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 county comprehensive plan shoreline designation contemplates "nonresidential uses limited to services needed to support resource, seasonal shoreline and recreational operations," language staff said is consistent with a marine services operation.

Denkel also explained the variance request as a practical need: county shoreline rules effectively create a 25‑foot landward buffer that, under the code, excludes certain shoreline structures and uses. He said the variance was necessary so the applicant could place a ramp, bulkhead and staging area in the short band between the ordinary high water mark and the 25‑foot setback; without it, the applicant would face substantial operational difficulty and require heavier cranes and longer on‑site staging.

Applicant presentation and agency approvals Scott Hislop, counsel for Ravel LLC (a Stancraft affiliate), told the board his client had pursued and received encroachment permits from the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) for waterward work (case referenced on-screen as 24‑320‑06) and that the IDL process granted the company permission for a pier, bulkhead, ramp and related waterward improvements. Hislop said Stancraft plans to remove an existing residence and garage, construct an office/storage building, create a staging area for materials and equipment, and install a pier/bulkhead and boat launch for daily operations.

Hislop and staff highlighted letters of support submitted during review, including from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and Kootenai County Parks and Waterways. He noted an existing submerged‑land lease pattern in the bay and said the parcel’s historic uses and adjacent commercial marinas support the request.

Public comment: organized support and a small group of opponents The county read a number of written supporters into the record and several on‑site and Zoom speakers spoke in favor. Robert Ray of the Cougar Bay Sailing Club and Chowder Society said the proposal would replace a hazardous log jam with a maintained work dock and breakwater. Tom Burns, business manager for the Cougar Bay Sailing Group, told commissioners Stancraft had agreed to remove deadheads in a portion of the bay and that improved log management would increase safety for local boaters.

Opponents raised concerns about dredging, historic permitting, possible effects on nearby residences and whether water‑quality or contaminant issues tied to past industrial activity had been fully addressed. One longtime nearby resident, identified as Del Bridal, said family members had lived on the shoreline for decades and questioned whether the existing docks had ever been permitted; he urged commissioners to inspect the site and review records.

Board deliberations and votes After discussion, Commissioner (name recorded in minutes as Commissioner Duncan) moved approval of ZON24‑5 with the CZDA. Commissioners Eberlein and Chair Metoyer joined the Aye vote; the motion passed 3‑0. The board then considered VAR24‑7 and likewise voted 3‑0 to approve the variance, with commissioners citing the hearing examiner's written findings that the parcel’s shoreline characteristics create a practical hardship for a marine services use and that agency support and the public benefit justified relief.

What the approvals require next The CZDA limits future uses on the lot to the operations described in the application; staff said the executed agreement would be recorded after the board’s decision. Development details such as landscaping, screening and stormwater will be reviewed through the county’s site‑disturbance and building permit process prior to construction. Denkel told the board the county’s code requires a vegetative buffer and screening for commercial parcels adjacent to residential zones (staff cited a landscape standard under the land‑use code that requires a 15‑foot buffer and 50% site‑obscuring screening under the listed section of the code) and that the application packet included a landscaping plan identifying a 5‑foot fence and a plant schedule.

Denkel also told commissioners the county is working on an update to shoreline regulations to address uses similar to this one; he said that ordinance work may reduce the need for future variances where commercial parcels seek water access consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Ending With the board’s approval of the zone change and the variance, Stancraft can proceed to finalize the CZDA and pursue the county building permits required for on‑land improvements; waterward improvements are already approved through the Idaho Department of Lands process shown in the record. Commissioners asked staff and the applicant to be sensitive to neighboring residents regarding hours, sound and landscaping as on‑site design and permit conditions are finalized.

Votes at a glance - ZON24‑5 (rezoning to Commercial with Conditional Zoning Development Agreement): approved 3‑0 (Commissioner Eberlein: Aye; Commissioner Duncan: Aye; Chair Metoyer: Aye). Motion: "approve ZON24‑5 the Ravel, with the Conditional Zoning Development Agreement." Mover/second: not specified in the transcript excerpt. - VAR24‑7 (variance to allow boat launch/bulkhead/pier within 25‑foot shoreline management area): approved 3‑0 (Commissioner Eberlein: Aye; Commissioner Duncan: Aye; Chair Metoyer: Aye). Motion text: approval of VAR24‑7; mover/second not specified in the transcript excerpt.

Quoted sources are those recorded on the meeting record.