COEUR d'ALENE - City staff met with the Idaho Transportation Department last week to discuss a master planning project to help determine who should own the five-mile stretch of east Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive that ends at Higgens Point.

The ITD, which owns the property now, wants to relinquish ownership of the old freeway that was bypassed when the new Interstate 90 was opened in 1991. The agency committed to hire a land-use consultant to develop a master plan that would outline responsible parties for maintaining the corridor.

"The consultant will determine what parties should be involved, who's taking over what, and who is responsible for what," ITD project development engineer Jerry Wilson, said in a city press release. "There should be one underlining owner of the property."

Jon Ingalls, deputy city administrator, said the deal is a long way from being a "done deal."

"If you look at it like a ruler is 12 inches long, we are only about 2 inches into this," he said, adding the master plan study could take up to a year to complete.

Last year, ITD officials offered the city $3 million to take control of the property, but after numerous discussions it was decided that the best way to proceed for all interested parties was through the development of a master plan.

"Should the city own it, or maybe it should be the Eastside Highway District," Ingalls said. Kootenai County doesn't maintain roads.

Ingalls said much of that discussion focused on how it might be a little "quirky for the city to take it over."

"You have to ask yourself by doing something different with that corridor, what is going to improve?" he said. "Is it going to be cheaper if we do it?"

In fact, he said, city ownership of the corridor poses some significant issues. The city can own property outside the city limits, but city laws and services would not apply to that property unless it is annexed.

"Frankly, I think the city would face some opposition if they tried to annex that," Ingalls said.

While city laws wouldn't apply to the property, the ordinance that states city property cannot be used to support hydroplane races would apply.

"If the city owned the dirt, the ordinance would say you cannot use it for the hydros," Ingalls said.

Last week, City Administrator Wendy Gabriel said in a staff memo that the ITD consultant will meet with a number of stakeholders to address three major areas:

* Enhancing public access and recreational opportunities.

* Addressing technical and engineering issues.

* Determining property ownership, including the identification of parcels that can be bought and sold.

Some of the agencies participating in the master plan will include: The city, Kootenai County Parks and Waterways, East Side Highway District, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation, and the Four County Natural Resource Committee.

Adjacent property owners will also be included in the planning process, Gabriel said in her memo.