RATHDRUM — Public hearings on a 53-lot, 55-and-older community will be among the items on the Rathdrum City Council’s agenda tonight during its first meeting of the twice-a-month schedule.

Hearings will be held on the planned unit development and subdivision plans for Diamond Spike Estates, a 9-acre project on the north side of Nagel Road just north of Golden Spike Estates, another 55-and-older development, and west of Betty Kiefer Elementary.

A community center is planned for the high-density project proposed by Dave and Jill Spiker.

Council meetings are now held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 6 p.m.

City Administrator Leon Duce said the second monthly meeting date was added because Rathdrum is experiencing rapid growth, and to make bill-payment approval faster.

"With development we thought it would be best to address that business in a more timely fashion rather than wait once a month," he said.

Duce said the Diamond Spike hearings were delayed about seven months because there’s a need for an amendment to the Golden Spike PUD and a letter of credit from Golden Spike, which is required to share in the construction cost of Rio Grande Street with Diamond Spike.

Rio Grande, a future north-south street, is on the western edge of both projects.

Golden Spike is owned by Wayde Spiker and sons Travis and Jonathan. Dave was involved in Golden Spike before he and brother Wayde split.

"If we had moved forward sooner with Diamond Spike, we would have lost the trigger for construction of Rio Grande," said Duce, referring to the reason behind the Diamond Spike delay.

The Golden Spike PUD amendment agreement between the city and owners of that development along with the $558,630 letter of credit to be issued for the work on Rio Grande is also on tonight’s agenda before the Diamond Spike hearings.

"(The bond) is financial assurance that they will help build Rio Grande," Duce said

The 45-acre Golden Spike project was fully built out last year, triggering the need to build Rio Grande on its western edge, Duce said.

Some Golden Spike residents have expressed concerns to the city about having to fund a portion of the street because it is not in the interior part of the development; however, the road improvement was a commitment the developers made when the project first started, Duce said.

The Diamond Spike property was originally going to be a part of Golden Spike before the change in ownership, he said.

"The Diamond Spike owners are anxious to get going with their project," Duce said. "They wanted to start building homes last year."

Rathdrum resident Clayton Ostergren wrote to Planning and Zoning commissioners that he wants to ensure pedestrian safety is a priority with improvements in Diamond Spike and that curbing and sidewalks meet city code standards.

"Concrete curbing provides a buffer against vehicle traffic and concrete sidewalks provide a safety space for small children, seniors and people with disabilities," Ostergren wrote.

Duce said another 55-and-older community appears to be a good fit for that area, but it would be nice for Rathdrum to have more medical facilities to support such growth.