City council approves zone change for 213 E. Harrison after neighborhood concerns, limits on access and parking

The Coeur d'Alene City Council voted to approve a zone change for 213 East Harrison Avenue (ZC125), moving the property from C-17 PUD to C-17L, after a public hearing in which neighbors raised concerns about parking, traffic and uses allowed under the C-17L district.

The council’s decision followed a staff presentation and public comment from the applicant, Aaron Moat, and nearby residents. The council attached conditions that the applicant said he would follow: primary vehicle access for commercial customers from Harrison Avenue, use of the existing curb cut on Second Street for the property’s residential parking, and that an ADA-compliant corner ramp at the Harrison/Second intersection be installed when building permits are filed. Council members declined to require a new north–south sidewalk on Second Street, citing the neighborhood’s existing character.

Why it matters: The zoning change allows limited commercial uses intended as a transition between residential and commercial areas. Residents said the proposal’s details changed several times during review and asked the council to limit through-traffic and prevent business customers from using nearby residential streets for parking. The council’s conditions aim to balance the applicant’s stated plan — an administrative/professional office with a small caretaker unit — and neighborhood preservation.

Staff and applicant statements: Planning staff explained the difference between zoning labels and noted the C-17L (limited commercial) district is intended for “limited service commercial businesses” and as a buffer between residential and more intensive commercial areas. Staff said the property’s 0.213-acre size and existing building form were suitable for a limited commercial use on a collector corridor and told council that departmental reviews (streets, water, wastewater, fire and police) had found public facilities adequate for the proposal.

Applicant Aaron Moat told the council he bought the property thinking it was commercially zoned, and said his intent is to convert the existing house to an office for his siding business and create a caretaker’s unit. “We are trying to push the building as far back into the back left corner as possible to maximize the amount of parking,” Moat said, adding he submitted building plans and planned to submit commercial permits if the zone change were approved.

Neighbor concerns and council response: Nearby resident Laura Dawson (221 E. Harrison) told council she opposed the change because the application changed multiple times and she worried about additional allowed uses and parking. Neighbor Bob Riggs, who owns property a block north, said he supported limited office use but asked that access be restricted to Harrison and not allow a traffic loop that would push vehicles into the neighborhood. The council incorporated those concerns into its conditions.

Traffic and access: Staff estimated the proposed change would generate about 18 additional vehicle trips per day, with two additional AM and two additional PM peak-hour trips; a caretaker’s unit typically adds roughly 10 trips per day. Councilmembers discussed requiring frontage improvements but ultimately required only the ADA corner ramp at time of construction and left the north–south sidewalk on Second Street as not required for this project.

Vote and next steps: The council vote approved the zone change and adopted findings of fact and conclusions of law supporting the change. The ordinance amending the zoning map was read and adopted; the applicant said he expects to submit commercial building permits this summer. The project will proceed to the city permitting process, where parking, landscaping and building code details will be reviewed and enforced.

Ending: With conditions in place intended to limit traffic impacts and preserve neighborhood character, the property is now zoned C-17L. Any future change of use beyond those allowed in C-17L would require separate review or a special use permit.