COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene City Council on Tuesday voted 6-0 to ask city staff to “bring forth the possibility” of updating the comprehensive plan to allow the city to rezone North Idaho College’s campus into a University Zoning District.

“It is something that is used throughout the state and it is something that this council can do to protect that property no matter what happens to that institution,” said Councilwoman Christie Wood.

Tom Greene, NIC interim chief communications and government relations officer, on Wednesday wrote that “Based on what we’ve seen so far, it doesn’t look like it would affect our operations.

“We’re always open to anything that is good for the community and good for our students,” Greene wrote in an email to The Press.

Hilary Patterson, community planning director, said the earliest the proposal could be ready is April.

Several residents of the Fort Grounds neighborhood next to NIC attended the City Council meeting and asked the city to pursue making the NIC campus a University Zoning District.

Kevin Jester said he has lived near NIC for 45 years, is a retired business owner and served on nonprofits.

“I have a vested interest in retaining the quality of life afforded us who call Coeur d’Alene home,” he said.

Jester called on the city to update its comprehensive plan so it could make NIC a University Zoning District, which would safeguard NIC from future development other than higher education.

“I believe it to be in the best interests of the community, the college and the adjacent neighbor to consolidate these into a University Zoning District,” Jester said.

He said he made the request “due to the unpredictable status of college accreditation."

“I’d like to give stability to what actually happens on that property,” he said.

North Idaho College owns several parcels of property west of Northwest Boulevard between West Hubbard Avenue on the north and West Lakeshore Drive on the south. The parcels are currently zoned R-17, C-17PUD, and C-17L, according to a “White Paper” on the proposed zoning district created by city attorney Randy Adams.

“Once a draft code for the new zoning district is approved in principle, staff can move forward with the public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission and presentation to Council for final action," according to the White Paper by Adams, 

Military Drive resident Jonathan Burns supported the proposal.

“I would like to see our higher education protected,” he said.

Another Military Drive resident, Kathryn Boss, said she has lived in the Fort Grounds for more than 35 years, is a NIC graduate and had two children attend there.

“I’m very concerned about helping to do anything that we can to help the institution,” Boss said.

Bill Elliott said he wants to be sure that a small group is not allowed to use NIC and “do something that would cause irreparable damage to this community and to the residents.”

Wood said the city will do what it can.

“We’re all hoping for the best but what we know historically in the last couple of years is we have to plan for the worst,” she said.

Wood said she wanted city staff, led by Patterson and city planner Sean Holm, “to come back to us with the ability to create a university district.”

Wood, who previously served on NIC’s board, said she reached out to the college with the idea, but did not hear back.

“It falls on us as leaders to protect that neighborhood, that institution and the legacy of NIC,” she said.

Councilman Dan Gookin also supported the proposed zoning change.

“The idea here is to make sure it stays public property and it’s used for education,” he said. “It’s a very valuable asset.”