Many of our representatives and planning officials have always been "pro-growth." We just didn't notice until the demand for houses in the last two years greatly accelerated the plan to urbanize Kootenai County. To address this problem we will need to elect government leaders who will represent the citizens instead of the developers. Elected officials have a lot of control about how much new development gets authorized, so replacing pro-growth city councils is essential. We will also need to articulate a realistic vision for growth that is more in line with the wishes of the residents and change certain laws that are far too generous to developers. There is much work to do.

The proposed Huetter bypass would do very little to relieve congestion US-95 through CDA, because only about 15% of existing traffic is “through” traffic, the other 85% is local and would not be affected. If an interchange had been made at Huetter long ago, it could easily serve the existing demand, but the people who are pushing the six lane bypass want to greatly increase development of Athol and Bonner county beyond their current population, and increase trade with Canada. There are other, more effective ways of addressing traffic problems in CDA. The "No Huetter Bypass" website addresses many of these issues.

Housing affordability is a complicated problem, but for our the sake of all who hope to afford a home in the area, our city officials should explicitly prioritize home ownership opportunities, over corporate rentals when considering housing policy. When our current planners talk about "affordable housing" they often ignore three critically important facts; 1) High densities drive land prices UP not DOWN, 2) Rentals and ownership opportunities are absolutely NOT interchangeable to most people and 3) Manufactured homes are still affordable and are a better solution for most low income Idahoans than subsidized apartments and permanent renter status.

If you are on this website, you are already doing something important: First educate yourself, then let your neighbors know what is going on. The issue of growth is very complicated and if left to the Planning and Zoning "professionals" in Kootenai County, we can expect the worst. Start by visiting the Links pages to get oriented, and learn about other groups in the area who are working to limit growth.. Stay informed about developments in your city. Contact Us or join a discussion group on Social Media to Stay Informed

What we are opposed to is the rezoning of commercial real estate on key arterials to facilitate high density housing. Large scale developers prefer mixed use zoning because it enables them to build high density, subsidized apartments on the best commercial property in town, and promote their developments as "urban villages." The corporate managers of mixed use developments keep rents very high because the higher their rents, the higher their subsidies. We have seen the extremely negative effects of Mixed Use Development first hand to the town where we grew up.

Much of the prairie is owned by investment corporations who purchased the land with the intention of holding onto for a long while, and reap windfall profits when it is eventually developed. By farming the land these companies are taxed at a low rate and frequently qualify for government subsidies. Buying up large parcels of land "in the path of growth" and keeping them undeveloped for decades in order to create artificial scarcity is an investment strategy called “Land Banking.” What has happened recently is a mad rush to hasten inevitable development because of a spike in demand. There are ways to oppose these corporate land barons, but nothing can be done without educating the public.