The Rathdrum City Council approved the Thomas/Meyer annexation in a 2–1 vote Wednesday night, paving the way for potential residential development on acreage west of Highway 41 and south of Nagel Road. 

The 40-acre property is now zoned medium-density residential (R-2A), though only about 18 acres are considered buildable under current plans.

Lake City Engineering’s Drew Dittman said options for the property include a 3-acre park and additional open space. 

“About 55% of the annexation is dedicated to the city — that's significant,” Dittman said in his presentation to the council.  

R-2A zoning would allow for four to 12 single-family residential units per acre of land, according to city planner James Agidius.  

With a minimum lot size of 8,500 square feet, around 50 residences could eventually be developed on the buildable portion of the property.

Agidius emphasized that development on the property would not expand Rathdrum’s city limits further onto the prairie.  

“This does not support ‘sprawl’ but rather fills in gaps within the city,” he said.  

However, councilor John Hodgkins cast the sole dissenting vote after concerns arose over the city’s water pressure.

The city had previously investigated three separate complaints of low water pressure in residences within city limits, according to city engineer Kevin Jump.

After testing the water pressure over a period of 72 hours, pressure dipped to 38.5 PSI for “two to three minutes,” Jump said — below the city’s minimum water pressure standard of 40 PSI.  

“Is that a pressure problem? We don’t know,” he said. “We heard and investigated these complaints and found there to be no problem.” 

As for whether residential development on the newly annexed property could impact Rathdrum’s water pressure, Jump said to “never say zero.” 

“But yes, I would say impact would be negligible,” he added. 

Agidius emphasized that the annexation was “not a question of development at the moment.” 

“But that’s where this is going,” Mayor Mike Hill said in response. 

“Once (property) is annexed in, as we’ve experienced, we are really constrained as to what we can or cannot do,” Hill said. 

Though Hodgkins ultimately agreed that the property “checks a lot of boxes” and meets the requirements for annexation, his concerns remained.  

“I cannot ignore the overabundance of people that do not want this,” Hodgkins said.  

More than 30 people submitted statements of opposition to the annexation during the Planning and Zoning public hearing last month.

Councilor Larry Sanders ultimately motioned to approve the annexation with conditions recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission.  

“Our sole responsibility is to look at this as an annexation,” he said.  

For residential development to be approved in Rathdrum, a preliminary plat must first be presented in public hearing and approved by both City Council and Planning and Zoning.  

The developer must also ensure that the property’s water and sewer systems meet city standards and is in compliance with city regulations before construction can begin.