It's a Start...
Abductions and homicides associated with crimes of sexual violence attract widespread attention. Less sensational but equally disconcerting is having community residents uncover an unusually high number of registered sex offenders living in de facto rooming houses in Coeur d'Alene neighborhoods zoned only for single-family homes.
In response to reasonable public concern in May 2004 when convicted felons on probation or parole were living together in a Coeur d'Alene Place single-family residence, the Coeur d'Alene city council asked City Attorney Mike Gridley to determine if our city ordinances could be improved to be enforceable. That effort was expedited one year later after neighborhood residents near 8th and Hastings identified several single-family residences being used as rooming houses for registered sex offenders.
On August 8, 2005, the City Attorney presented his findings to the council's General Services Committee meeting attended by council members Goodlander and Hassell and by several involved citizens. The August 16, 2005, Coeur d'Alene Press article written by Tom Greene and headlined Sex-crime laws hard to fortify presented only part of what was discussed in the General Services meeting. The City Attorney wisely recommended that the city not pass additional city ordinances specifically restricting the locations where convicted and registered sex offenders could live in Coeur d'Alene. Such ordinances would very likely be unenforceable and unconstitutional. However, the City Attorney did recommend some zoning ordinance changes that would enhance the protections offered by those ordinances.
His recommendations should receive a prompt public hearing before the Coeur d'Alene Planning Commission. The recommendations are sensible and should make it much more difficult for Coeur d'Alene landlords to use single-family residences as transient rooming houses and criminal transitional facilities. Landlords seeking to offer transient rooming houses and criminal transition housing will still be able to do it, but they will have to locate the house in a commercial zone or seek a special use permit (public hearing required) from the City.
ADDENDUM at 11:45 a.m.: Well, the good start may be sputtering. I've just been told that our Mayor and some city council members are in no hurry to get this reasonable ordinance clarification in front of the Planning Commission. Why not? It is an opportunity for the City to demonstrate a measured yet progressive approach to solving a problem that was first identified over a year ago in Coeur d'Alene Place and has now reappeared in other sections of Coeur d'Alene. Perhaps the Mayor and Council are afraid this issue may awaken the general public to the clear and present need for more aggressive, consistent, full time code enforcement in Coeur d'Alene. The codes (zoning, land use, etc.) exist to protect all Coeur d'Alene citizens, not just to benefit elected officials' friends who are developers and builders.
In response to reasonable public concern in May 2004 when convicted felons on probation or parole were living together in a Coeur d'Alene Place single-family residence, the Coeur d'Alene city council asked City Attorney Mike Gridley to determine if our city ordinances could be improved to be enforceable. That effort was expedited one year later after neighborhood residents near 8th and Hastings identified several single-family residences being used as rooming houses for registered sex offenders.
On August 8, 2005, the City Attorney presented his findings to the council's General Services Committee meeting attended by council members Goodlander and Hassell and by several involved citizens. The August 16, 2005, Coeur d'Alene Press article written by Tom Greene and headlined Sex-crime laws hard to fortify presented only part of what was discussed in the General Services meeting. The City Attorney wisely recommended that the city not pass additional city ordinances specifically restricting the locations where convicted and registered sex offenders could live in Coeur d'Alene. Such ordinances would very likely be unenforceable and unconstitutional. However, the City Attorney did recommend some zoning ordinance changes that would enhance the protections offered by those ordinances.
His recommendations should receive a prompt public hearing before the Coeur d'Alene Planning Commission. The recommendations are sensible and should make it much more difficult for Coeur d'Alene landlords to use single-family residences as transient rooming houses and criminal transitional facilities. Landlords seeking to offer transient rooming houses and criminal transition housing will still be able to do it, but they will have to locate the house in a commercial zone or seek a special use permit (public hearing required) from the City.
ADDENDUM at 11:45 a.m.: Well, the good start may be sputtering. I've just been told that our Mayor and some city council members are in no hurry to get this reasonable ordinance clarification in front of the Planning Commission. Why not? It is an opportunity for the City to demonstrate a measured yet progressive approach to solving a problem that was first identified over a year ago in Coeur d'Alene Place and has now reappeared in other sections of Coeur d'Alene. Perhaps the Mayor and Council are afraid this issue may awaken the general public to the clear and present need for more aggressive, consistent, full time code enforcement in Coeur d'Alene. The codes (zoning, land use, etc.) exist to protect all Coeur d'Alene citizens, not just to benefit elected officials' friends who are developers and builders.
posted by Bill McCrory | 9:30 AM
2 Comments:
Bill - great post. I posted a link to it on my blog.
My blog here, Bill: Idaho Kennedys
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