The “People” of Eagle miss the beauty. The people in the Mcmansions as you call them, don’t care anyway or they wouldn’t have over-built our city into the dredges of a “Little Bel Air”.

But you better watch out, it’s going to get worse, because those of us who have tried to stick it out will eventually leave now that the powers that be are demolishing the foothills as well. Eagle needs a new name: I vote for Little Bel Air myself. The new breed of Eagle residents would LOVE it.

I believe that there isn’t any way to defend the obvious effects of crowding too many people together.

The end result is not only predictable; it is viewable in many cities all over America. If the current direction of housing on the Boise Bench continues, we will have had the unique experience of watching a ghetto of the future being built.

The people who will profit from this travesty will never live there, but we hope to name our ghetto, Pete Town, after the current Mayor so that this legacy can follow him to future political aspirations.

I realize that planning is important, but we need to provide housing that will not price people out of the market. It’s like Walmart, I may not like to go there, but a lot of folks need to take advantage of the good prices. (Been here since the early 70s. Born in Idaho)

In your flight I am sure overlooked some examples of good developments. What about the award winning Banner Bank building or Bown Crossing as a nice example of infill?

In the Daily, Rocky Barker had an interesting piece on open space. It basically said Teluride’ s Open Space Levy lacked the funds for purchasing a key piece of land, so the community members forked over the remaining funds(25 million). Boise’s levy funds are about exhausted and private landowners should not be responsible for providing open space. How about some community members step up to the plate to preserve the Foothills?

EDITOR NOTE–Banner bank is a perfect example of the problem! It is green, award winning, pleasing to the eye. BUT it is jammed into a small parcel of downtown. Double the size of the land or even put it in the center of a block with nice landscaping, underground parking, and a loop drive to drop off passengers and you have something. The Grove and Qwest center is typical of too much building on too little land. Boise is a “small town” no matter how much you crowd the core.

I’ve been going out there since there was an old car graveyard, just at the base of what is now Warm Springs Mesa. (Obviously a kid is attracted to something as alluring as a car graveyard! Back in those days, you went past the Idaho State Pen and the big Gate City Steel warehouse to get there.)

Nowadays we (myself and several other cyclists) refer to Barber Drive as “The Cow Loop.” Porcupine is right – the cows are still there, off and on, depending on the time of year. But you can bet the city-slickers will eventually demand their removal. “Cows are stinky!” (in a whiny voice, by transplanted people who don’t realize there used to be a ranch at “Harris Ranch.”)

I’m trying to treasure up the mental images. The pastures and cows. The “rock chucks” (currently in prolific abundance). The birds of prey. The deer – I’ve seen 20 or 30 before, right by the side of the road. I’ve chased a lone coyote for half-a-mile down that road. I love The Cow Loop. Soon it will all be gone.

But like I said, you need to get out more. Try flying over, or ( to reduce your carbon footprint) bike out in September. I know biking is a large come down for you high rollers in helicopters. It is always fun to see the little babies show up. I will miss that when it is gone.

Porcupine

Your statement “Harris Ranch looked better with cattle.” shows that you haven’t noticed in the last 38 years that Harris Ranch moves their cows up to the hills above Lucky Peak for the summer. My bet is the “cows will come home” again this year as they have done for the last 50.

Maybe you should get out more?

PS I have lived next to the Harris Fam. for 60 years now… good folks.

EDITOR NOTE– Huh? Cows among all those houses and plans for retail, hotels, meeting facilities, and they won’t build the bridge they once promised?

Once when I was lamenting how MY town has changed, the brother-in-law, who owns a retail business here, got quite defensive, declaring how good all the influx is for his business. And I s’pose I should be conflicted – I work for a company that is dependent on construction to stay afloat.

But when I ride my bike through sprawling suburbia, with a neverending stream of cars at the elbow, I can’t help but miss the pastures and fields that have been displaced by seas of rooftops. “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

I was just watching the local evening news. The reporterette was gushing about how Boise has landed on yet one more “top ten list” or some such, like it’s a WONDERFUL thing. I’d like to see more publicity about how crummy our schools are. (Aren’t we always hearing that?) And how Idaho is #50 in community colleges. And the nursing shortage. How bad the air sometimes gets. Gas prices are #3 here, behind only California and Illinois. I occasionally see a bumpersticker: “Idaho, the slave-wage state.” Why can’t they just move away if it’s so awful?

Maybe even make some stuff up… the Nazis have moved down from northern Idaho and are recruiting our youth. Graffiti gangs take over the streets after dark. Drive-by shootings. Could somebody start up a “Chamber of Anti-Commerce,” just to drive a propaganda machine?

I’d gladly give up the mall, and the Taco Bell arena, and the 30-screen entertainment complex, and the connector, if I could go back to when the BJC Gym was THE indoor arena, the Boise and Pinney and Ada were the movie-houses, and if you wanted to shop at the mall, Karcher was a short drive away.

Thanks, Dave! I’m feeling bitterly nostalgic now. You think Boise is a nice place to live? You shoulda seen it 40 years ago! The bad genie is out of the bottle.