By Cameron Rasmusson
Reader Staff
The Sandpoint City Council is investigating the possibility of obtaining a LOR Foundation grant that could help pay for the University of Idaho property on North Boyer.
An aerial view of the U of I extension property highlighting nordic trails in the winter. Photo courtesy Google Earth.
Council members voted Friday in a special meeting to move the process forward in pursuing the LOR Foundation grant. While it doesn’t guarantee that the city will receive the money, it signals to both the LOR Foundation and city staff to advance the process.
“This is seeking funding—a significant amount of funding—so we felt we needed to bring this to the City Council to pursue this,” said Sandpoint City Attorney Scot Campbell
According to Campbell, it’s too early to say whether the LOR Foundation will require match funding from the city, what the total grant award will be or whether there’s any guarantee of funding at all. However, the city and foundation have previously cooperated successfully on the Farmin’s Landing project.
A public acquisition of the University of Idaho property could satisfy locals concerned about its future. In recent council meetings and workshops scoping priorities and preferred outcomes, residents worried that a sale to a private developer might diminish the legacy of a property originally intended to benefit the public. Its historic uses include agricultural research, education and recreation.
“We want to be clear that there’s no promise of funding or offer of a grant, but that there are aspects of the property that interest (the LOR Foundation),” Campbell said.
While we have you ...
... if you appreciate that access to the news, opinion, humor, entertainment and cultural reporting in the Sandpoint Reader is freely available in our print newspaper as well as here on our website, we have a favor to ask. The Reader is locally owned and free of the large corporate, big-money influence that affects so much of the media today. We're supported entirely by our valued advertisers and readers. We're committed to continued free access to our paper and our website here with NO PAYWALL - period. But of course, it does cost money to produce the Reader. If you're a reader who appreciates the value of an independent, local news source, we hope you'll consider a voluntary contribution. You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
You can contribute at either Paypal or Patreon.
Contribute at Patreon Contribute at Paypal
Coming up this week! Don’t miss out on Live performances of music & theater, fundraising, and more! See the full list of events in the 
