Sandpoint council pauses appeal over McGee subdivision water denial, seeks more modeling

The Sandpoint City Council voted Dec. 18 to continue consideration of an appeal by McGee Development of city staff's denial of an application to extend water service to a proposed subdivision outside but adjacent to city limits.

Attorney Norm Symanko, representing McGee Development, told the council the developer submitted applications and expected city modeling of proposed looping improvements that might provide adequate fire flow. "The modeling needs to be done to see if the looping is sufficient," Symanko said, arguing the denial was premature because the city had not completed the site-specific analysis the applicant requested.

The appeal centers on whether the city's water distribution can provide required fire flows for the project and whether staff properly completed the modeling and analysis before denying the request. Scott McNee, a consulting engineer for the applicant, showed maps and prior studies indicating the area is served by several dead-end mains and that looping the mains…