Tremors

The ground is shaking here in Coeur d'Alene. It's not just the enormous earth-movers running 90 miles an hour on the new trail from the Prairie to fill the Kroc Center pit, although that project is dusting things up in my neighborhood. There are some good vibrations happening in town as well.

This past Monday night more than 100 concerned citizens gathered at a forum on urban renewal in Coeur d'Alene. There were people from all walks of life, all ages, all political persuasions. The common thread among attendees was their care for our community and how we grow into the future. People showed up because they wanted their voices to resonate with our city's leadership, and they were not disappointed.

The Mayor, three City Council members, the city attorney and several members of the urban renewal board were present. It was moving that such an impressive number of public officials took the time to attend the forum. Three different viewpoints on urban renewal were featured and questions were fielded. It was polite. There were no earthquakes, no fireballs, no falling rocks. But while the proceedings were careful, the message to local officials was crystal clear -- the people of Coeur d'Alene are very concerned about how our city is growing. We are watching the way that public tax dollars are used to artificially stimulate private growth, and many of us are not happy.

A groundswell of public dismay is palpable today as we watch Coeur d'Alene's once charming character devolve before our eyes. We chose Coeur d'Alene for a reason: The vision of a livable town with beautiful views and vistas but without massive walls of reflective glass high-rises, jaw-clenching gridlock and unrestrained government spending. What happened to the campaign promises of "managed growth"? Our leaders have used public tax dollars to create huge growth but haven't done enough to manage it. And now we are worried.

The shudders of worry and concern running through our community bring with them the call to action. Many people at Monday night's forum were from neighborhood associations around town. There is newfound influence for these organized groups. They are speaking up for their rights and demanding limits. Citizens can make a difference. We can change the course of our future. We can offer constructive ideas for making growth in Coeur d'Alene more responsible, and this public forum was just the first tremor.