Will the population of the small city of Harrison increase 10-fold? Harrison has about 280 residents, but could have over 2,900 if it decides to annex a nearby development:
A city's choice
Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
By TOM GREENE
HARRISON -- ...A the town of about 280 residents.
According to the local historical society, there was more steamboat trade out of Harrison on Lake Coeur d'Alene than any other lake west of the Mississippi River in the early 19th century. The Harrison lumber mills supplied timber to the mining towns booming in Silver Valley. Before the fire of 1917, Harrison's population hovered around 2,000 people -- at the time, much larger than Coeur d'Alene across the lake -- and was being considered for the county seat.
Harrison is currently being wooed by a developer whose plan is to build between 1,000 homes to 1,300 homes, three 18-hole golf courses and an equestrian center on a 2,000-acre property on the Powderhorn Peninsula across the bay.
If Harrison annexes the land for the Powderhorn Ranch development, its population could explode by a multiple of 10 in the amount of time it takes to build a gated community with homes that have an average a price of about $2.3 million.
"There's a lot of talk and people have taken polarized positions," said Mayor Josephine Prophet. "The size of Powderhorn compared to the size of Harrison? You can't think about it hardly. And it comes all at once. Most growth comes slowly."
Harrison employs one clerk, two full-time maintenance workers and one part-time maintenance worker.
In the 2007 budget, property taxes accounted for about $64,000 of Harrison's $180,000 general fund budget.
Powderhorn Ranch would build a new sewer system for the city and the homes are estimated to bring in from $5 million to $6.5 million annually for the city's general fund in property taxes using the current mill levy rate.
Even though Harrison's sewer system is near capacity, Prophet said, the town will be able to meet future needs with or without Powderhorn Ranch.
"We can address the sewer, we can address the water, we can fix the streets," Prophet said.
But it doesn't come without a cost and, since it is a small pool they are drawing from, it hurts.
A local improvement district five years ago for improvements and expansion of the sewer cost homeowners $4,200 per home and property owners who have empty lots paid about half that, Prophet said.
Harrison is in the final stages of finalizing a contract with an attorney hired, in part, to handle Powderhorn Ranch's annexation proposal. The annexation process hasn't officially begun, but Powderhorn developers have had some time in City Council meetings to pitch the project and have submitted a pre-annexation application.
Prophet said a host of studies are needed before any decisions can be reached.
Powderhorn Ranch has already tried the county track for project approval. Kootenai County commissioners gave the green light for the project against the recommendation of the county planning commission in 2006.
After a protest was filed, a judge ruled in July 2007 that the commissioners should have held another public hearing and their decision was invalid. Powderhorn Ranch would have to go through the whole process again, which would require at least two more hearings for approval.
The only Kootenai County commissioner from the first decision who still holds office is Rick Currie. He cast the one vote against the project at the first hearing.
In January, three of the current City Council members will be stepping down, and there are five candidates running for their jobs in what could be the most important race in Harrison's history.
"This council could go ahead and do something or wait for the new council," Prophet said. "What we really need are people who study the pros and cons with an open mind and look at everything thoroughly."
Link to full article:
http://www.cdapress.com/articles/200...ews/news01.txt