COEUR d'ALENE - Discovery Land Co. wants to develop a resort of 15 large privately owned cabins - valued between $2 million and $4 million per unit - along Lake Coeur d'Alene at what was long called Squaw Bay.

The developer envisions owners of the cabins renting the units out like motel rooms.

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Discovery, a large development firm known in Coeur d'Alene for its Gozzer Ranch golf and lake club project near the now proposed project, is seeking approval from Kootenai County officials to move forward on what's initially being called Gozzer Bay Resort.

The cabins would mostly be two stories, but there would be some going up an additional level.

The units would range in size from approximately 3,500 square feet to about 5,000 square feet of livable space. They would also have large decks.

A public hearing is scheduled before the Kootenai County commission at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the county administration building. Several property owners near the proposed resort have written to the county opposing the project.

The resort would sit on nearly four acres of property zoned for commercial use.

Andy Holloran, vice president of development for Discovery, said, "It's a great time to be offering something new for our clients."

He added, "We're having as good of a year as we've had since 2007."

Discovery hopes to receive approval from the county commission to plate the individual proposed units and begin marketing them to potential buyers.

A common area would be managed by an association of homeowners.

Holloran said it's anticipated that most of the owners will place their units into a rental pool managed by Gozzer.

Gozzer Bay Marina, a 30-slip commercial marina attached to the site, would be part of the proposed resort, he said.

There would be 34 additional parking spaces for the cabins, marina and guests.

The site for the proposed resort was a recreational-vehicle park in the past, and hasn't been operating in recent years, Holloran said.

Recently the property has been utilized for recreation by Gozzer Ranch, he said.

The proposed resort "is the ideal complement to our other product up on top (of Arrow Point) at Gozzer Ranch," Holloran said.

An existing snack bar on the property will be converted to a management office, he said.

A 2-foot to 2 1/2-foot rock wall would run in front of the units along the shoreline, Holloran said.

Those opposing the resort complain about the height of the proposed cabins, additional boat traffic it could produce, and increased traffic along Highway 97.

Suanne and Stephen Harns, of Harrison, wrote in their comments to the county that, "Increasing the traffic in this location both by cars or people entering or leaving this area is a risk to all concerned."

Gil and Jo Moncrief, of Harrison, complained in their letter to the county that the project wouldn't "be in keeping with the rurality of this (northeast) side of the lake, which is the main reason many of us live here."

They said one of their major concerns is the "construction of a 250-foot (long) 'sea wall.'"

Tom and Connie Fudge, who own property near the proposed resort, complain that Discovery is trying to develop something that isn't an allowed use in the commercial zone.

They wrote that Discovery is making the "argument that since a future condo owner could in theory rent out their unit, it is a 'motel' which is an allowed use in the zone; therefore condos are allowed regardless of other restrictions related to residential (development) in the commercial zone."