Fair access road solution sought

SANDPOINT — Residents overwhelmingly urged Bonner County commissioners on Thursday to ask the city of Sandpoint to waive a right-of-way requirement that would cut through the fairgrounds or sheriff’s complex

“The best option is no road. This is not a residential complex,” said Commissioner Mike Nielsen, agreeing with the majority sentiment of the 80-plus person crowd at a town hall-style meeting.

But if that request fails to gain traction with the City Council, commissioners will have to decide where to designate the right of way in order to comply with city codes governing street connectivity and public access.

The requirement emerged when the county began developing plans to construct a new juvenile detention center.

“This is not new. The county representation knew that there needed to be a road there from day one,” said Sandpoint Fire Chief Robert Tyler, the only city official who attended the meeting.

City code requires public right of way every 300-600 feet. When the city approved the juvenile lockup’s development agreement last year, it left it to the county to decide where the right of way should be designated.

The city might not construct the road linking North Boyer and Samuelson avenues for a decade or more, but the county is required to dedicate the right of way before an occupancy permit is granted for the juvenile center.

As a result, the county developed three potential locations, all of which are regarded as either problematic or overly burdensome on the sheriff’s complex or the fairgrounds.

One option would designate the route immediately south of the sheriff’s office and jail, which Sheriff Daryl Wheeler said would present a security risk.

“We’ve got the possibility of people walking along this road and throwing contraband (over the fence),” said Wheeler.

Extra security fencing measures could be installed, but Wheeler said his office is without the funding for such an undertaking.

A second option would be to put the route between the sheriff’s office and fairgrounds, but it would be too close to the county’s emergency communications center and the juvenile center.

That option is also drawing stiff opposition from fairgrounds officials and supporters. It would eat into a valuable parking area the fairgrounds relies on during big events.

“There needs to be some other option than taking a slice of the fairgrounds,” said Fair Board member Gail Curless.

Curless emphasized that the fairgrounds is a unique asset to Bonner County and the region that stimulates the local economy by an estimated $32 million annually.

A third option would be to designate the route along the northern boundary of the fairgrounds, although it is expected to require the placement of fill and cutting of trees. It would also take out some campground sites and displace holding areas for the rodeo grounds.

Currents of resentment and distrust were palpable during the meeting. Some faulted commissioners for not finding a solution to the dilemma earlier on. Others pointed out that the fairgrounds agreed not that long ago to give up a 17-foot-wide swath of land for sheriff’s complex expansion, but 30 feet was ultimately taken.

“If we keep giving and giving, the fairgrounds is going to be gone,” said Monica Gunter, a former Fair Board member.

Some were discomforted by the concept of a juvenile center creating a burden on the fairgrounds, which is widely seen as a resource that helps keep kids on the straight and narrow through 4-H and other programs.

Commissioners hope to make their appeal to the council in February, although the matter has not been approved for its agenda yet. The county intends to argue that fairgrounds and sheriff’s complex, which also houses an Idaho National Guard facility, are unique land uses that would justify a waiver from the requirement.

If the appeal fails, many in the crowd urged the commission to designate the route south of the sheriff’s office.