COEUR d'ALENE - Hundreds showed up last week for a public hearing on a zone-change request for property near Silverwood Theme Park, and now a second hearing has been scheduled.

The Kootenai County commissioners have set the hearing for 6 p.m. May 21, and it will again be at North Idaho College in Boswell Hall's Shuler Performing Arts Center because of an anticipated large audience.

"It's my understanding that it's going to be substantially larger this time than it was last time," Commission Chairman David Stewart said Monday. "I think we're going to have more attendees."

"I think it would definitely be prudent to plan for that," Pat Braden, a civil attorney for the county, told the commissioners at a meeting Monday.

"It could be another 25 percent larger, if not more," Stewart said.

Estimates ranged from more than 400 to more than 500 for last Thursday's hearing. The commissioners concluded that night by voting 2-1 to conduct a second hearing.

Spokane developer Dennis Swartout wants his 34-acre parcel's zoning to change from rural to restricted residential.

Mort Construction of Coeur d'Alene has proposed building more than 80 homes on the land, which is south of Silverwood on the east side of U.S. 95. Another proposal calls for building a wastewater treatment facility to serve the subdivision.

A hearing examiner contracted by the county has recommended approval of the zone-change request. The commissioners at the May 21 hearing could agree with the hearing examiner or deny the zone-change request.

The commissioners will be accepting public comments at the May hearing, including from those who presented at last week's hearing. Thursday's hearing started at 6 p.m. and lasted until 11:30 p.m.

The performing arts center wasn't available in April, otherwise the commissioners would have scheduled the hearing sooner. The county also needs to provide adequate public notice.