County discusses security and possible disposal of 2.12‑acre parcel at north Hayden Lake after repeated misuse

Kootenai County commissioners heard a discussion about long‑standing security and misuse problems at county‑owned Parcel AIN 165302, a roughly 2.116‑acre waterfront parcel at the north end of Hayden Lake, and gave staff direction to develop options but took no formal action.

Craig Davidson, county staff, told commissioners residents reported repeated illicit activity at the largely unmaintained parcel: dumping of tires and furniture, drug and alcohol use, loud parties, vehicles launching UTVs and ATVs, and trash left along the shoreline. Davidson said residents reported a firearm discharge earlier in the year that sent shrapnel through a residence and injured a resident. He also said contractors had staged and later removed about 512 cubic yards of dirt at the site in February 2021.

Davidson said Parks and Waterways concluded the site is too shallow for a boat ramp and lacks sufficient parking, and the Lakes Highway District declined to place Jersey barriers but suggested other potential temporary measures. David Callahan, Community Development director, said one option is to market the parcel as surplus and sell it; another is to secure the site for future recreational use if the county decides to hold it. "My sense is that getting rid of it is probably the, more ideal option because it would solve all the other problems," Callahan said.

Commissioners asked staff to return with recommended proposals and to consult other departments about resources for security measures, but the board did not vote on any disposition or capital improvement funding at the meeting.