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Meyer family seeks mixed-residential rezoning; offers land for Rathdrum water tower, council tables decision
Summary
The Meyer family requested rezoning of 46.4 acres to Mixed Residential and offered to donate a site for a water-storage tank; residents raised water-pressure and traffic concerns and the council agreed to continue deliberation to June 24 to allow review of the water master plan and potential conditions.
Property owners represented by engineer Ray Kimble asked Rathdrum's council on May 27 to rezone roughly 46.4 acres (the "Bunchgrass" parcel) from a conditional commercial/medical zoning back to a Mixed Residential (MR) designation that staff says implements the city's low-density-residential future land-use category. The applicant emphasized that MR would enable neighborhoods that better fit surrounding uses and offered to donate land to the city for a water storage site, an item flagged by the city engineer as necessary to address known pressure and source constraints.
Residents who spoke opposed to immediate rezoning said the area is already experiencing water pressure shortages during summer irrigation and that approving more zoning changes before the water master plan and peak-demand testing are complete risks compounding problems. Others supported the rezoning, citing housing supply and better long-term connectivity.
Planning staff told the council that rezoning itself does not consume infrastructure, but that subsequent development would trigger conditions — looping of water and sewer mains, extension of Radcliffe and Meyer roads, and a required site for water storage. Staff indicated the city has capital funds earmarked for water infrastructure and that the engineering team has identified a possible high-elevation site ideal for a tank.
After public testimony and deliberation, council members requested more time and voted to table the rezoning to the June 24 meeting so the council can review the near-final water master plan, confirm the proposed tank site and consider applying new draft lot-size rules (30/30/10) as part of conditions if the applicant returns. No rezoning was approved on May 27.
What happens next: The applicant may formalize a donation and conditions for the water-tank site; the council will revisit the request on June 24. Any future development will require traffic and water studies and remediation of deficiencies prior to preliminary plat approval.
