COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — KREM 2 News took a closer look at Coeur d’Alene’s newly designated University District.
This week, the city approved the zoning district for land in and near the North Idaho College campus.
But what does being a university district mean? It encompasses the North Idaho College campus, protecting the land’s use for public higher education.
The area identified for the university district has been zoned for commercial and residential development.
Rezoning the boundaries of the North Idaho College campus as a University District ensures the land will only be used for public higher education. "It really just locks in what exists now and protects it into the future,” Hilary Patterson, Coeur d'Alene Community Planning Director, said.
It's a future Patterson says the public has worried about. “We’ve been hearing concerns for a couple of years. Community members have reached out and asked what can the city council do to protect the campus,” Patterson said.
This University District designation means the land will primarily serve those who use the school campus and events supporting public higher education. But it prohibits industrial and commercial activities not associated with educational functions, or housing not intended for students or faculty.
“It really just locks in more of an assurance for the greater community of what will be here into the future," Patterson said. "This protects the campus for public, higher educational use."
Patterson says the University District restriction also means the lands can’t be sold off for development.
The ordinance establishing the North Idaho College campus as a University District goes into effect this Saturday, September 7.