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Armstrong Park residents and city officials seek county input on a planned secondary egress
Summary
Residents and city representatives described a plan to build a secured connecting road to provide a second evacuation route for Armstrong Park, saying two private-property agreements and roughly $30,000 in preliminary road costs are key outstanding items; county staff will review feasibility and liability.
Armstrong Park residents and city representatives asked the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners on July 7 to weigh in on a proposed secondary egress road they say is needed for fire- and evacuation-safety.
Albrigo, who presented the plan, told the board the effort has taken more than two years and centers on a connecting road that would traverse two private properties to link Sky Harbor Estates with Grouse Meadow and ultimately Interstate 90. "A 105 homes are in the city of Coeur d'Alene, 16 homes are in the county ... a 121 homes altogether," Albrigo said, giving the board counts for the five affected communities.
The proposed project would rely on negotiated agreements with two key homeowners. Albrigo said outside counsel John Magnuson drafted mirror agreements to protect those homeowners from liability and that the homeowners have sent the drafts to their attorneys for review. "They have chosen to go to their attorneys just to get a reading of the draft agreement that we gave them," Albrigo said.
Albrigo described a preliminary, site-agnostic estimate of about $30,000 for the road surface itself, and cautioned that the figure excludes detailed site evaluation and probable geotechnical or security costs. He said the plan would include secure gates at either end with controlled access for homeowners, city and county fire departments, the county sheriff and city police.
A resident representing Armstrong Park said the neighborhood was annexed with only one ingress and egress and emphasized the safety risk that creates. "Armstrong Park, when it was annexed into the city, had only 1 egress," the resident said, urging county attention because parts of the affected area sit outside the city's jurisdiction.
Board members and presenters identified next steps that include continued outreach to Kootenai County Fire & Rescue and Eastside fire officials for technical review, obtaining contractor estimates and civil engineering input, and finalizing agreements with the two property owners. Commissioners noted homeowners are already paying initial development and annual maintenance costs for local roads and that county involvement—short of eminent‑domain action—appears most likely to be supportive (technical review, permitting and coordination) rather than funding the initial build.
The board did not take a formal vote. Staff said they will continue coordination, return with updated cost estimates and legal guidance, and keep the board apprised of homeowners’ responses to the draft agreements.
