Court date set for Bonner County, Panhandle Bike Ranch dispute
June 10, 2026
County issues ‘cease-and-desist’ letter
By Soncirey Mitchell and Ben Olson Reader Staff
Representatives from Bonner County and the Panhandle Bike Ranch will meet at the Kootenai County Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16 for a hearing before First Judicial District Judge Regina McCrea regarding the nonprofit’s ongoing operations.
Litigation over PBR’s land use designation has been active since January; however, on May 27, the county served the nonprofit with a cease-and-desist letter, later filing an injunction with the court to halt public use of the facilities.
The public can attend, but not participate in, the June 16 hearing in person at the Kootenai County Justice Building (324 W Garden Ave., in Coeur d’Alene).
“Ongoing concerns have been sent to the board with regard to current operations of Panhandle Bike Ranch,” said Bonner County Commissioner Brian Domke at the June 2 business meeting. “I want to clearly state the county has requested an injunction from the court to cease all activity at the Panhandle Bike Ranch unless and until they secure a conditional use permit or are designated as a park.”
A rider drops from a feature at the Panhandle Bike Ranch in Sagle. Courtesy photo
“We’re waiting to see what the outcome of that is,” he later added.
The bike ranch is located on more than 170 acres off of Jumpline Landing in Sagle on land zoned Rural 10, meaning any commercial uses require a conditional use permit from the county. PBR applied for and received a CUP in 2024, giving founders Scott and Jennifer Kalbach authority to operate a commercial “recreational facility.”
Neighboring residents of the Five Lakes Estates community repeatedly appealed the decision, and in June 2025, the First Judicial Court of Idaho found that the Bonner County Board of Commissioners “failed to list facts supporting its decision” to approve the permit and therefore vacated the CUP.
Rather than reapply for the permit, the Kalbachs filed for and received federal and state recognition as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in an attempt to eliminate the commercial element that had necessitated a CUP.
Citing its new status, the nonprofit’s board later requested that the county change the organization’s land use designation from a recreational facility to a “park,” which Bonner County Revised Code 12-816 defines as a “noncommercial facility designed to serve the recreational needs of the residents of the community.” Parks are an approved land use in Rural 10 zones, meaning PBR would no longer need a CUP to operate.
The Bonner County Planning Department and then-Interim Planning Director Alex Feyen denied the redesignation request along with a building location permit application, advising the nonprofit’s board to reapply for a CUP. PBR later filed a petition for legal review of the land use designation decision in January, opening for the summer season on May 22. Trails remain open to the public despite the cease-and-desist letter.
“We’re aware of the county’s position and are confident in our legal standing,” Jennifer Kalbach told the Reader.
Want to support independent local journalism?
The Sandpoint Reader is our town's local, independent weekly newspaper. "Independent" means that the Reader is locally owned and operated by people who were born and raised in Sandpoint. The Reader is owned by Publisher Ben Olson, Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Senior Writer Soncirey Mitchell. Sandpoint Reader LLC is a completely independent business unit; no big newspaper group or corporate conglomerate or billionaire owner dictates our editorial policy. And we want the news, opinion and lifestyle stories we report to be freely available to all interested readers - so unlike many other newspapers and media websites, we have NO PAYWALL on our website. The Reader relies wholly on the support of our valued advertisers, as well as readers who voluntarily contribute. Want to ensure that local, independent journalism survives in our town? You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
TIMBER WARS: Six-part series, February-November 2022. GO READ IT»
WHERE ARE THE WORKERS?: Five-part series, September-October 2021. GO READ IT»
THE AMERICAN REDOUBT: Seven-part series, November-December 2017. GO READ IT»
STANDOFF AT RUBY RIDGE: 25 Years Later. Five-part series, August-September 2017. GO READ IT»
Curious about what media the locals use? Check our 2018 Local Media Survey. GO SEE »
Sandpoint in Pictures
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who's work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
Meet the Reader
Ever wonder who makes the Reader happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look pieced together by summer 2017 intern McCalee Cain in which Ben, Cameron and Lyndsie explain what exactly about the Reader keeps them coming back to their shabby (but well-loved) office each week.
