In pretty Post Falls, growth is inevitable

In the last decade alone, Post Falls has grown by more than 36 percent. More significantly, 20.47 percent of the growth has been in the last five years.

Growth has been relatively constant over the last 30 years, said Jonathan Manley, the City of Post Falls' planning manager. Since the U.S. Census Bureau reported the city's population at 7,349 in 1990, Post Falls has grown by roughly 10,000 residents every decade. Including county pockets and citizens in the general Post Falls vicinity, Manley predicts that 2020 could be over 50,000.

"We are seeing people move here as they have the ability to work [from a distance] due to technology," Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson said. "People are tired of big cities who want a quieter lifestyle, and retirees."

However, because of the influx in population, Post Falls has seen a significant rise in real estate prices. Depending on what part of Post Falls a person resides, change and growth present different realities.

South of Interstate 90 has seen some revitalization projects and infill multifamily developments, and the Highway 41 corridor has seen substantial residential construction on both the east and west. The Tullamore Planned Unit Development includes 383 single-family homes and about 520 multifamily housing units.

Approximately 650 housing units are nearly complete north of Prairie Avenue and west of Spokane Street at the Crown Point community, and Woodbridge South just added another 186 single-family lots.

"As growth continues, the demand for housing grows," said Shelly Enderud, the Post Falls city administrator. "As the availability of housing decreases, the prices will continue to increase."

Over the last five years, residential permit valuation has been 68 to 89 percent of Post Falls' total permit valuation due to the number of permits increasing every year, Enderud said. Through the development of additional housing options, the city hopes to slow down the spike in market value.

"The number of multifamily units that have been, and are being, constructed is staggering," Jacobson said. "I hear from the people who are opposed to the level of multifamily growth, and to be honest, I would like to see growth in this market slow down."

Post Falls citizens are divided on the growth in their once quaint little town.

Melissa Hansen, 43, has lived in the city her whole life. Like many others, she is struggling to afford housing in the area.

"I can't afford to live here anymore. In fact, I have to work in Washington just to afford to live in Idaho," Hansen said. "It's just not the same Post Falls it used to be. I think it's almost gotten to where the monster has grown so big that I don't know what will fix it."

Her concerns are echoed by many homeowners competing with transplant residents moving to the area from across the country. Hansen lives off Idaho Street now, but she grew up across the river. She believes part of the housing problem is that the new apartment complexes are designed for the working class but are priced out of reach for Idaho's minimum wage.

TJ Bible, 42, settled down in Post Falls six years ago after serving in the military. He lives off Spokane Street and Prairie Avenue, which was right next to the City of Post Falls property line when he bought his property.

"Right behind my house used to be a farmer's field. Now there are 40 houses," Bible said. "Across Prairie, there is another 200-bedroom apartment complex. It's ridiculous the leaps and bounds Post Falls has grown."

Like Hansen, Bible commutes to his assistant manager job in Spokane, and also works in heavy equipment and tree removal on his days off. Without his two jobs, Bible couldn't continue to support his two kids and home.

"I don't think job growth is holding up in Post Falls at all considering the population boom," Bible said. "Most people look for jobs in Coeur d'Alene and Spokane and use Post Falls as the commuter hub. I would love to work five minutes down the road, but the higher-paying jobs aren't here. If I picked up a management position here, I would take a one-third pay cut."

Bible likes the growth for the positive aspects it does to the economy but doesn't like how things such as crime, traffic, and infrastructure woes come with the change. He's been considering moving out to Spirit Lake or Twin Lakes to gain space from the crowded city.

"I want officials to be trying to preserve the small-town values that Post Falls has always had. That was one of the main things that attracted me here," Bible said. "I see all of these out-of-state places coming into the area, and it worries me that eventually, they are going to take over the values that we hold close."

Jacobson, who has lived his whole life in Kootenai County, said he's watched the area change dramatically. When he and his wife, Susan, bought their current home, they were much like Bible — surrounded by a barn, two silos and grass fields that are now a massive housing development.

"While I liked the peace and quiet we had, the development around us has been a good neighbor," Jacobson said. "Like everyone else, I deal with the increased traffic, but that is expected with growth."

Growth is a certainty to him, so the city needs to plan the best it can to maintain a reliable infrastructure.

"I do hear complaints from residents regarding growth, traffic, noise," Jacobson said. "I also hear from residents who feel that growth is inevitable and that the city is doing a good job managing it. Some people want to see no change; others want to see limited growth; and there are others who are positive about the growth."

Jacobson anticipates the growth will continue in the future. He's hopeful that more commercial and industrial developments will broaden the tax base and relieve the residential taxpayers' burden.

"As a city and urban renewal agency, we did take action to approve a tech park and urban renewal district to help increase the number of businesses and jobs being built in Post Falls," Enderud said. "Currently, we are looking at the Pleasant View corridor to assist with additional large-scale development and quality job creation."

After moving between Rathdrum and Hayden over the last few years, Robert Orth, 33, and his family found their home in downtown Post Falls. He recognizes that many people in the area are concerned about newcomers flooding the area, but he believes there are positives.

"I think growth challenges a lot of people around here, but on the flip side, everyone moving here is bringing money, businesses, investing, and making the number of services available to us skyrocket," Orth said. "You can see how the city is improving. The downtown area is filling up, the parks are amazing, housing is difficult, but it's getting there."

Holding on tight to its small-town feel, Post Falls residents and officials will have to work around the city's growth, which isn't stopping anytime soon. Jacobson said city employees have updated the comprehensive plan and master plans for streets, water, wastewater, and parks to aid in the coming change.

"I always try to be understanding and respectful, but there are still a small number who are very aggressive and unwilling to hear what I have to say," Jacobson said. "I too am a resident of the City of Post Falls, and growth affects me as well."