It's time to reawaken Sandpoint's bulldog

On a desk of someone at the University of Idaho in Moscow sits a deed for the 77 acres on Boyer Avenue that the university wants to sell for about $7,000,000 to any developer.

That deed represents a gift from the Humbird Lumber Co in Sandpoint in 1913 which asked the U of I to “establish demonstration and research stations in the area.” (The Bonner County Museum assisted in this research.) Humbird wanted their timber harvested lands to be useful to local citizens. In the original lease was written a reversion clause. Should there be a “period of time exceeding” two years in which if the land is not being used as “an experimental farm for demonstration purposes by” the state, then the property is to “revert” to the original owner.

It was not a gift outright, but was contingent upon the U of I providing services to the citizens of Sandpoint and the surrounding area. With gratitude, the “citizens of Sandpoint and vicinity … donated labor and materials to construct buildings on the station.”

Up until about 2009 the U of I did more or less fulfill its obligations as a Land Grant college and to the gift of 77-plus acres on Boyer Avenue. The Daily Bee reported in August 2009 the U of I planned to cease operations of the agriculture station here and others around the state. The Great Recession had hit Idaho, too.

The Bee also reported how useful had been agriculture agent’s Dr. Dan Barney’s efforts at developing cold hardy plants for wholesale tree and landscaping businesses, as well as other experiments.

Since that time the land has more or less lain fallow except for the fact that this area’s citizens have fallen in love with the acres as a recreational green space “in town” and many see it as a perfect site for true “affordable housing.” And, I bet, there are entrepreneurs in the Panhandle such as Ms. Diane Green of Green Tree Naturals and her partners who would like the help of a re-invigorated U of I agriculture station to research sustainable organic produce. A good fit since just recently, the U of I got another gift — this time from Dennis Pence who gifted to the U of I his organic apple orchard, also on Boyer Avenue.

Can the U of I sell this property? Unfortunately, they can. In 1954, the U of I got a defunct Humbird Lumber Co on life support in Spokane to quit claim the property to them.

Should they sell this gift? No.

A year ago, the city of Sandpoint set up a visioning process for what the community wanted on the property — to wit: affordable housing and recreation space. They considered only a few funding options — all of which assumed buying the property from U of I. When those funding ideas fell through, the city went silent.

There is only one option: Passionate and (Sandpoint) “bulldog” outreach. Local business leaders, such as the owners of Litehouse Foods, the mayor and counselors, and our regional legislators, including this area’s best friend in Boise ever, director of the Associated Logging Contractors, Shawn Keough, need to sit down in Boise with the U of I president Chuck Staben and Gov. Brad Little and Idaho Commerce Director, Tom Kealey. They need to impress upon these leaders the importance of keeping the property in public hands. And do it NOW, not months from now.

Convince U of I to re-institute their agriculture station. Partner locally. If the university absolutely needs some money out of a new deal, Sandpoint does have land to trade and it has taxing options with citizen approval; in short, Sandpoint has assets.

Encourage them to see that they can provide true affordable housing, which the city determined would be housing in the range of $140,000 to $160,000 for the local workforce. Have U of I form a Community Land Trust (or CLT). Google that phrase to see how it works (and works successfully nationwide). But, primarily with the land held in public trust, and houses are privately owned, and with the city securing Idaho Community Development block grants for utilities and infrastructure development, more local workers can actually afford to buy here.

Get the U of I to understand they need to get involved and to re-new their mission as a land grant college. Their architectural students can design the houses and greenscape. Their engineering department could design a CLT wide bio-mass furnace system that steam heats all the houses. Make this a big PR event.

In short, get the darn deed off someone’s desk and get the university’s interest and obligations re-awakened. To do that, first the city of Sandpoint has to re-awaken and find its inner bulldog!

Stephen Drinkard was the city of Sandpoint’s grant writer, project coordinator and urban forester from 1999 through 2012. Drinkard helped begin the city’s urban renewal agency, its urban forestry program, and initiate the downtown revitalization process in 2000, including helping to secure North Idaho College’s presence as a satellite campus. Drinkard currently contracts his services as an urban forester with the state of Idaho. He is also working in stained glass, a former profession.