COEUR d'ALENE - Fireworks fans won't have to pay to park if they choose to leave their vehicles in a lot on the North Idaho College campus, but getting cars in and out may be trickier than usual.

After strongly considering partnering with the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce to offer campus parking spaces to the public for a $10 fee, trustees decided against the idea at their board meeting last week.

"The city police department had some concerns about traffic flow and congestion," said NIC spokesman John Martin.

The plan was for the chamber to arrange for Diamond Parking to manage parking in 1,500 spots on campus and collect the fees. The $10 fee for each spot would have been split with $2 going to the parking company, $4 to the college and $4 to the chamber to help pay for the fireworks display. Trustee Ken Howard told The Press there were also some policy issues that came up as board members considered the holiday fee-for-parking plan.

"From my perspective, this really implicates a larger policy of how NIC is going to manage its facilities for use by the public," Howard said. "I think we all feel that it requires some more discussion."

Howard said that because the federal government and state governments are re-evaluating how they provide resources to education, all education institutions have to find ways to adjust to the changes.

"Some of that may involve finding other ways of generating revenue sources," Howard said. "That's got to be part of the overall discussion."

Many college facilities are already used by the community for non-campus events, and Howard said trustees and the administration want to continue doing that.

"But we have to use those resources so as not to put too much of a burden on taxpayers and the students," Howard said. "Users are not always taxpayers. We've got to make sure we give due consideration to all of those concerns."

Because of heavy traffic congestion after the fireworks display ends, the Coeur d'Alene Police Department has always restricted vehicle access to the Fort Grounds area during the downtown Fourth of July celebration, said Coeur d'Alene Police Department Sgt. Christie Wood.

The intersection of Northwest Boulevard, Mullan Avenue and Government Way requires several officers to direct traffic.

"If 1,500 more vehicles were allowed into the Fort Grounds area, it would be very taxing on our resources," Wood said.

It would also cause longer delays for people trying to get onto Northwest Boulevard and out to I-90, she said.

"Every year we deal with road rage, accidents, disturbing the peace, by people in cars trying to get out of the downtown area," Wood said. "We support the good work of the chamber, but cannot support the additional problems more vehicles would cause us at fireworks breakup time."

The college announced Wednesday that Hubbard Avenue will be open to the general public throughout the holiday weekend, except on July 4 between 4 p.m. and shortly before the end of the fireworks display. As traffic is cleared from town, Mullan Avenue will be the only exit from the Fort Grounds neighborhood and North Idaho College campus for traffic.

Fort Grounds homeowners are advised that the normal Fourth of July traffic plan will be in place. The barricades will close Mullan Avenue and Government Way from approximately 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the parade. Hubbard and the Lincoln exit off Northwest Boulevard may be utilized during this time. The barricades will be replaced at 4 p.m. for the fireworks display and no access will be allowed via Mullan Avenue between 4 p.m. and the end of breakup. Homeowners may utilize Lincoln Way off Northwest Boulevard to enter the Fort Grounds neighborhood and use Hubbard to exit.