Council hears update on downtown infill working group; staff recommends tower limits and design changes

Coeur d’Alene — City planning staff on April 15 updated the City Council on the downtown core infill working group’s modeling and early recommendations to preserve the historic downtown character as new towers are built nearby.

Hillary (city planning staff) told council members the working group used GIS massing and shadow models — including the three towers already approved or under construction (Resort tower, Thomas George, Marriott) — to test scenarios. The group’s early recommendations include limiting prospective tower heights on Sherman, Lakeside and Front avenues and shifting emphasis from vehicle‑oriented streetfronts to pedestrian‑oriented design. The group also recommended tightening floor‑area ratio (FAR) bonuses that now reward private amenities such as gyms and meeting rooms and revising bonuses to better incentivize workforce housing.

Why it matters: Council asked staff last year to evaluate the downtown code and design guidelines after concerns about tower spacing (current code allows 220‑foot towers with 50‑foot spacing) and the potential of a continuous, tall ‘‘wall’’ along lake‑facing streets. Modeling showed how additional tall massing could cast large shadows and change view corridors toward Tubbs Hill and the lake.

Specifics and next steps - Modeling: Staff modeled approved and hypothetical towers to show shadowing and a possible ‘‘wall’’ effect on Front Avenue and Sherman. Staff also sampled other lake/resort cities and found examples (Kalispell, others) of modern buildings integrated with a historic core. - Recommendations: Initial working group suggestions are to limit new tower heights on Front, Sherman and Lakeside (specific height limits to be refined), make Sherman and similar streets prioritize pedestrians over through‑vehicle traffic, preserve historic structures through incentives and stronger design‑review standards, and revise FAR bonuses to favor workforce housing and public parking/restrooms over private amenities. - University of Idaho collaboration: Staff proposed a May start for a modeling and design effort by University of Idaho architecture students and faculty; the scope includes five site visits, LIDAR and imagery work, and visual alternatives. Staff discussed fast‑tracking design‑guideline updates while the zoning/standards work continues.

Council comments and public input: Council members and several public commenters urged speed on public outreach and said earlier intervention is needed so development applications do not outpace regulatory updates. One council member noted prior removal of downtown height limits decades ago and said constituents expect action to prevent unchecked tower growth.

Speakers - Hillary (Planning staff, presentation start block 2541.725) - Councilmembers who spoke in discussion: Mike Gookin, Dan English, Amy Evans, Katie Miller - Working group members and consultants present; University of Idaho scope discussed

No formal vote was taken. Staff will proceed to stakeholder charrettes, additional modeling with University of Idaho, parking study coordination with Diamond Parking, and continued meetings with public safety, utilities and developers.

Provenance - topicintro: {"block_id":"block_2541.725","local_start":0,"local_end":800,"evidence_excerpt":"Alright. So we're gonna move into the downtown core infill working group update. Good evening, mayor and council members. This is my second time before you providing an update on our efforts with the working group...","reason_code":"topicintro"} - topfinish: {"block_id":"block_3491.03","local_start":0,"local_end":800,"evidence_excerpt":"Great. Thank you. Mr. DeCouken. No, I just was on the thumbs up to what Katie was saying... We'll do the modeling and get public input and bring forward recommendations for changes to our code and design guidelines.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}