a noise nuisance.

The float plane dock is not included in the revised proposal.

“However,” Brady said, “that does not mean there won’t be float plane use.”

The application states the developers will have a float plane protocol addressing the times, direction and distance from shore takeoffs and landings will take place.