Celebrating the trail
Brad Benoit, Finnigan Benoit — a fourth generation Sandpoint resident — and Christina Grance, make s’mores at the celebration for the opening of an expanded Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail on Saturday. The city of Ponderay opened the gate at the current Pend d’Oreille Bay to celebrate a purchase agreement for the Wolters property with a public ribbon-cutting and community celebration.
(Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER)
Community members, Ponderay officials and Friends of the Pend d'Oreille Bay Trail celebrated another milestone of the trail as several dozen people gathered to celebrate an extension of the trail.
The celebration followed an announcement last month by Ponderay officials that they plan to use local option tax revenue to purchase waterfront property, expanding public access to Lake Pend Oreille.
The property is just over an acre in size with 100 feet of lake frontage, and sits between current city of Ponderay waterfront property and “Black Rock,” the site of a former lead smelter.
While the purchase won't be complete until later in 2022, Friends of the Pend d'Oreille Bay Trail secured easement from the Wolters family to allow the group to expand the trail and increase public access to the lake, POB Trail officials said.
The purchase is being funding by the city's new local option tax.
It's estimated the tax, which will expire in 2025, will raise about $2.5 million per year. The funds are designated for lake access and for the Field of Dreams sports complex, which is currently under design and development.