For starters, I don’t think the county should be in the fair, gambling, racing, mobile home park, baseball, or wedding event center businesses. That said, to call the fairgrounds a “park” is a stretch. It’s mostly a “parking lot.” The buildings are functional but old. It’s largely an eyesore. I can’t help but think that there are better uses. A nice park along the river is one that I like most. Perhaps some commercial development to put some of it on the tax roles. Look at what was done with Kleiner Park and the adjacent commercial areas. I realize that ditching the fair will not happen. I also realize that Garden City, Boise City, and the County will NEVER sit down and work out a solution like adults (as evidenced by GC vs. everyone on the bike path, Boise City vs. ACHD etc. Just saying.

Very Sad! Very Sad, Indeed!!

Does Garden City Councilman Mike Moser wants a “Legacy” of destroying the only large, relatively undeveloped, parcel in the center of Boise / Garden City. Is his ambition to see more Starbucks or trashy strip malls? Does he covet more tax revenue for the 11,000 population city? There has to be a reason to desire to develop a strip mall on Chinden Avenue with Ada County park land. The fact is, Garden City gets a large park area without having to pay to maintain it. Ada County owns and maintains the land.

Ada County has preserved a large open space next to the Boise River for the enjoyment of all of our citizens. Much like Central Park in New York City, this large space will become more of a jewel over time as horse racing dies off and the land, with it’s “golf course”, evolves to another public use.

If short-sighted politicians get their way; their legacy will be to be forgotten or vilified. Citizens, be glad there are no cemeteries in Garden City; would Mike Moser want to find a better use for that land, too?

The Garden City Master Parks and Pathway Plan created during Mike Moser’s tenure states:
Parks and pathways are a resource that can provide social benefits to city residents as
well as the public throughout the community. However, in Garden City’s
disproportionally large sector of underprivileged citizens, access to parks may produce
more concentrated benefits. Parks have been attributed to promoting social equity
through access to affordable recreational activities and improved environmental health
which reduces direct and indirect costs associated with long term health ailments.
Moreover, parks are also widely noted for fostering a sense of place which is linked to
reduction in poverty, increase of education and community involvement, all of which
are linked to reduction in crime, a large expense for the City.

Is this the same vision of recent news reports?

After reading these other, more considered opinions, and giving the matter more thought. And, after reviewing the history of the history of the purpose for the existence of Garden City to provide a place for sin within easy proximity of Government and Business leaders of the Capitol City I have come up with a non-Swiftian modest proposal.

I think that the County should declare the land to be an Indian Reservation (Tribe to be cooperatively determined) and said tribe(s) and County build a gambling casino on said site, also with a large parking garage, along with a free shuttle bus service to the State Capitol Building during the Session. This will certainly help both the State and County budgets, as well as the Tribal(s) and both Garden City and Boise City budget(s). I would even go further and suggest a joint Garden City and Boise Auditorium District be formed to charge a hotel room tax on off-site rooms adjacent to the Ada Casino for an “improvement district”, whose purpose can be determined by secret ballot at a later date.

This ballot shall be taken by the appointed Commissioners of the Joint Commission, whose members shall be selected by the Tribal Commission, the Ada County Commission, The Garden City Commission, The Boise city commission and two members at large selected from people using the Green Belt illegally within the restricted area within Garden City on the date of the election.

As a concession to the use of this former Public Space, atleast 1 % of any profit should be dedicated to drug and alcohol abuse education within the County of Ada per year and administered by the County Sheriff.
As a part of the agreement the Green Belt shall be ensured and extended throughout the entire length of this space, and maintained by the County until such time as the Casino is operating at level its buildings and grounds crew can take over, or in any case no later than 4 years.

The Tribal Council shall maintain an exhibit of Indian ponies within easy access for viewing by visitors in a non-fee area for educational purposes at its own expense.
The County, freed of the expense of maintaining this land should contribute an equal amount of monies to the ACHD each year for road and bridge improvement, adjusting for inflation.

Anyone who suggests that the County is responsible for sponsoring a fair at tax-payer expense shall be subjected to a public shaming by the Libertarian Party on the 3rd Saturday of odd-numbered months on the steps of the Ada County Courthouse at 12 noon. Improvements and additions to this accepted at any time.

Thanks for standing up in public interest for preservation of a historic site that would be destroyed with commercial development.

C’mon, Dave. “Greedy Garden City” isn’t trying to steal the Fairgrounds so it can give it away to developers. An agricultural heritage park? Sure. Absolutely. Anything would be an improvement over the present use. We are simply trying to inspire and prod the Ada County Board of Commissioners to think of possibilities beyond historical uses.

Let’s do an honest reset on the current situation: Vast amounts of acreage tied up with a horseracing operation in need of millions of dollars of repair. Even though it is presently backed by a group of well-heeled investors, even rich folks get tired of losing money in pretty short order. Ada County’s answer–gambling!!–a predatory industry taking advantage of the very citizens that the Commissioners purport to serve. This is private industry holding court on public property and sharing one-quarter of one percent of the revenue north of $10 million. Can and should we expect better? Just look at the baseball/softball fields on the SW part of the property. This is Boise, Idaho! We can’t grow grass? Really? Why can’t those fields be maintained in a way that they are something we are all proud of, as opposed to an utter embarrassment and disgrace? I could go on, and on, and on about the current use(s).

Could the Greater Boise Auditorium District work with the County to build a convention/exhibit facility? A hotel? Could they host regional agricultural trade shows? What if the County had worked with the newly formed College of Western Idaho shortly after the levy was passed by voters? Could the County have leased existing parcels of land to CWI for 99 years at below market rates and used the money to improve other parts of the property? Think about it. Lots of open space, plenty of parking, great access on state highways to the property, and a schedule that does not conflict with the traditional fair use.

Ask yourself, how is this valuable public asset currently being used? One answer is that during current air alerts when you can barely see the Foothills, car dealers from all around the Treasure Valley make literally hundreds, if not thousands, of trips in individual cars across the valley in order to park said cars at the Fairgrounds property so they can have “Car Wars”! I don’t want to speak for anyone else on the Council, but I am ready for the County to quit squatting on this valuable public asset, and start a conversation about the possibilities, the future, and what is in the best interest of the citizens of Ada County. I think we can all agree that the present situation leaves much to be desired with plenty of room for improvement.

EDITOR NOTE–Jeff, I don’t think we are that far apart. The piece was written 6 years ago and there have been only minor fixes. I think I suggested the Convention Center along with the Ag Heritage Park. Horse racing is not much of a year round venue and it sucks up lots of assets.

I vaguely recall Ada County commissioned a valuation or at least a review of some sort a few years ago of the Fairgrounds and if it should move elsewhere or how the land could be better used. Let’s look that up, and let’s not recreate the wheel. I think it was by Colliers International if memory services me. Just Googled and found it on the Garden City website: http://www.gardencityidaho.org/index.asp?SEC=36550E24-168A-4A04-93D7-EA5E85C3DB80&Type=B_BASIC

erico49
Kleiner Park is an absolute abomination. Impossible to navigate. Not counting the senior center there is only ONE < I repeat ONE parking spot where a person can get out of there car and into the park without crossing a street or pushing a stroller/picnic cart through the grass to get to the sidewwalk. btw the grasses they planted by the event center (thats what this "park" is about, events and money. oh yea, those grasses are cheat grassy and they will go through your dogs foot. I called but the MPD didn't care at all.
As for the Fairgrounds the article points in a direction that seems like a good move forward for all of us.