A planned soccer complex for the Coeur d'Alene Sting Soccer Club has been shown a yellow card by Kootenai County.

The county on Thursday posted a stop-work notice on property owned by North Idaho Sports Complex LLC, which plans to develop the soccer field complex on 80 acres.

The property sits east of Huetter Road and north of Prairie Avenue on the Rathdrum Prairie. The stop-work notice says development of the sports complex has begun without the required land-use permit.

Scott Clark, the county's community development director, said on Friday that development of a sports complex in an agricultural zone of the county requires approval of a conditional-use permit.

"The county is supportive of this type of project as it would certainly be a great amenity to the community," Clark said. "Unfortunately in this case, the developer has not acquired the necessary county approvals."

"That's their interpretation of what's going on," said Gary Young, a consultant hired by the property owners. "We haven't started construction."

Young is with the firm Verdis, in Coeur d'Alene, which is handling annexation, permitting, land-use planning and design of the project.

He told The Press on Friday the property owners are surprised by the county's action.

"Part of what they did, I believe, is in response to an angry neighbor," Young said. He said there have been complaints from neighbors who don't understand the full process.

Young said current work visible at the site is part of a "reclamation plan."

Top soil has been taken from the site and delivered to the Silver Valley for remediation of contaminated land from historic mining.

The Idaho Department of Lands approved the reclamation plan, Young said.

That plan allows for grading at the site, spreading of existing top soil and planting of grass seed.

Young said the property is in the final stages of being fully annexed into the city of Hayden. Getting an annexation agreement completed has taken longer than anticipated, he said.

"We thought we would be in the city of Hayden right now," Young said.

He predicted the city would issue a special-use permit in a couple of months, which would be needed because it's not zoned for an athletic complex.

"If we don't get permits for soccer fields, it's going to be a wheat field," Young said.

On Tuesday, the county posted a warning notice at the site, saying the property owners are illegally storing numerous large rolls of artificial turf on the property. The warning said such storage is not permitted on property in the agricultural zone.

The warning gave property owners until June 7 to remove the turf.