May 10, 2006 PRESS RELEASE (DOWNLOAD)
Rathdrum Mountain Property Not For Sale
In a letter (DOWNLOAD) addressed to Rathdrum Mayor Brian Steele, Mr. Jeff Weimer, President of JD Lumber Company, stated that their 280 acres atop Rathdrum Mountain are not for sale. The letter was sent to the City in response to recent press coverage regarding Councilman Ken Hayes’ proposal to have the City consider purchasing the land. The letter also confirmed that the Friends of Rathdrum Mountain would be the first to know if and when JD Lumber decides to sell the property.
Mayor Steele announced receipt of the letter at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 9th at the point in the meeting when Councilman Hayes’ proposal was to be discussed. It was thought that no further discussion would be required but both Hayes and Friends of Rathdrum Mountain spokesman Jim Ochenkoski made statements regarding the need to prepare for the day when the property may be offered for sale. Councilman Hayes’ request that his fellow Councilman provide their support for the possibility of the City’s involvement was met with negative responses. The consensus was that there were higher priority projects in town on which any current or even unexpected income could be spent.
Although no action was taken by City Council, the Friends group was encouraged by receipt of the letter. They were fully aware that the land was not currently for sale but this was the first time JD Lumber confirmed in writing that the Friends would be given the first opportunity to purchase the property. They will continue with their plans to make the public aware of the importance of protecting the property from development.
Background
The City of Rathdrum already owns 557 acres on the side of the Mountain. The JD Lumber Company's 280 acres are adjacent to the City's property. JD Lumber has logged their property over the last two years and is pursuing easements from its neighbors in order to sell the land. As a small non-profit group, the Friends do not have the resources to purchase the land outright, nor do they have an interest in managing the property. They have, however, been seeking ways to buy the land with some combination of private funds and public grants. The Friends of Rathdrum Mountain are dedicated to preserving the Rathdrum Mountain area in its natural state. According to their vision statement, Rathdrum Mountain provides a magnificent backdrop to the City of Rathdrum; they would like it to remain a view shed of trees and not become littered with houses.
Points of Contact:
Wes DuCharme
President, Friends of Rathdrum Mountain, 687-0588
Toby Kaplan
Vice President, Friends of Rathdrum Mountain, 687-3267
Jim Ochenkoski
Secretary, Friends of Rathdrum Mountain, 687-2113
e-mail: Friends@RathdrumMountain.org
Web: www.rathdrummountain.org
|
|
A race for Rathdrum Mountain?By BRIAN WALKER Staff writer City councilor says city should mull buying 280 acres before developers do RATHDRUM
-- A Rathdrum city councilman wants the city to consider buying 280 acres on the face of Rathdrum Mountain before it is snatched up by developers. Although Ken Hayes' idea hasn't been on a council agenda, he said it has "fallen on deaf ears" at City Hall. "I'm trying to get it on a meeting later on to see if they'll reconsider," he said. "We'd be very foolish to let it go."
Hayes wants the city to begin talks to purchase the harvested property, which overlooks the Rathdrum Prairie and is owned by J.D. Lumber of Priest River. City officials and members of Friends of Rathdrum Mountain say the latest price estimate is between $700,000 and $1 million. Hayes believes the property is worth saving, even if it means going to voters for a bond vote. Rathdrum already owns 557 acres on the side of the mountain just below the land. "There's so many pluses -- the beauty, saving the wildlife habitat and the watershed -- that I can't understand why we can't negotiate something," he said.
"There's a lot at stake there." Wes DuCharme, president of the Friends preservation group, said that J.D. Lumber has given his group first shot at buying the property. DuCharme said that after logging the property for the last two years, J.D. Lumber is pursuing easements from the state to sell the land. Lumber officials could not be reached for comment. The Friends group is launching a capital campaign to help buy the land and has set up a tax-deductible account toward the purchase.
But donations and grant opportunities have been sparse initially. That's why the group was elated about Hayes' idea to have the city consider becoming involved. Rathdrum Mayor Brian Steele said Hayes hasn't spoken to him about the idea. Steele said asking the town of 7,000 to shoulder the purchase may be a tall order. "You're talking a tenth or more of our annual budget," he said. "With something like this, we would not be able to budget. It'd take a bond, loan or some major deep pockets somewhere to acquire the land." Steele said he wonders if the property is worth the amount since it's been harvested, "but that's not to say you can't start planting trees."
Hayes said replanting could be an investment for the city to pay for the property. "This would give the city more than 800 acres and if J.D. Lumber stayed in the sawmill business, maybe the city could give it the first right to bid on whatever the going price is," said Hayes, adding that he hasn't spoken with the lumber firm on the idea. DuCharme said the Friends are investigating several options, including a trust fund that would bridge funding and provide money on a short-term basis. He believes time may be of the essence, especially with rampant growth in Kootenai County. "We haven't had much success getting the city to pay a lot of attention to the mountain," DuCharme said. "Its focus is more on the city boundaries and what to do there. That's understandable, but we think the mountain is important, too." Hayes said he had planned to meet with new city administrator Brett Boyer on Friday about his idea. Hayes said a drawback with a bond would be that only Rathdrum residents would shoulder the burden, not neighboring communities that benefit from the mountain's beauty. "All the people in the area would benefit from it, but only Rathdrum would pay for it," he said.
With a price tag of $1 million, the cost of the land would be $3,571 per acre. At $750,000, it would be $2,679. .... |
|
Rathdrum Mountain Coloring Contest
As Printed in The rathdrum Star 5/3/06
|
|
|
|
|
