City Hall to host workshop on City Beach RV park concepts
December 11, 2025
Survey also active to gauge preferred priorities
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Area residents will have the chance to weigh in on how they wish to see the publicly owned RV park property at City Beach redeveloped, following a contentious City Council meeting Nov. 5 at which Averill Hospitality Group requested Sandpoint lease or sell the current RV park or else its adjacent planned resort hotel development would be “unviable.”
Meanwhile, the Whitefish, Mont.-based company asked City Hall to put a hold on the design and engineering work it had previously planned for the RV park property, which is funded through about $1 million in state grant support for upgrades and modernization.
According to the city’s staff report, Averill, which is planning to construct the 130-room luxury Sandpoint Lakeside Resort north of the RV park site on Bridge Street, offered the options to lease the 2.29-acre property either through a 30-year agreement with renewal options and annual rent equal to 110% of the projected net revenues from the RV park following its redevelopment — an amount estimated at more than $100,000 per year — or to purchase the parcel outright “at fair market value.”
After several hours of heated testimony and deliberation, city councilors voted Nov. 5 to reject Averill’s requests and affirmed that that the property – which also abuts city-owned boat moorage on Sand Creek — would remain in public hands.
Hosted by city officials, including members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the workshop is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Dec. 13 in the Community Room at the James E. Russell Sports Center (2016 Pine St., in Sandpoint), featuring a presentation and discussion to explore “alternative uses and configurations for the RV park site and its relationship to the broader City Beach area,” according to a news release.
An aerial view of the RV Park adjacent to Sandpoint City Beach. Photo courtesy of city of Sandpoint
Averill’s request was couched in “enhancing the overall visitor experience and public use of the waterfront,” City Hall stated; however, council directed staff and Parks and Rec. commissioners to go to the public for community engagement and identification of preferred priorities at the site. That has also included a survey, available at sandpointidaho.gov/rvparksurvey. Sandpoint residents, as well as visitors and community members, are all encouraged to participate and share their thoughts on how Sandpoint should approach the site in the future.
“This process is an opportunity for the community to understand the real choices before us,” stated Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm. “Upgrading the existing RV park, supported by nearly $1 million in state grant funding, would create a long-term, self-sustaining revenue source that directly supports our parks and capital improvements.
“Exploring alternative uses is worthwhile, but it is important for the community to recognize that removing the RV park without a replacement revenue strategy would leave a funding gap for these improvements,” he added. “We want residents, businesses and visitors to weigh these tradeoffs and help us determine the path that best serves Sandpoint in the years ahead.”
The workshop on Dec. 13 will include an interactive presentation and small-group discussions, along with an explanation of the history of the site, earlier concepts for improvements and a recap of the broader context of the City Council discussion on Nov. 5.
According to City Hall, participants will then take part in a “charrette-style exercise, working in small groups to create their own illustrations, using images, words and layout tools, of how the site could be used or reimagined.”
“This hands-on format is designed to encourage creative thinking, collaboration and a wide range of ideas for the future of the RV park site,” officials stated.
Attendees are invited to attend at any time during the 9:30 a.m.-noon schedule, and no registration is necessary.
City staff plan to collect and analyze the results of the survey and Dec. 13 workshop, with the intention of presenting a summary and findings to the City Council after the new year, as well as ask for direction on how best to proceed with planning and design for the RV park.
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