COEUR d’ALENE — Andy Singh made a passionate plea before the Coeur d’Alene City Council on Tuesday to approve his request to allow for a gas station to be part of his development.

“We’ll do it right. You have my word,” the Coeur d'Alene man said. “This is coming from my heart. This is what I truly believe. I don’t have the respect today. I will earn it.”

The council liked what it heard.

By a 5-1 vote, the council approved changing the zoning of the nearly 1-acre, vacant lot from Neighborhood Commercial to C-17, which clears the way for the gas station that many nearby residents opposed during a public hearing.

Plans also call for a small market, quick-serve restaurant and perhaps an electric car charging station at the southeast corner of the intersection. 

Many expressed fears about increased traffic, noise, delivery trucks, lights, odors and impact on wildlife. They argued it wasn’t needed because a Nom Nom store with fuel pumps was kitty-corner to the project and other convenience stores were a short drive west on Best Avenue.

“I am the lucky one who is having this built in my backyard,” said Steve Listman, who bought his house in the next-door property 34 years ago.

“I do not want to smell coffee brewing all day long in my backyard. If I want to do that, I’ll go sit in front of Starbucks,” he said. “I like going out into my yard and smelling the pine trees I have and the cut grass.”

Jerry and Patricia May live in the Best Hills Meadows subdivision just east of the development. 

“Many of the citizens living here are retirees who have sought the peace and tranquility of this neighborhood,” they wrote. “A zone change for the aforementioned property would change the tenor of our safe haven.”

In January, the Planning Commission determined the proposal was incompatible with the neighborhood and voted 6-0 to recommend the city council deny it as well.

But Councilwoman Kiki Miller saw it differently.

“I feel like we have an opportunity to do something good for the neighborhood,” she said.

Councilman Dan English said if he lived east of the development, he would appreciate having a market and fuel pumps nearby.

“I think that would be pretty handy,” he said.

Councilman Dan Gookin was the lone no vote. He said one of his promises when he ran for office was that he would fight to preserve established neighborhoods.

“It’s just not compatible with the neighborhood and that’s where I stand,” he said. 

The council put several conditions on the zone change, including no more than three fuel pumps, canopy lights off at 10 p.m. and signage to direct delivery truck traffic. A development agreement will come back to the council for approval. 

Singh also owns two convenience stores and gas stations on Northwest Boulevard and said he spent $2 million building one at Seltice Way and Atlas Road to be sure it was done right to meet needs for food and fuel.

“We did the community a service. They don’t have to drive into town. Everyone here complains about traffic in Coeur d’Alene," Singh said. "We are trying to do something about traffic.”

He bought the property at 15th and Best a year ago. He said if the zone change wasn’t approved, he would consider building a strip mall on it but that wasn’t his first option.

“We want to do this because it’s feasible. It costs less money to do this. If we do the strip mall, it costs us twice as much money,” he said.

He said the gas station was key to his plans to pay wages in the $20-an-hour range and provide a good quality of life for employees.

“If I could do this without gas, I would. But I can’t pay the bills without gas,” he said. “We need gas to pay our employees better.”

Singh said he has lived in Coeur d’Alene since he was 12 years old.

“I love this community,” he said.

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