Timberline Helicopters asks Sandpoint urban renewal for $400,000 to complete Mountain View frontage improvements

Timberline Helicopters asked the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency on June 3 for a $400,000 up-front investment to pay for off-site public infrastructure — water, sewer, frontage and pavement — needed to make a Mountain View Road parcel build-ready.

The request was made during the agency’s regular meeting by Tyson Davis, representing Timberline. “We estimate the public infrastructure cost to be approximately $400,000. We respectfully request a direct investment from CERA for that amount,” Davis said.

The company said the project would be a private investment on a roughly 9.5-acre parcel adjacent to airport facilities and would house a manufacturing/repair facility and taxiway connection. Davis told commissioners the business expects to create 24 jobs over the next three years (about 16 mechanics, four administrative positions and four remote/pilot roles) and that the building would generate roughly $10,000 in annual tax increment for every $1 million in taxable valuation.

Why it matters: Timberline’s request is time-sensitive under the district’s schedule; commissioners were told the urban renewal district sunsets in 2029 and that a front‑loaded funding agreement would allow the company to move capital into hiring and operations instead of waiting for tax-increment reimbursement after construction.

Discussion and questions focused on public benefit and legal standards for urban renewal support. Several commissioners, including one who identified concerns about the “public good” and the “but for” requirement for urban renewal support, pressed Timberline and staff on whether extending utilities and building a road that would initially serve the Timberline frontage would also clearly serve other public uses, such as improved access to airport properties. The developer confirmed plans to dedicate the portion of the parcel that currently extends into the roadway to the city so the city could accept the right-of-way and public improvements.

City staff and Timberline outlined next steps for the board: staff requested more-detailed site plans, line-item cost estimates, confirmation of any required right-of-way dedications, and a draft funding agreement. Timberline said construction work on the site would begin immediately to prepare the build pad and that the agency would likely need to decide on funding by September to meet the developer’s financing schedule.

No formal motion or approval was taken by the agency at the June 3 meeting. Commissioners asked staff and legal counsel to review the proposal’s compliance with urban renewal law, to test whether the improvements meet the agency’s public‑benefit and “but for” criteria, and to return with a draft agreement and cost breakdown at a future meeting.

Closing: Commissioners and staff agreed to collect the additional technical documents requested from Timberline and to report back; the company said it would proceed on site work while the parties refine a potential funding agreement.