Sandpoint Wishlist (Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Post Falls: homes, unemployment, private school)

[Sandpointian]

My fantasy list for the Sandpoint area...

1. Internet 2.0 with speeds >12 Mbps (a great way to empower the individual)
2. Revival of the idea of a local university (a nice cash infusion from the outside with many exciting possibilities provided it is done right)
3. More success with the build out of Dover (it makes me a bit sad to see the underdevelopment there).
4. A private high school (I like the idea of more educational diversity)
5. The incursion of small research companies (smart local growth)
6. Wisdom with the post-ITD handover of downtown traffic & success with the Curve (fingers crossed)
7. More and better development in Ponderay (move from retail strip malls to more value added)
8. A new City Council that understands the value of sitting on one's hands when it comes to imposing its will on homeowners (with some policies one can see how difficult it is not to lord over us).
9. Bias toward more infilling of homes rather than urban sprawl (we have seen this here and there).
10. More competition for SWAC (high fees for a fairly average gym/pool)

Smart and slowly evolving growth ... growing the tax base without growing too many problems...

Otherwise...it is just about right!!

Thoughts? What is your wishlist?

[CMartel2]

Numbers 2, 3, 5, and 7 will all contribute to Number 9.

Attempting to control via Number 9 will bring in more burdensome individuals who will like all your to-be-avoided regulations in Number 8.

I fail to see the point of a local university. You already have North Idaho College and U of I - Coeur d'Alene just down the road. Then the U of I not too, too far away in Moscow.

I'm a bit biased in that I don't see underdevelopment as a problem but rather an attraction. Granted, there's a balance to maintaining a local economy. I just can't say I'm too fond of living in a place that the next "It." Those places tend to be overrun and destroyed. Smaller research companies? Probably a nice infusion. Though everyone wants them. Whether they survive....

I won't disagree with you on the private school part. I know little of it other than the core philosophy and word of mouth, but a unique offering such as the Classical Christian Academy in Post Falls seems appealing.

[Sandpointian]

Thanks for responding. Just something to stir the pot.

Originally Posted by CMartel2

Attempting to control via Number 9 will bring in more burdensome individuals who will like all your to-be-avoided regulations in Number 8.

Not quite sure I see that.

Originally Posted by CMartel2

I fail to see the point of a local university. You already have North Idaho College and U of I - Coeur d'Alene just down the road. Then the U of I not too, too far away in Moscow.

* NIC is not a university but a community college.
* U of I CDA is an academic community college with only very, selective offerings.
* U of I Moscow is far enough away to be impractical for consideration.

Why?
* Provides for a broad range of jobs in an area with 12%+ unemployment
* Allows the area to break out of the retail strip mall trap that it has been in for quite some time.
* The types of jobs match well the vibe of Sandpoint
* It would help provide a nice bridge for Sandpoint youth, most of whom move away and don't come back.
* It would provide for a nice tax revenue base, with the potential of lowering the trajectory of future taxes in the region.

Originally Posted by CMartel2

I'm a bit biased in that I don't see underdevelopment as a problem but rather an attraction. Granted, there's a balance to maintaining a local economy. I just can't say I'm too fond of living in a place that the next "It." Those places tend to be overrun and destroyed. Smaller research companies? Probably a nice infusion. Though everyone wants them. Whether they survive....

I empathize with your sentiments. However, whether underdevelopment is an attraction depends largely on your station here. For those of us who derive their income from outside sources, whether by pension or telecommuting, an underdeveloped Sandpoint is no doubt a good thing. For those with kids who will follow their parents in their local trade, a slowly developing Sandpoint is a good thing. But for those with kids here who love it here but cannot support themselves in such a narrow and thin economy, they have no choice but to leave. And with their departure, we lose a lot of good people.

I have three kids who would benefit from remaining in Sandpoint beyond high school and would probably thrive here with more vertical development.

I too go back forth within myself on not only smart growth but how to achieve it without losing the peaceful easy feeling of current Sandpoint. But to that I think that change will come whether we like it or not, so best to be engaged in one's vision rather than be forced by default to accept the vision of those with perhaps more insidious intentions.

I don;t want Sandpoint to be "It." Far from it. I like it under the radar. I just want it to grow more vertically than horizontally. My wishlist is something more low key without industrial giants or the need for urban sprawl of the kind experienced by CDA. All those polls claiming Sandpoint #1 are pushed for by those with visions to expand Sandpoint a particular way. If no countervision is offered, it will eventually grow much a you point out.

I fear Aspenization more than Stanfordization. The former is empty and will skew life here in favor of the very few, while the latter can offer quite exciting opportunities for virtually all parts of the community.

Smaller research companies: need four things. One is truly high speed internet. Current speeds in town are about 7 years behind the frontier. Two is human capital (a mix of homegrown and imported talent). Three is affordable housing, which we do have. Four is an accessible environment worth living in, which we have.

Originally Posted by CMartel2

I won't disagree with you on the private school part. I know little of it other than the core philosophy and word of mouth, but a unique offering such as the Classical Christian Academy in Post Falls seems appealing.

Yes. I would expect more than what we have, though of course this is a homeschooler's paradise.

Cheers, S.

[mistyriver]

Good to see you back Sandpointian. I agree with your wish list. I would love to see a local university and more private school choices.