Comments on: Little Sympathy For Tamarack Demise

By: Cal

Cal — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:21:08 +0000

Have you seen all the plans for huge developments SE of Boise? One scheme proposes a whole new town called Mayfield Springs halfway to Mountain Home at the Stage Stop – right where the pronghorn and elk winter. There won’t be any work there after construction ends so the residents will all have to drive 20-30 miles to Boise and Meridian – that’ll improve air quality and reduce road congestion!

And there’s not enough ground water for tens of thousands of homes, but the developers claim they can bring water 30 miles from the Snake – that’ll be cheap! I wonder if the residents will mind sharing with the nuclear power station planned for Bruneau?

Here’s what I don’t understand: If people want to move to Idaho and live in a city, there are plenty to choose from, why do we need another one? Mountain Home would love the new developments and expanded business, and already has some core infrastructure. Why the urgent need to destroy wildlife habitat and open space so far from any employment? Greed. The developers bought the land cheap, and stand to make a huge profit . . . especially because it is so easy to manipulate our politicians and planners.

I hope they lose everything in the real estate crunch.

By: John Mitchell

John Mitchell — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:17:06 +0000

Antiphobe–thanks for the Avimor update–I drive by there every week and haven’t seen much activity. Would LOVE to see ITD stand up to their committment for an overpass. A turnout lane would be an absolute disaster for weekenders going to McCall or HBend. By the way, internal sources tell me that Avimor will be trucking their solid waste to Idaho Waste Systems on Simco Rd (Elmore County).

By: dh

dh — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:33:43 +0000

“antiphobe?” Just one more example of exactly what is destroying Idaho. Sounds like something someone picked up in SEA, SWA or Mexico. It is so sad that they seem to be epidemic here anymore. Where is the DDT, Penicillin or Imodium when Idaho needs thousands of curative doses to rid ourselves of them?
Hope that bootplug (sp?) saves enough money for a ticket home to France.

By: antiphobe

antiphobe — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:25:58 +0000

I hate to ruin your fun by injecting some accuarate facts into all of the misinformation, but I can give you a little insight into the Avimor project. There has been no agreement or requirement yet from ITD regarding an overpass on Hwy 55, and an assured water source apporoved by the PUC from United Water is operational to the site. Sorry…back to Tamarack bashing you go.

By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:48:51 +0000

Heard rumblings of this from businesses in the Tamarack area nearly two years ago — the boo-boo at the bank was just the final nail. Not that someone won’t pick up the whole thing at fire sale prices and hum right along destroying the area in future years.

In 1970, on a Forest Service tour to the Warm Lake area, there was discussion of a possible ski resort on that mountain Tamarack has developed. The consensus was that the snow quality was unpredictable and the slopes less than ideal. So, I never did understand the determination to bulldoze the project through.

Speaking of Avimor, did they ever obtain a consistent source of water?

By: Gordon

Gordon — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:35:07 +0000

“We are curious to see if Valley County’s assessor will LOWER the valuation on all the property that got jacked up in the wake of the Tamarack hype and Presidential visit.”

Guardian, do you hide out each holiday to see if the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and The Great Pumpkin appear?

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:18:50 +0000

The few will get rich, or have already, and the rest of us will pay. Follow the money and you will find the greedy rich folk.

By: JJ

JJ — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:39:54 +0000

We often hear large companies scream about too much government regulation and how such regulation deters solid economic growth, yet when these businesses screw up in the free market they run to government for bail outs, handouts and help.

I say let’s stay the course, less government regulation but no government welfare for busineeses either.

By: John Mitchell

John Mitchell — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:45:18 +0000

Avimor will be next on the bankruptcy line….Work is at a standstill up there and I doubt if they will put in the required ITD overpass—-

By: dog

dog — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:41:00 +0000

As a 40 year plus skier, I tried Tamarack twice and could never find the appeal. It has lousy terrain and the bottom of the hill melts fast in early spring. They should have put the short lift at the bottom and the long lift at the top. Bad designers. Still would not change the funky staircase like terrain. The whole thing was a huge hype machine that all the chamber cheer leaders bought into. Personally, I think it is probably one of the biggest single money laundering operations ever in Idaho. Idaho crime investigators are too stupid to bust money laundering crimes because it’s so easy to bust pot smoking kids on the greenbelt. Or they’ve been told by their minders to look the other way.

My bet is Tamarack will get a massive taxpayer bailout, and become a “private members” only ski area with some land swap deal made in a Idaho Dept.of Lands / US Forest Service back room deal. The rich guys will make a killing with huge property tax breaks and insider deals and the locals and two bit investors will get hosed. Then the R politicians who look the otherway will get re-elected for saving Valley County.