POST FALLS - Let the bell tower be built.

Even with the neighboring hospital cringing.

Bell Tower Funeral Home and Crematory has started constructing its signature feature, a 45-foot bell tower, next to a medical facility under construction that will serve trauma patients.

Construction was allowed to start as planned after the city recently denied the hospital's appeal of the tower and specifically the sounding of a bell.

Hospital officials fear the sounding of a bell at noon each day and during funeral services will have a negative effect on their trauma and brain and spinal injury patients.

But Bell Tower owner Rob Clark isn't interested in building the tower without the sounding of a bell.

"What's a bell tower without the sound?" Clark said.

Clark said the $50,000 bell tower and the rings have always been a part of his business plan - long before the new hospital was even planned - and his plan was approved by the city three years ago.

The 30-bed hospital is a joint venture between Ernest Health, which owns Northern Idaho Advanced Care Hospital next to where the new facility is being built, and Kootenai Health.

"The City of Post Falls has declined our request to deter the bell from ringing," NIACH Chief Executive Officer Maria Godley wrote in an email on Friday. "We accept their decision."

The tower is being constructed within 25 feet of a patient room. The foundation has been poured and framing is underway.

The hospital made its appeal during last week's Post Falls City Council meeting. Terry Werner, Post Falls public works director, said staff reviewed city codes and found that Bell Tower meets all zoning, height and noise ordinances.

"There would be no reason that the city could deny the permit," Werner said. "At this point, it would be a civil matter between the two of them."

Clark said he respects the hospital's concerns, but the only reason he didn't build the tower two years ago is that he wanted to be able to pay for the project in full. There's no other place on his property to build the structure, he said.

Godley earlier said she was under the impression the tower would be built on the north side of Clark's property farther away from the hospital.

Clark said his company's overall plans were shown to NIACH about three years ago before he started construction on his funeral home and the hospital had no issues at that time under a different administrator.

He said bells have a historical significance associated with church, funerals and weddings.

The hospital expects to accept patients starting in December.

Godley said the hospital is being constructed to eliminate noise of the nearby freeway, but the sounds of bells next door may still be intrusive.

Clark estimates the time span for the 12 rings at noon to be 20 to 30 seconds long.