NORTH IDAHO – Residents in North Idaho are expressing concern about losing access to a public road.
The Gozzer Ranch Homeowners Association and developers of Gozzer Ranch have requested the highway district to vacate and abandon the public right of way on Gozzer Road.
This road serves as a fairly busy shortcut for many locals. Thomas Little, a nearby resident, is urging the petitioners to consider public opinion.
“Please don’t take our road. It belongs to everybody and it should stay just like that,” said Little.
Little, who has lived near Gozzer Ranch for over 48 years, has witnessed many changes in the area.
“A lot of the locals use this road to get up to Burma Road. This is like a shortcut, because in the winter, you can’t use a lot of the roads,” he said.
The petition aims to privatize a section of the road nearly two miles long.
Little emphasized the road’s significance, stating, “this is a very important road for everybody to come and go. Also for the fire department – they use this road to get a shortcut to Burma Road and down south.”
East Side Fire District Chief Jerry Lynn stated that privatizing Gozzer Road would impede life-saving responses.
Director Ben Weymouth of the East Side Highway District noted that this discussion is not new.
“They’ve wanted guard checks, they’ve wanted it to be private in the past, but it was approved and built as a public road and that’s what it is today,” said Weymouth.
Despite being a public road, Gozzer Road has security posts at both ends.
Little questioned this setup, saying, “I just don’t get it. How can they put that up on a public highway. It just does not make sense.”
Weymouth assured that they are preparing a staff report for the board’s consideration by consulting with emergency service providers.
“In fact – we’re going through the process right now to visit with all of the emergency service providers and preparing a staff report for the boards consideration,” said Weymouth.
The road could be sold at market value if deemed in the public’s best interest and if it doesn’t landlock residents.
Little argued for public access, stating, “let’s just leave it to where the public has access, the fire, the ambulance, everybody and this is a critical thing. It really is.”
We asked the attorney representing Gozzer Ranch why they want to do it and their response to concerned residents who will lose access to this public road.
Attorney Marcus Johnson replied in an email, “Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club respectfully declines to issue a statement on its pending petition. Gozzer believes the petition itself answers the questions laid out in your email.”
A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17 to discuss this matter.
The East Side Highway District will announce the time and place on its website, allowing residents to voice their opinions before the board makes a decision.
