Williams taking deeper look at trail documents

SANDPOINT — Commissioner Asia Williams announced that she would be taking a deeper look into the Camp Bay legal documents following her discussion of them at last week’s commissioners’ meeting.

Williams said that following the June 11 meeting, she took a closer look at the Camp Bay resolution the previous board of commissioners had signed in comparison to the document she had received and read from last week.

“What it looks like I reviewed was the developer’s statement of what their plan was, not a legal document that said this is the timeframe by which the trail should be issued,” she said.

Because of this, she said she is once again talking with Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall regarding the creation of a temporary trail until the permanent one is finished since there is no legal document saying a trail cannot be accessed by residents until February 2025.

Williams said she is planning on giving Marshall and the developer a reasonable amount of time to come up with a plan and will let residents know what decision has been made as soon as she knows.

According to law, the easement to the shore on the property “reserves access during construction only to Bonner County staff.” The temporary easement will allow authorized county staff to inspect and confirm the completion of trail construction. According to the developer, they have 12 months following the final vacation approval, putting the trail’s completion deadline in February 2025.

The lack of progress on a trail in the area is drawing concern among residents who fought for access to Lake Pend Oreille in the Camp Bay Road area.

“That document was generated by the developer stating what they were willing to do,” Jennifer Arne told the county last week. “They do not represent a contract with the county.”

All the public is asking to do, Arne said, is use the existing road on the property to be able to access the lake. Other residents on Camp Bay Road are currently using an easement to access their properties during construction, she added, and this request is seemingly no different.

“This, in a sense, accessing the lake, would be Bonner County residents accessing their property — the lake,” she said.

Commissioner Steve Bradshaw said that he had spoken to the county prosecutor earlier this month, saying he was advised that the property is considered private until the trail is completed and access turned over to the county.