Council taking up county's appeal

SANDPOINT — The City Council is scheduled to take up Bonner County’s request to waive a development requirement to dedicate a road right of way through the fairgrounds or sheriff’s complex.

The council will discuss the matter during its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The county is asking to be relieved of the right-of-way dedication to avoid eliminating overflow parking area at the fairgrounds or creating a security issue at the sheriff’s complex.

An occupancy permit for the county’s new juvenile detention center hinges upon the dedication of the right of way. The requirement promotes through and emergency access on city streets.

Fairgrounds officials and supporters contend elimination of the parking area threatens the facility’s ability to host large-scale events. Sheriff’s officials object to a public street skirting the jail.

But city staff have consistently recommended that the council impose the code requirement and a former council member is predicting doom for Bonner County’s request.

Stephen Snedden is urging his former colleagues on the council to stick by the requirement and not be fazed by the public pressure the county has been fomenting over the issue.

County officials held a town hall-style meeting to build public support for the waiver and waited until the newly-configured council took office to seek relief from the requirement.

“The goal is clearly to apply enough public pressure on a brand new Council so as to abandon the road requirement. It’s the equivalent of bullying the new kid in school,” Snedden said in a column published in the Feb. 9 Sandpoint Reader.

Snedden also equates the county’s effort to a Hail Mary play that will pan out as well as New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s pass as the clock ran out in the Super Bowl earlier this month.

Snedden, who did not seek re-election last year, contends there aren’t enough connectors on the north side of town and the right of way would ultimately resolve an annoying access issue on Great Northern Road.