Occasionally the veil must lift. At that time, we the peons who pay for it all are allowed to see what our leaders have seen all along. That’s because — to our benefit and their detriment — you cannot keep maneuvering behind the scenes all the time, especially in government.

Today’s CDA Press contains an article about annexation, or the process of bringing land outside the city into the city.

Annexation is done all the time. It provides an obligation for the city to provide police and fire protection, water, sewer, and other basic services (but not sidewalks). From those being annexed it requires the payment of City taxes. Everyone comes out square. Or so the theory goes.

The two sites being annexed are former saw mills. The Atlas mill on Seltice, and the DeArmond mill by North Idaho College (see the image above). Both sites are currently outside the City’s limits. The DeArmond site is within the LCDC’s “Downtown” district; the Atlas site is sandwiched between the LCDC’s “Downtown” and “River” districts.

Developer Marshall Chesrown owns the Atlas site. He has an option to purchase the DeArmond site, which he promises to turn over to the Education Corridor Partners. I’m guessing (as are many people) that the “Education Corridor Partners” includes NIC, the City of Coeur d’Alene, the LCDC, and possibly the University of Idaho. Honestly, no one is certain who the partners are (and those who know aren’t saying anything).

The annexation must be a public process. It must be approved through various steps. Incidentally, the City recently changed those steps, modifying them after Mary Souza was dismissed from the Planning and Zoning Commission. But I digress.

Thanks to the annexation process, we the taxpayers now get to know a little more about the Education Corridor. Obviously, and for some time, Mr. Chesrown’s intents have been known by the Education Corridor Partners: he desires to have his Atlas mill site development in the City. The benefits to him are described in the CDA Press article: he gets water, sewer, police and fire protection. There is talk about the impact in the form of a new fire truck and perhaps a boat to fight fires on docks — all necessary and realistic expenses for annexation. Will Mr. Chesrown be paying those costs? I would assume so.

The only thing I can say positively, is that this annexation will be approved. Hands down. Heads nodded. Stamps rubbered. To think otherwise is to underestimate our Mayor and City Council. They’ve probably known about this for some time.

The next step? After annexation? Why, asking the LCDC, that veritable pot-o-cash, for some infrastructure funding at the Atlas site! It doesn’t take any clairvoyance to see that.