Heartburn Heaven

We live in a lovely lake infused area of northern Idaho. There was once a point in time when the shoreline of these lakes looked like the picture. No longer.

Next came those with the where-with-all to buy water front property and build homes that sell in excess of a million dollars. Right on the water with their own private boat dock. Boat traffic is increasing. Safety is in jeopardy due to those who insist on having their "cigarettes" on waters not suitable. Boat traffic from the increase in the number of these homes plus the population from other areas of this rapidly growing community who enjoy recreational boating adds to the problem.

Shoreline properties are becoming few and far between. Oh, what to do! A ha! The property on the upside of these homes is underutilized! Let's build small enclaves of more million dollar homes and provide them with a community dock!

If we're not careful, all our lake shores will look like Vancouver, B.C. Single family homes will be replaced by high rises. That would, after all, be compatible with how the city of Coeur d'Alene is going!

Oh my! Those that already have theirs don't like this idea one little bit! But the trend is expanding. Not too long ago there was a huge flap from the people living on the shores of Mica Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene about just such a community. Today there is a story about the same happening on Hayden Lake; a smaller lake, just to the north. Both are in the jurisdiction of the county commissioners.

The Hayden Lake neighbors don't want this type of development any more than the folks at Mica Bay. The issue at Hayden Lake is about how a couple of lots that are deemed wetlands should be handled. Commissioner Rick Currie stated, in a story in this morning's CDA Press, "Those two lots give me a tremendous amount of heartburn and this is forever."

He went on to say he was also concerned with the 36 slip dock which is not a decision the commissioners can make. "I know we don't have the jurisdiction, but I do have some heartburn with the marina and the numbers there."

Wow! A commissioner with heartburn? Stewing over his decisions? Yeah, right. Rather than giving conditional go aheads to the developers, why don't the commissioners listen to the objections of people in the area? Even if they already have theirs and don't want to be infringed upon, their complaints just may bear some legitimacy. Maybe then the heartburn won't be so bad. Or is their a little something in it for the commissioners??

What the commissioners are doing is giving the go ahead for more houses for people who will spend but a few weeks of the year in the area, contribute little to the economy other than their taxes, and don't vote here. What a deal for us!

Heartburn and heaven. Not a compatible mix. When these situations arise and you have a problem with them why don't you just say no? I understand those little purple pills that supposedly ease heartburn can be mighty costly.