HAYDEN — Poplar Estates at English Point is once again headed to a public hearing for the second time at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7.  

The meeting will be held in the Kootenai County Administration Building, 451 Government Way, Coeur d'Alene. 

Lakeland Landings, LLC is seeking preliminary approval of a major subdivision initially made up of eight residential lots on a 20-acre parcel of land located in the restricted residential zone. 

Kootenai County staff initially recommended a denial of Lakeland Landings LLC’s request during a Feb. 20 public hearing, but after the applicant met the county’s criteria for proceeding with the proposal, the Kootenai County Board of County Commissioners approved a motion to hold a public hearing March 13. 

Vlad Finkel, a planner with Kootenai County Community Development, said changes to the guarantee of sewer service were what changed the recommendation from denial to meeting criteria from February to March. 

“We recommended denial solely on the basis of not having 100% guaranteed future sewer connections. The county needs a guarantee that those sewer connections will somehow be earmarked for future use,” Finkel said.  

Hayden Lake Sewer District couched that while it may be able to perform sewer services for the subdivision, it could not guarantee this through prepaying for a future connection. 

The applicant went back to Hayden Lake Sewer District, asking them to amend their earlier position and the board declined to amend their regulations. 

Finkel noted that after this point, the only way forward was to go through the Panhandle Health District to secure coverage by surveying the compatibility of the soil to put in a standard subsurface septic system if the Hayden Lake Sewer District was unable to connect them. 

“Now they have met the requirements of our code and can move forward and now fall back on a standard sub-service septic system,” Finkel said. 

It's located at the intersection of English Point Road and Patty Drive on the north side of English Point Road.   

Subdivisions in this area, north of the property, include Rimrock Meadows and Northwest Fox Hollow. 

Eight units are initially planned for the land, but the property must have a maximum density of one dwelling per acre and through the subdivision process, cannot exceed 20 homes. 

Only seven of those will be close to about an acre in size, but then their remaining lot will be subdivided at some point in the future into an additional 13 lots, bringing them to a maximum of 20 dwellings. 

The plan includes the use of an existing shared well and the construction of a new interior road, terminating in a cul-de-sac.