COEUR d'ALENE - During a public hearing Thursday, 10 property owners blasted a proposal for two community docks on Lake Coeur d'Alene near Black Rock Bay.

The docks are associated with four adjoining residential parcels and would have a total of a dozen 30-foot boat slips. A group called the Lewis Dock Homeowners Association applied for the docks.

The Idaho Department of Lands conducted the hearing, and a written decision on whether the docks will be approved is scheduled to be made by May 26.

Glenn McDonald, who owns neighboring property, said the developers behind the homeowners association keep changing what they plan to do.

"Every time you think you know what's going to happen, you somehow don't know because things have changed," McDonald said.

He said advertisements claimed the docks are for upland property owners, not just the associated lakefront lots.

"When that was objected to, that somehow changed," he said.

Jill Payton, the property owner directly to the south, said the docks don't appear to be a residential project.

"In my opinion, this is a substantial change to our shoreline neighborhood from historically residential private homes to what appears to me to be a marina," Payton said.

She expressed concern about damage to existing docks and the shoreline from potential increased boat traffic and large wakes.

Neighbor Wayne Attwood is concerned about family members swimming and participating in other water activities in an area with increased traffic.

"With the buzzing in and out of these large craft, along with the wake they create, it could be a very dangerous situation," Attwood said.

Lila Girvin, who owns property just south of the proposal, said the project creates a "marina" for those with property far away from the lakeshore.

"Docks with 12, 30-foot slips are inappropriate in this single-family, quiet, residential area where owners kayak, swim, wind surf and are generally responsive to the environment," Girvin said. "Big boats would negatively impact the spirit of the lake here."

Neighbor John Sahlin, who owns property adjacent to one of the parcels associated with the project, said if the Department of Lands gave the dock project the green light it would set a bad precedent for future dock projects.

Coeur d'Alene attorney John Magnuson represents the family that owns the property associated with the proposed docks. He laid out 20 examples on the lake of existing community docks and associated properties that are similar to the proposal.

He said the dock project wouldn't change the character of the neighborhood.

"These are four separate legal parcels, and under the code each one of these separate legal parcels would be entitled to a 700-square-foot dock," Magnuson said. The two proposed docks have a total of 2,500 square feet.