OPINION: Let's preserve our downtown
Gookin
The new Marriot coming downtown is allowed by right (Downtown Hotel Gets OK, Coeur d'Alene Press Jan. 26). I know that many citizens are upset. They see a deterioration in the charm and character of downtown. They see a city that’s beginning to look like every other city in the country. And they’re disappointed in the city for not doing anything.
The Design Review Committee is not the place to express these concerns. Last year, a similar development went through the City’s Design Review Committee. The decision was appealed by a neighbor who was unhappy with the fact the development required fewer parking spaces than would seem necessary. This concern is legitimate, but appealing the Design Review Committee’s decision isn’t the proper way to address this concern.
The problem is parking. In my opinion, the city’s Downtown Overlay Zone has inadequate parking requirements. For example, the new Thomas George building has three floors of commercial space with zero parking for employees or guests. I’m appalled at the city for agreeing to such terms.
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