BOCC to review Long Bridge marina expansion proposal
September 23, 2026
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
The Bonner County Board of Commissioners will meet Thursday, Oct. 1 to discuss a conditional use permit application to expand the existing Long Bridge Marina. The public hearing comes after the county Zoning Commission rejected the application in February, citing potential hazards at the intersection of U.S. 95 and Lakeshore Drive.
Attend the 10 a.m. hearing in-person at the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 U.S. 2, in Sandpoint) or online via Zoom or YouTube by visiting bonnercountyid.gov/meetings.
The approximately two-acre parcel located at 41 Lakeshore Drive is owned by the Long Bridge Land Holding Company, LLC, and zoned Recreation. The property includes a single-family residence — formerly the restaurant Forty-One South — two rental cabins, a “snack shack,” a large parking lot and 45-slip commercial marina, all served by Southside Water and Sewer District, Sagle Fire District and Avista Utilities.
An overhead view of the proposed marina expansion south of the Long Bridge on Lakeshore Drive. Image courtesy of HMH Engineering.
Developers, represented by HMH Engineering, are currently seeking approval to expand the marina by 47 slips for a total of 92; however, they have applied for and received an encroachment permit from the Idaho Department of Lands to construct a 268-slip marina. According to the application, the CUP would permit the “first phase” of the marina, and the applicants will need to apply for another CUP in the future should “demand for additional” dock space arise.
The expanded marina would be open from April through October daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Developers have argued that the additional boat slips and corresponding parking spaces will help to “meet the county’s recreational needs” and fit the existing area land use, being bordered by Lake Pend Oreille, U.S. 95, a parcel zoned Recreation and a parcel owned by the developers housing a rural service center. The lot and surrounding land are also labeled an urban growth area by the county.
As stated in the application narrative, developers have argued that by “bringing the parking area up to the general design standards of the Bonner County Code, the conditional use will reduce hazards associated with stormwater runoff, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, and will increase the outdoor aesthetic of the property by complying with the landscape standards of the Bonner County Code.”
Zoning commissioners agreed that the stormwater management changes would be an improvement; however, they denied the request to reduce landscape buffers between the property and the highway from 25 feet to 10 feet and instructed the engineers to add sidewalks as a potential condition of approval, necessitating a complete redesign of the parking lot.
The current marina as seen from the Long Bridge. Photo by Ben Olson
Opposition from both the commissioners and members of the public stemmed from the parcel’s access, which would increase traffic at the intersection of U.S. 95 and Lakeshore Drive. At the time of the hearing, the intersection had seen six accidents since 2020.
The Idaho Transportation Department constructed a median U-turn — or J-turn — in 2023 to discourage left turns off of Lakeshore onto the Long Bridge but did not initially eliminate left turns. The Zoning Commission therefore agreed that the expanded marina and subsequent additional traffic would “create a hazard” and would be “dangerous to persons on or adjacent to the property.”
Since the unanimous vote, ITD has entirely restricted left turns off of Lakeshore, adding flexible bollards to block traffic. The BOCC will consider whether this addition eliminates the perceived hazard that initially obstructed the CUP in February.
To view the complete application, visit bonnercountyid.gov/departments/Planning.
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