Residents urge preservation of former North Idaho Museum and raise neighborhood safety, compensation concerns during public comment

Coeur d'Alene — Several residents used the public‑comment portion of Monday’s council meeting to press the city on local preservation and neighborhood safety issues and to offer views on employee compensation.

Former museum building: Brianna King, a Coeur d'Alene resident, asked the council to pause the planned demolition of the former North Idaho Museum at 115 Northwest Boulevard and urged the city to explore converting the building into a children’s museum. King said a preserved and repurposed building could generate year‑round visitors and sustained revenue through rent and programming. She said she has a growing petition on change.org asking the city to halt demolition and consider alternatives.

City staff response: A city staff member explained the building was condemned because of extensive mold after a roof failure and that utilities have been removed. Staff said firefighters currently use the structure for training and the city plans asbestos remediation before demolition; the building is scheduled to be demolished by city crews in March, weather permitting. The staff member said repair and remediation costs for mold, a new roof and HVAC exceeded expected return on investment when compared to building a new structure.

Oak Crest Manufactured Home Park: Mary Merrill, a resident of Oak Crest Manufactured Home Park, told the council that irrigation has not been used in parts of and adjacent to the park for roughly three years, that many trees between the park and Ramsey are dead or dry and constitute a fire hazard, and that removing dead trees would create gaps in fencing and security. A staff speaker said the property is privately owned, has two meters, and property owners control irrigation; park‑edge trees are on private property, not in the public right of way.

Compensation and public service: Ted Turrentine, a local resident, urged the council to weigh compensation decisions against taxpayers’ ability to afford services. He commented on a recent debate about paying city employees, firefighters and police enough to attract qualified staff, saying municipalities must balance service quality with tax levels.

Council response: Councilmembers acknowledged the museum preservation appeal and said they had previously explored multiple options for the site; one councilmember noted the building’s poor condition and that the city’s four‑corners master plan currently shows the site as a parking area. Councilmembers said staff will follow up on the Oak Crest concerns with property‑owner information and that zoning or special requests would require formal applications to planning staff.

Next steps: Staff said demolition is scheduled after asbestos remediation and that any party with funding or a formal proposal to preserve and reuse the building could present it to council, but staff emphasized that remediation and structural condition informed the demolition decision.