City Government
Boise City Buys Out of County Land
January 1, 2010 
Last week at a special council session, Boise City acquired a piece of land in Boise County known as Stack Rock. The landmark is a popular spot with hikers and mountain bikers who previously had to cross private property to reach it. We just hope Boise doesn’t get a hankering for Tamarack!
It was acquired in a hybrid donation/purchase deal using funds approved by citizens in a 2 year “Foothills tax levy” aimed at preserving the foothills. Many GROWTHOPHOBES voted in favor of the levy, never dreaming their taxes would be used to acquire land far outside the city.
The Wednesday deal was even mentioned by the NEW YORK TIMES in a story about open space trumping developments in communities across the USA. Ironic that Boise has both open space and a prominent role in the nationwide housing bust.
Nice to get access for the northenders and biking set, but we need to keep an eye on plans to link the trails to Avimor and Hidden Springs–at Boise expense. The sprawl is being slowly condoned by Boise City as we provide these so-called “planned communities” with schools, fire protection, and now potential recreational access while they dodge the big city tax bullet.
Next thing will be a move to annex these areas into the city so they “pay their fair share.”
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jan 2, 2010, 12:54 am
So does Boise just own it in the general sense of the term, as they do a cop car or a computer….or is it somehow annexed, requiring fire protection, PD , utility and other services?
Jan 2, 2010, 2:17 am
Years ago it was my impression that Stack Rock was on public land. It should have been Forest Service or BLM land and in all likelihood would have been if multi-agency land use plans for the Boise Front forged in the 1970s had not be scrapped in the 1980s. It belongs in public ownership and at some point may be part of a land trade to another agency that will assume stewardship of it.
Jan 2, 2010, 8:19 am
Seems to me that this is fully within the goal of the Foothills Policy Plan and consistent with the purpose of the Foothills Levy. It was known at the time that most of the land the Policy Plan and Levy focused on were not, indeed could not be, in the city limits.
They picked up a high value site at what appears to be a bargain. Good for them.
Local leaders like to tout the areas quality of life. They deserve credit on the rare occasion such as this that they do something to protect it.
Now, if they would only use the $60 million targeted for the trolley to pick up other foothills lands. That would be real progress.
Jan 2, 2010, 4:20 pm
Nemo you must not get out much. The land in question is miles from any roads and is slated to be OPEN space. Used for hiking, biking, etc. They are just the new land owner. Are you afraid the BFD and BPD will set up satellite stations up there? Your anti Boise biases shows through.
Jan 2, 2010, 4:24 pm
This seems to be a really good use of the funds as long as somebody in city hall doesn’t get the bright idea to pave access to it and put up a visitors center. Sorry, but I don’t trust this administration as far as I can pitch them!
Jan 2, 2010, 10:00 pm
Not sure why it would be a bad thing for Stack Rock to be linked into the Hidden Springs and Avimor trail systems? Developers and/or Ada County residents pay to build and maintain those trails, and trail users from Boise City are welcome with open arms to use them. What would be wrong with Boise pitching in to help complete a nice multi-regional trail system stretching from the North End to dang near Horseshoe Bend?
EDITOR NOTE–Good point. But our issue is more with using Boise resources to make the sprawl developments more appealing. Gotta admit those 6 houses in Avimor don’t offer much revenue to society. If all of the players pay to play that is the way it should be.
Jan 3, 2010, 12:52 am
Not an anti-Boise bias, just a question on who is responsible say, a brush fire or a structure fire happens up there (remember the Structure fire north of Boise just outside of city limits?) Will Boise be sending a brush company out of county to fight fire there?
Or is this ownership simpler? Just interested in where my tax dollars are going and any hidden cost associated with it.
Jan 3, 2010, 1:22 pm
The trails to Stack Rock from Hidden Springs and Avimor already exist. So there would be no new expense to the impoverished Boise taxpayers. You also might want to take a little drive through Avimor if you haven’t in a while…its grown!!! More than two dozen homes are occupied and there are lots of kids sledding all over the hills.
(As usual, hyperbole and ignorance are the mainstay of the Boise Guardian’s growthophobe position.)
Jan 3, 2010, 5:13 pm
I see this as a great purchase and asset to Boise. I don’t see a problem linking to current trails whether developer built or city/public built. The developer built trail systems are open for public use as well.
Jan 3, 2010, 6:45 pm
The city owns it as a private party would own it, i.e., in its “proprietary” capacity, as opposed to its “sovereign” capacity. There is a state statute that authorizes cities to buy land, including land outside of city limits. Presumably, it pays property taxes on the land to Boise County.
Jan 3, 2010, 8:24 pm
Editor – the only thing that will make Avimor (aptly tagged as sprawl development) more appealing is putting a soundproofing bubble around the stretch of Hwy 55 that runs through that valley!!! The lots in Phase 1 of Avimor can’t escape the impact of that highway, and no amount of amenities (including regional trails) will change that.
Trail User – “Grown” to two dozen occupied homes? A $50M capital investment and two years of sales to achieve 24 closed homes. If that is your defination of “growth”, you have made some new best friends in the anti-development anti-sprawl anti-planned community circles!!!
Jan 4, 2010, 12:35 am
Thank you Bond, James Bond…That was exactly what I was wondering.
Jan 4, 2010, 7:44 am
Since the property is surrounded by Forest Service and State and BLM land I would expect any fires around Stack Rock to be fought by those agencies. If BFD has a mutual aid agreement with them then a brush rig or engine company could be requested. Since there are no driveable roads to Stack Rock I don’t see the BFD responding out there. As for structure fires, there are those cabins next to Bogus Basin road but I bet they are on their own since they are so far past the county line.
Jan 5, 2010, 10:58 am
the stack rock area will also offer a wonderful opportunity for forestry and geology education for city and area schools. scat identification will include black bears, coyotes, fox, deer, elk, and, coming soon, WOLVES!
Jan 5, 2010, 11:57 am
No drivable road? That violates the diabled access laws… we must now get ACHD to build a paved road with curb and gutter and those low profile crosswalk thingys. That way everyone can enjoy the remoteness of the new Boise roadless rock… I see a chance for a lawyer to make some money forcing the issue too, and don’t forget to get the feds involved.
And an outhouse… we can’t have people using the bushes like that… that’s just not civil. And lights and emergency phones. And a coffee shop. and a bus stop
Jan 5, 2010, 12:45 pm
2 issues of concern, one asserted by Dave and the next by Boise citizen:
1) “The sprawl is being slowly condoned by Boise City as we provide these so-called “planned communities” with schools, fire protection, and now potential recreational access while they dodge the big city tax bullet.”
You don’t have to be phobic to see that Treasure Valley development has been and is being allowed to rip off the taxpayers.
2) ”
As for structure fires, there are those cabins next to Bogus Basin road but I bet they are on their own since they are so far past the county line.”
I suggest, don’t bet on it!