Comments on: ITD Demands Halt On Avimor

By: 88 mm Anti-Tank

88 mm Anti-Tank — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 18:56:54 +0000

Naomi/Clippityclop. It is my understanding that Hidden Springs had indeed worked out an agreement with ACHD that they would improve and pave Dry Creek when traffic volumes reached 600 vpd. Latest ACHD traffic count is 576 vpd. If Hidden Springs is not shucking off this responsibility to the Dry Creekers, it may point out the advisability of requiring payment in advance, perhaps in the way of bonding. As Ronnie Ray Guy put it “Trust, but verify.”

By: CYCLOPS

CYCLOPS — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:10:45 +0000

Welcome to the world of Community Planning Sleuth. SOP is to promise anything, and everything, to the public during the public meetings and then “do the real deal” after they go home. Fun isn’t it!

By: Sleuth

Sleuth — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 03:53:45 +0000

Nothing like seeing first hand what Planned Community developers promise and then do…or should I say “don’t do”? Hidden Springs promised to pave Dry Creek Road and to provide vans for commuters into Boise. Wasn’t done.

They did build a fire station, though. Only no one mans it. And, oh my!, even the Ada County Commissioners questioned why Harris Ranch’s wildlife mitigation plan isn’t working (at The Cliffs hearing 12/20/06). And for sure, we can’t forget the promised East Park Center Bridge. Isn’t it lovely? All promises that aren’t kept once the developers get what they want. Amazing, isn’t it?

By: Clippityclop

Clippityclop — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:47:17 +0000

Naomi,
As far as I understand it, Hidden Springs was supposed to pave Dry Creek Rd as part of their arrangement with ACHD. Frank Martin, who is the developer in charge of Hidden Springs, stated this summer that the responsibility for paving that will now fall on another developer, presumably the developer of Dry Creek Ranch (JMM Dry Creek, LLC). I’ve confirmed that the Dry Creek Rural Neighborhood Association has had no involvement in this issue.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 13:10:58 +0000

OT: I’d like to learn more about the Dry Creek Association. Are they the ones driving the LACK of paving on Dry Creek Rd?

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 10:38:55 +0000

Vik thanks I needed that.
Make’s me proud to be a Growthophobe.
Now how does one stop the destruction of our once beautiful state.

Once it’s gone all the greedy developers will be on to greener pasture’s

By: Clippityclop

Clippityclop — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:45:15 +0000

Give it a break, A Team 88. That piece of legislation was the biggest developer giveaway to ever come down the pike and everybody knows it. My advice? Don’t buy property on speculation and apply for a zoning change if you ain’t got the horsepower to cover all the costs of development. It’s not ITD’s and the public’s/homeowner’s responsibilty to make developers very, very wealthy just because the County approved an application. They need to gamble with their own money, please.

By: A Team 88

A Team 88 — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 23:44:00 +0000

Logic,
Can’t have a bond without a guarantee. Who goes broke more often…developer or local gov’t. This whole process would require a little faith in the bond market underwriters. I don’t even want to try and understand their formula for success. Just know I don’t see that formula fail too often (I’ve never seen it fail). The way that last years proposed legislation read, Cities and Counties would have complete control of where money is spent. The local gov’t becomes the “Commishes” for the newly formed Improvement District. They can still require the same improvements on site today, but could also pay for improvements off-site. Example…Avimor (SunCor) pays for all on-site improvements with their own capital (Lot Cost)…then County or City (which ever approves development) could require additional improvements like road improvements at HWY 44 and HWY 55 that developer pays for using the bond market (property tax to the subdivision). It enables the developer to provide more “front end” improvements than we get through today’s process. Probably not perfect by any means, but gets us closer than sticking our head in the sand.

By: Clancy

Clancy — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 23:29:49 +0000

As “A Team” said we can change the way we do business and start letting growth pay for the necessary infrastructure or we can leave it be and the battle goes on.

Do people actually think by battling the developers on each and every point, that we accomplish stopping growth? No. Can we work together to accomplish smart growth and meet in the middle? Yes.

Looking at the conservative numbers that COMPASS approved in 2002 roughly here is the population projections for Ada county.

2000- 300,904 census
2010- 402,949
2015- 455,493
2025 – 491,520

In the next 18 years we need to cram another 100,000 plus people into Ada county alone. It is time to work together and create the financial tools needed to pay for the infrastructure improvements as we go. The developers do not need a free pass in the process, just the tools to get the job done right the first time.

Hopefully in the process, the word “Growthophobe” will disappear and everybody will become SmartGrowther’s. Boise has been found and nobody is going to stop the population wave coming our way.

By: Vik

Vik — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:25:01 +0000

Response to Robert on “Growthophobe,”

If “growthophobe” means anything, it means one who supports a living environment with a quality of life. “High quality of life” and “growth” are dichotomous; therefore, those who love and support the growth in Boise, ironically, should not be living here. Rather, they should be wallowing in love and admiration for and desirous of the city life and all its “growth” attributes (e.g., traffic, smog, congestion, crime and high cost of living) of NYC or LA.