City garners input with on-site workshop

SANDPOINT — The 77-acre University of Idaho property is rich with trees beginning to show the colors of fall, and trails that lead visitors across the property to where Sand Creek borders it to the east.

As university officials recently announced plans to sell the property, community members wonder what will become of the property. Those who attended the city Planning and Zoning Commission's most recent workshop spent Wednesday evening on the property asking questions, looking at informational boards and taking in the lay of the land.

The purpose of the workshops is for city staff to garner public input for to update the city's comprehensive plan in regards to the UI property and its surrounding area. University officials agreed to work with the city to ensure whatever does become of the property is in line with the city's vision for land.

"By spring we will hopefully come to some sort of agreement or solution," said Aaron Qualls, city planning and economic development director. "The university doesn't have to do that, but they are willing to and they want to."

The comprehensive plan is a document used by the city to guide policies related to land use, transportation, natural resources, housing, and more. The property is currently zoned single-family, and while the comprehensive plan does not address zoning, updating it will help inform staff for possible zoning changes in the future, Qualls said.

Most of the informational boards set up for the on-site workshop were conceptual designs done by UI architecture students as part of a planning process in 2012. While there was a different objective at that time, Qualls said the renderings give a "sense of scale" of the property rather than looking at it on a map.

Mayor Shelby Rognstad said the design department from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle has shown interest in the current planning process for the property, using it as a case study for their junior and senior students. The students were in Sandpoint this week to get familiarized with the property, Rognstad said.

"They're going to be doing a student project that is very similar to what you see here to further stimulate imagination and visioning for the community," Rognstad said.

Along with information and a tour, written comments were collected during the workshop and Qualls answered several questions from the group. A few people asked about a possible purchaser or purchasers of the property, such as if a group of community members wanted to pool their money to acquire it, or if a nonprofit group like Kaniksu Land Trust could fundraise the money. Qualls said those are viable options, but ultimately it will be up to the university in regards to the sale of the property. Someone asked how much the property will be sold for, and while UI officials received two appraisals, Qualls said they are not willing to disclose any numbers yet.  

Another question was whether the property was part of the watershed, as it does border Sand Creek. Qualls said it is not technically part of the city's watershed, but there is some wetland area on the property that drains into the creek.

The workshop was the second in a series hosted by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Qualls said he has received positive feedback by workshop participants about the format, and so far the outcome has been positive as well.

"I've been pleased with the turnout, with the comments, with the discussion and the questions" Qualls said.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.