COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho – The Coeur d’Alene City Council unanimously voted at their September 3 meeting to create a University District by rezoning the North Idaho College (NIC) campus and surrounding land. The district’s purpose is to “allow flexible, creative development for public educational purposes.”
Hilary Patterson, CDA Community Planning Director, echoed many voices at the meeting by referencing NIC’s precarious accreditation status. The reason for this “city council-initiated zone change” was the concern that the campus “could be sold and developed for higher-end residential development.”
“This zoning district is really intended to protect what exists now: the vision for the future of NIC and the partner institutions,” Patterson said.
The “U” designation allows for a litany of uses and developments on the land so long as they “support educational, arts, athletic or cultural events and offerings of the public higher educational institutions.” These include cell towers, faculty housing, and convenience services. Such uses are principal and can be developed at any time.
Other uses, such as boarding houses or motels, require a special use permit which may be obtained after holding a public hearing. Privately-owned condominiums, townhouses, and other residential developments are prohibited. The Planning Director has also been given the authority to prohibit a development should they determine that it doesn’t serve higher education.
Trustees at NIC have mixed opinions on the bill. Trustee Tarie Zimmerman gave a positive review of the bill and its purpose.
“A rezoning isn’t going to hurt anything,” Zimmerman said. “It can only be helpful.”
Trustee Greg McKenzie disapproved of the bill and said it reminded him of Ronald Reagan’s quote about “the nine most terrifying words in the English language.”
“All this university district seems to do is force another layer of bureaucracy to deal with,” McKenzie said.
Christa Hazel spoke on behalf of Save NIC at the council meeting. She supported the bill and commended the Council for “showing what real leadership looks like,” as juxtaposed to the “Board majority trustees.”
“You can’t trust these trustees,” Hazel said. “This is why your leadership is so critical right now.”
Teresa Roth, a self-professed student of these issues, criticized the bill for promoting private development on the land through public-private partnerships, saying its language is “extremely misleading.”
“We don’t want that, we want public buildings on public property,” Roth said. “Everybody is talking as if this protects NIC – it does the opposite.”
The district includes several privately owned residential properties along W. Hubbard Ave and N. Military Drive. These properties are not subject to the uses of the district until they are purchased by NIC or other public higher education institutions. The council opted to include these properties despite the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendation to the contrary.
A rezoning isn’t going to hurt anything.
Tarie Zimmerman
The decision annulled the previous land deed which governed the uses of the land, which was donated by the Winton Lumber Company to Kootenai County in 1937 with the stipulation that it must be developed as a park, “public hospital or public educational institution.” Since NIC acquired this land in 1941, the college purchased surrounding land that didn’t have the same stipulations.
Council member Kiki Miller pondered whether the private properties adjacent to the campus should be included in the district or simply be rezoned if the college purchases them. To this, Gookin implied he hopes “sanity will be restored” after the upcoming election and zoning protections won’t be necessary.
“Quite honestly, after November 5 my hope is that the college won’t need to worry about that,” Gookin said.
Three NIC Trustee seats are up for election this November, which are currently held by Mike Waggoner, Greg Mckenzie, and Todd Banducci. These three comprise a current ideological majority on the Board and have been the subject of many controversies relating to NIC’s accreditation crisis.
NIC’s fate will be decided in early 2025 by its accreditation body, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The group will visit NIC in October before making their decision at their January meeting.
The timing of this bill was brought up by one public commenter, who expressed concern that it was decided while NIC’s future is still indeterminate.
“I kind of wish this decision was after [the October Site Visit] because it would feel very appropriate if NIC was losing accreditation,” he said. “I think it would feel definitely necessary.”
The University District rezone is the first of its kind for community colleges in Idaho. Patterson’s proposal presentation referenced similar zonings in Idaho, such those in Moscow and Pocatello. However these districts encompass universities administered by the Idaho State Board of Education. Community colleges like NIC are governed by a locally elected board of trustees, none of which are located within a district of this kind.
Everybody is talking as if this protects NIC – it does the opposite.
Teresa Roth
The rezone was voted on without the input of the current NIC Board of Trustees, despite their institution being directly affected by the designation. Gookin clarified with Patterson that the City indeed has the authority to rezone the campus, “even though this was not something that was requested by NIC.” Patterson affirmed that CDA has the statutory authority to rezone all property within its borders, including private property.
Gookin expressed disappointment that NIC did not provide any statements on the issue by discussing it at their monthly Board meeting the previous week. Although Trustee Greg Mckenzie provided a public comment during the August 13 Planning and Zoning meeting on the matter, he spoke as a private citizen. NIC provided no official statements on the rezone.
“That would have been helpful, but they chose not to respond,” Gookin said.
Glenna Knepper is a 32-year resident of Hubbard Ave whose home shares a parking lot with NIC’s campus. She provided a comment at the August 13 meeting to verify she wouldn’t lose her home or be required to sell to NIC, to which she was told neither.
“I may be selling it in a few years and probably offering it to the college,” Knepper said. “I just didn’t want to be kicked out.”
William Elliot is another neighbor of NIC who supported the rezone. He viewed the rezone as saving the property from “the hands of people who might decide to use it for other economic gain.”
“This is about leadership,” Elliot said. “It’s right for the city to take this leadership and not leave this in the hands of others.”
