Kootenai County approves rezoning and shoreline variance for Stancraft marine service at 1742 West Blackwell Mill Road

Kootenai County commissioners on Feb. 13 voted unanimously to approve a requested zone change and a related shoreline variance that will allow Stancraft (through affiliate Ravel LLC) to operate a commercial marine service business at 1742 West Blackwell Mill Road, adjacent to Murphy Marina in Cougar Bay.

The board approved ZON24‑5, to reclassify the parcel from Agricultural Suburban to Commercial with a Conditional Zoning Development Agreement (CZDA) that limits allowable uses, and VAR24‑7, a variance to permit construction of a boat launch, bulkhead and pier elements within the 25‑foot shoreline management area. Both approvals passed on 3‑0 votes.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said the site is in a historic "working" portion of the lake and that the proposed use — marine construction, equipment staging, a dock and a boat ramp — would provide countywide benefits including quicker emergency marine response under an existing memorandum of understanding with the sheriff's office and reduced pressure on public ramps during busy periods.

Planning staff presentation and legal review Vlad Denkel, Kootenai County Community Development, introduced the application and explained staff had been concerned about intensifying a lakeshore parcel but found the proposed use compatible with existing adjacent commercial marine uses. "This is a request by Ravel, AKA Stancraft, for the approval of a zone change from agricultural suburban to commercial," Denkel said. He said staff and county counsel reviewed and modified a conditional zoning development agreement to limit future uses on the property and that, if the board approved the zone change, the CZDA would be ready for signature.

Denkel told commissioners the parcel lies within the City of Coeur d'Alene's area of city impact and that the…