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County affirms denial of Eleventh Street Marina buoy request
Summary
Kootenai County commissioners on April 8 affirmed the Waterways Advisory Board’s decision to deny Eleventh Street Marina’s request to place four wake buoys, citing county criteria, lack of sheriff endorsement and concerns about private vs. public access and long‑term maintenance costs.
Kootenai County commissioners on April 8 affirmed the Waterways Advisory Board’s denial of Eleventh Street Marina’s request to place four wake buoys near the marina on Coeur d’Alene Lake.
The denial followed advisory‑board and sheriff’s office review and was upheld by the commissioners based on county criteria for buoy placement and concerns about public access and safety. Commissioners recorded the motion to affirm the advisory board’s decision and the motion carried.
The advisory board and county staff described Eleventh Street Marina as privately held with no shore access for the general public and limited publicly advertised services. County policy requires that buoys be considered when a permanent water hazard exists on public waterways, and may favor marinas with 25 or more slips that provide services to the public such as fuel or restrooms. County staff told commissioners the marina met the 25‑slip threshold but did not meet the service/access criteria and that the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office did not endorse the marina’s proposal. Because the sheriff did not support the request, the advisory board recommended denial and the commissioners affirmed that recommendation.
County staff also reported practical concerns raised during review: the marina’s pump‑out is charged to users (the transcript records a $7 pump‑out fee), it is not fully advertised as public, and when buoys are installed the county would become responsible for their maintenance. Commissioners and advisory‑board members said those maintenance and public‑access questions weighed on their decision.
The commissioners’ action preserves the advisory board recommendation. County staff noted the existing no‑wake area created by nearby structures and shoreline features and said the marina’s location near Tubbs Hill provides natural protection that reduces through‑traffic in that small shoreline area.
The advisory board’s denial and the commissioners’ affirmation do not create new buoy criteria; staff and commissioners discussed the clarity of the county’s existing buoy policy and whether future clarifying language would be useful to reduce ambiguity about what constitutes “public” access for marinas.
Doug Harris, chairman of the Kootenai County Parks and Waterways Advisory Board, presented the advisory board’s recommendation and a letter of record. Commissioners recorded their vote and the motion carried.
No further action on Eleventh Street Marina buoy placement was taken at the meeting; staff indicated the county’s existing policy remains the governing standard and could be revisited if the board chooses to refine the language.
