Growth
Snail Mail Spam Filter
June 11, 2005 
Boise City may have the ultimate spam blocker for all the junk we get via the U.S. mail…they want to change the numbers on your house.
Like most things the city does, it is to accommodate DEVELOPMENT. Here is a novel idea: stop building and “infilling” because it causes too much confusion with addresses!
Wasn’t this the administration that promised to preserve neighborhoods? Now they want to jam more houses into less space and steal our identity by changing the numbers. Perhaps infill would look good in the Highlands or along Harrison Boulevard.
The problem is created by new development in the older neighborhoods which preceded the modern numbering system. Of course when you claim “emergency response delays” you can do about anything and get support. Sort of like claiming it is for “homeland defense.”
The proposed change will trigger chaos and mass confusion far beyond any current inconvenience caused by adding a new residence between two existing street numbers.
Reps from police, fire, and public works are holding meetings around town for public input, but these are the folks who have already decided the changes need to be made.
Make your voice heard if you live in the North End, Sunset , or Vista Neighborhoods. Call the public works department at 384-3927 or e-mail Elizabeth Duncan at [email protected]
The City got the Statesman to run a big sales pitch. It was a well done story, but did not look in depth at all the problems associated with changing historic addresses. You are talking about switching numbers, mailing lists, computer programs, credit checks, retirement accounts etc. etc. Postal address change cards are good for only a year. Anyone who mails you a letter–or check–after that year will get it bounced back. Just say no!
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jun 13, 2005, 8:51 am
Why is this an issue for emergency response in this age of the computer and internet services which provide instant addresses and directions? Dispatch has sophisticated software and I’m sure accurate directions are given to police or fire. Can anyone document a single case where someone didn’t get a paramedic or to the hospital on time because of the current address system?
Bill von Tagen
Jun 15, 2005, 4:00 pm
This is not a saftey issue at all – it is an issue that the developers and city leaders who want dense infill are pushing. They want to double, triple or more the density of all the vacant lots in the city and they need the “addresses” to go with the lots.
This is just another result of the “Blueprint for Goofy Growth” developers and the City making it easier for massive infill by having more street addresses to go with the lots they want to pack row-houses, apratments and condos on.