Sand Creek route is environmentally neutral

Let's see if I have this correct. Mr. Wythe recommends the Idaho Transportation Department build a new half-billion dollar fenced, 300-foot-wide, international transportation corridor from Algoma to Bronx substation. The proposed route would involve bisecting housing developments north and south of the Pend Oreille River affecting several hundred homeowners, require rail and highway bridges from Springy Point to Rocky Point, hammer the wetlands along Syringa and east branch of Sand Creek and subject all of the adjoiners to the noise, visual and air pollution associated with a transportation facility having 70 trains and 27,000 vehicles grinding by every day. In addition, he recommends building crossover tracks from the BN-SF mainline to the Union Pacific and Montana Rail Link tracks that would adversely affect more businesses and homeowners located north of Ponderay and Kootenai.

The national and international transportation corridor through Sandpoint has been in place for well over 75 years and continues to function very well. The construction of the Sand Creek Byway will add to the corridor's efficiency. It may affect a few businesses for a few weeks out of the year but does not adversely affect the lives and well-being of hundreds of Bonner County residents.

The new lakeside condo owners knew or should have known that there was a railroad and soon-to-be constructed byway in their backyard. To them I say, “caveat emptor.” As for Mr. Wythe and the anti-byway group, I suggest that they try to come up with a truly viable alternative to the Sand Creek Byway route that is environmentally neutral and creates no adverse impacts on the citizenry of the county.

RICHARD F. CREED

Sagle