This letter is in regard to the major changes within the historic Garden District of Coeur d’Alene over recent years. On the ourtowncda website, this unique area of Coeur d’Alene is described as “750 largely Craftsman and some Victorian style homes built in the early 1900s, line the quiet, tree-lined streets.”

Well, things have changed!

On Sherman, Lakeside and Coeur d’Alene avenues between Seventh and 11th streets, older homes have been torn down in a day and are being replaced. Condos, townhouses and large, block-style homes are rising out of the ashes of the precious, classic homes of our well-loved neighborhood.

Our home was built in 1904 and was built to last. I know that things change, but wouldn’t it honor our classic neighborhood NOT to use 90 percent of the 50-by-100-foot lots for new multi-dwelling structures that crowd the narrow streets with cars, adding safety and traffic concerns to our formerly quiet neighborhood?

One last note, Coeur d’Alene is known as “The City of Trees.” In the Garden District, we have a “Tour of the Trees.” Visitors and locals walk and bicycle through our neighborhood, just to admire trees that have grown here for hundreds of years. But, if our beautiful, old growth trees are in the way of “progress” and making money … Down They Come! Developers make their money and they walk away, never living with the high-density living conditions and issues that they have created.

JAMES ACKERMAN

Coeur d’Alene