Then she tried to get access to her development by taking the city attorney down to ITD/ACHD (at taxpayer’s expense mind you). Fortunately the hwy boys finally told her to stop comming down there–they were not going to have access via the bypass.Of course she tried to shroud her motives by saying the Fire Dept needs access—Eagle FD knew when they went in there what the access problem was. I’m sure Merrill will be back again for another try.

More stoplights are planned for Eagle road which has turned into the states greatest traffic mess thanks to the City Council approving all the subs without proper egress and ingress. Take a close look at the downtown area–every available space is infilled with buildings which have no central theme. Now they are starting a commission (Chamber-Commerce) to study what can be done about “tying the downtown together”. Don’t you think it is about 15 years too late??? The only way they can tie it together now is to put a rope around the city…..What a mess. My message for Star and Middleton—if you want to see what NOT to do, study Eagle’s fiasco.

A meeting of the Collister Neighborhood Association will be held on Wednesday, November 29 at 7 PM at the Collister United Methodist Church, 4444 Taft St.

Agenda includes (among other items):

Update of the Infill Task Force by Julie Klocke

A discussion about how we can protect our neighborhoods as the foothills get developed with presentations by:
Paul Woods ADA Co. Commissioner elect.
Paul Werner President of the Boise Central Foothills Neighborhood
Sarah Wiltz President of the Sunset Neighborhood
Joanne Pence From the Dry Creek Rural Neighborhood
Bruce Eggelston Boise City Planner

“We’re very happy that M3 has decided to donate an additional 800 acres of open space on either side of Willow Creek Road, just south of Little Gulch. People, this is a direct result—the first of many, I believe—of the strong presence and testimony by many of you at the M3 hearing on November 13. This is concrete, dramatic proof of the power of the neighborhoods to affect these development proposals in real, significant ways.
Thank…citizens helping to create a sustainable vision for the future of Ada County’s Northern Foothills… you again, enthusiastically and sincerely, to all those who attended the hearing and to those who testified. When we act together and with one voice, we’re a force to contend with.”

Good results can happen for all stakeholders when positive interaction and collaboration take place. Is it easy?, probably not. Is it frustrating? probably yes. Is it worth it? YES.

Guardian- Sorry to hijack your posting. I don’t see the Chamber as the root cause to growth so I cannot address it. As you can see, anytime the word GROWTH is mentioned it creates excitement.

Clancy–Glad to provide the forum for thoughtful discussion. EDITOR.

1. To Clancy – many of the attitudes shared in this blog are the result of dealing with officials (and developers) who simply think they know it all and do not care for public input. The simple fact is that virtually all those who comment here have had personal experiences with city council members, ACHD members and others who simply have no interest in others views and think they know it all.

To say that the blog rubs these officials and developers the wrong way and is not helping the “cause” really doesn’t matter because they don’t care anyway – nothing is going to help other than removing them and shutting them down.

2. Cyclops – even if there are 100 people at every public hearing (and many of us have been to many with well over 100) – they still don’t care. They have their agenda and they justify it in very illogical ways and do what they want anyway – even when 350 people show up – they still don’t care.

3. It is VERY worrisome to see a Chamber of Commerce now in the business of PROMOTING bigger GOVERNMENT and MORE TAXES!!! I thought the chamber was the voice of business and the free market – not the marketing arm of the City Council! I am going to cancel my membership if they keep this up and others should too.

4. Over the last 3-4 years (especially since Team Dave and the Alan, Elaine and Jerome show) individuals and neighborhoods and others have pleaded with the GROWTH ADDICTS to slow down and look at alternatives and solutions. Virtually all have been ignored. It is all about tax revenue, density, massive condos, skinny row houses, overloaded streets, mass urbanization of neighborhoods, and on and on and on….and that is the way they like it. Their actions speak for themselves.

You talk a good game and some of your points are, well LOGICAL.

However when the Chamber can get most of the Treasure Valley politicos to leave town and listen to speakers selected by them to plan growth in the manner most beneficial to the Chamber it leaves little hope for people like Cyclops to get their point across to local politicos.

Combine that with special laws that exempt the legislature from any ethical conflicts when they take gifts from the Chamber to tour various parts of the state and the average Idahoan is simply without any voice.

I have to hand it to the GUARDIAN for having the temerity to call it like it is. Logically I should offer an alternative, but I don’t have the war chest to do it. Some of the politicos don’t even understand they have been co-opted. The G accurately points out Mayor Dave does a fund raiser for the Chamber with his “state of the city gig.”

When the Idaho Business Review picked up on that fact the publisher got a nasty gram from the Chamber. When the Statesman reported on BOTH the success AND failures of Team Dave, the brass received calls from the Mayor’s Office–intimidating to some reporters when you have to dodge bullets from City Hall.

If there were 100 people that showed up at EVERY meeting and held these folks feet to the fire, those 100 people would own the local governments. Politicians listen to those that threaten them politically, and when 2-3 people show up at the council or county commish meetings, they think they can do what they @#$%$@# well please. If we want to limit the loss of “the good old days in Idaho” then we have to take it back from the local politicos. It is our community. If we want it back, we have to take it back!

Typically, I will show up to a public hearing and rant about how this particular development will ruin my quality of life, increase congestion, destroy my children’s education and so on…..then one of those dirty rotten politicians will just ignore me and approve the development anyway. Of course the only reason they approved the development is that the developer had already “bought” the votes needed.

Probably didn’t have anything to do with the fact that the application complied with the currently adopted version of the development ordinances (zoning and subdivision) that guarantee landowners certain entitlements. City and County leaders don’t get to make this stuff up as they go. If you truly want to change the way that development is regulated in Idaho, change the regulations, not the politicians. Different politicians applying the same law will produce the same results. Propose responsible changes to the city and county law, take the time to see your changes through the public process until it is adopted. Of course, when some whacko property rights guy stands up and tells you how stupid your idea is and that you must be “bought off” by some special interest to want to be involved in the process, don’t be offended by it.

After the public process is complete, your idea will either prove itself worthy or it won’t. If it does, congrats…if it doesn’t you can still blame all the bought off politicians for the failures of the world. My point being is that we are a land of laws. Some of our laws are good, some bad. They can all be changed. Quit crucifying our elected officials, respect your neighbors vote, and focus your energy somewhere effective.

I have said this before elsewhere at the Guardian. The pessimistic attitudes and the animosity shown toward the development community and local governments is not helping any cause. It only serves to make sure your voice is not being heard as clearly as it should.