Panhandle Bike Ranch can’t catch a break. The nonprofit bike park near Sandpoint, Idaho, has been fighting Bonner County officials for over a year just to keep their doors open—and now, they can’t even build bathrooms.
When I spoke with Panhandle Bike Ranch General Manager Lance Kalbach in early December, he was optimistic about the park’s future and excited to share their plans for 2026, including a welcome center with restrooms. Less than two months later, the county has blocked those plans, adding yet another chapter to what’s become one of the most contentious bike park disputes in the country.
PBR blocked from building welcome center and restrooms
The original building location permit was administratively denied by the county’s planning director on November 13, 2025. PBR appealed that decision, but the county commissioners unanimously upheld the previous denial in a meeting on January 20th, according to an article in the Bonner County Daily Bee.
“We’re here today to determine whether or not to appeal the building location permit. We’re not here today on the fact that they want to classify it as a park. It is classified as a recreational facility, and that cannot be appealed,” Korn said.
The classification of the property is still the critical issue
Unfortunately, the issue hinges on whether or not the non-profit bike park is classified as a “recreational facility” or a “park.” Despite the fact that the January 20 hearing was technically not about the classification of the property, Elizabeth Koeckeritz, the attorney representing PBR, argued that PBR’s facility should, in fact, be classified as a park due to PBR’s non-profit, non-commercial status.
“Panhandle bike ranch applied for a building location permit to build an accessory building — a welcome center and restroom — for the park use. And you can see on there the description was nonresidential or park. The permit was denied Nov. 13 because planning staff continued to maintain that the correct classification of the property was recreational facility. Writing on the denial of the commercial use this CUP has been has not been approved, therefore the commercial use is not permitted,” Koeckeritz said. “But as we’ve gone over, this is not a commercial use, and it cannot be by law.”
‘While we are disappointed about this decision, I cannot say I was surprised. ‘
I contacted PBR for comment, and Jennifer Kalbach, President of Panhandle Bike Ranch, responded, saying, “While we are disappointed about this decision, I cannot say I was surprised.”
Jennifer reiterated that the crux of the issue is that “county staff classified our operation as a recreation facility, which requires a conditional use permit rather than a park, which is permitted outright in our zone.”
PBR is now a registered Idaho nonprofit 501c3 organization, with “every dollar [going] directly back into trail maintenance, safety programs, youth access and community programming,” said Jennifer. “We partner with veteran organizations, youth groups, [and] first responders to provide mountain biking access to our community.”
“Under Bonner County Code, a Park is defined as a noncommercial facility designed to serve the recreational needs of the residents of the community, and we fit that perfectly,” she continued. “A recreational facility, by contrast, must be operated as a business, which we legally cannot be, being a nonprofit.”
The desire to change PBR’s land designation to that of a “park” appears to be a new strategy on PBR’s part, as Lance did not mention it in our early December interview.
“The county’s position is that any fee collection, regardless of our nonprofit status or how the fees are used, makes us a commercial business,” said Jennifer. “We disagree with that. Nonprofits across the country collect fees to support their missions. For example, Girl Scouts, pools, [and] even Bonner General Hospital here in Sandpoint. By this logic, all nonprofits would be commercial, which they simply cannot be.”
PBR is ‘fighting the man’
A new page published on PBR’s website calls on riders to help “FIGHT the Man, SUPPORT the Ranch. Help us tell Bonner County: Follow your own laws,” the page reads.
Immediately after the ruling on January 20th, PBR’s “attorneys at Givens Pursley filed a Petition for a Judicial Review in the First Judicial District Court,” in which they’re “asking the court to declare that our operation qualifies as a ‘park’ under Bonner County Code § 12-816” and “asking the court to declare that Planning Director determinations ARE appealable to the Board of County Commissioners,” according to the website and comments from Jennifer.
PBR claims that “this isn’t just about a bike park. It’s about fundamental rights: Property Rights — Can the government deny you a permitted use by redefining words in their own code? Due Process — Can bureaucrats block appeals and violate procedural rules without consequences? Equal Protection — Can officials ignore their code definitions based on organized opposition? Nonprofit Rights — Can counties override federal and state law and declare nonprofit organizations ‘commercial’?”
The Ranch is raising money to pay for legal fees, expert witnesses, court costs, and documentation. We definitely haven’t seen the last of this fight yet, and we’ll be sure to cover any relevant developments here on Singletracks.
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