Developing blues

Well, it's been a while since I've returned to one theme that has dominated this blog since it first began---that's the developing blues. Seems they just keep comin' on and they just keep getting bigger and curiouser.

About a year ago, I talked about piles of dirt/mud showing up in the neighborhood. Well, one of those major dirt settings was over on Boyer across from Roberson's. Now, from out of the mud have risen five beautifully-constructed homes. More are one the rise in Grandview Estates, a walled-community with grand and close-up views of the north end of Sandpoint's airport runway. I've sincerely admired the organization and the products produced by this developer. He knows how to go about a project and complete it efficiently and tastefully.

Nonetheless, I cling dearly to that Mark Twain attitude that if he could just move that subdivision somewhere besides right next to the runway where the leer jets are landing loudly, the long-range outlook might feel a bit more secure. People are moving into those houses, though, so maybe they've been constructed with some sort of top-secret bomb-proof and sound-proof materials that shield all outside intrusions to one's peace and quiet.

Big piles of dirt and big equipment lie in wait for better weather on my folks' former place. I'm sure as soon as we have three dry days in a row, feverish activity to build all those townhouses will begin up there. I wonder how tall those townhouses will be and how much of the view they will shield from the folks living in Nick's subdivision to the west (Mrs. Kinney's old place).

This weekend, while it rained, we went for a drive and Bill showed me a couple of places north of town which are bound to bring in folks willing to pay more than the $400,000 I've heard quoted for those airport runway homes. These are exclusive country settings "with covenants," and they're located on land once occupied by hard-working farm folk.

In one case, Bill thinks it could have been a homesteader who acquired a piece of property after the Humbird Lumber Co. days. To find this development, you can drive the Hidden Valley Road (that's the one with the half a church on the right before you get to Selle Road). Once there, you can check out the sign and have your pick of 20-acre lots with lots of mountain rock and preassigned homesites (in some parcels, the homesite is the only part that's not straight up and down).

Better get out there quickly, though, because only six lots of the seven remain, and they start at $350,000. In the meantime, the resident moose will continue standing and staring at you in its native habitat wondering what the heck is happening to its homesite.

The first parcel already has one of the larger log homes I've seen around these parts. It's in the midst of construction by the Feist brothers. I still wonder why people need 6-7,000 square foot homes. By the time you're all moved in, you can probably plunk down at least $1.5 million to live back in there. It's a nice drive, and if you're going to see it, you'd probably better go now cuz it may just have a gate on it when everybody's moved in.

Then, if you want some more of the same, only more open and with some spectacular views of the Selkirks, go have a cup of coffee at the Blue Heron (formerly the Blue Moon Cafe) off HWY 95 at the Pack River Road. You can sit in there, drink your coffee and look out those big windows across Walsh Lake and see that once pastoral hillside beneath the mountains all dug up and ready to go for a brand-new exclusive community.

I've heard the completed set-up will include lots of space for horse riding, hiking, etc. Folks will own their homes, and everyone who buys in to the concept will have access to common recreational ground owned by nobody but the developer, I spose.

It's happening----the Aspenization, the Sun Valleyitis, the Big Fork land jabs, the Tahoe Fever. It's hit Sandpoint, and it doesn't look like there's any cure for the Developing Blues. They say we need to stock the cupboards with tunafish and bottled water for the Bird Flu.

I'm wondering what prescription will be suggested for the common folk to survive this Landemic. Seems like it's gonna last a long time. And, it could be tunafish and Western Family bottled water are all some folks will be able to afford, once it's run its course.