City Government
Everything Old Is New Again
April 20, 2016 
Today the Boise Parks Dept. announced a move to “increase traffic flow” within Ann Morrison Park by allowing two-way traffic.
That means cars can come and go at either the Capital Blvd. or Americana entrances. Previously there was one-way traffic. The GUARDIAN can remember when the park was a “cut through” and those damn kids used to hang out with their cars which prompted a one-way system with no exit on Americana.
Then there was “the cruise” along Idaho and Main with all those kids again. Now we have a “vibrant downtown” full of bars and restaurants.
But we also can remember when they made one-way streets downtown to improve traffic flow. That was before they made two-way streets in an effort to make the public streets more bicycle friendly and get people out of their cars.
Making the park more auto friendly and the streets more bike friendly is sort of like coming out against a private airstrip in the foothills outside the city limits, but planning a police shooting range in an area subject to residential development south of Gowen Field after spending tax payer dollars to buy a foothills shooting range.
It will be interesting to see how the Ada Commishes handle those two matters.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 20, 2016, 12:01 pm
“…spending tax payer dollars to buy a foothills shooting range.”
Please clarify. I was under the impression that the firing range next to the Military Reserve was privately owned by a non-profit association.
EDITOR NOTE–Rabula, the purchase/trade with the two Boise Coppers who bought the range from the Association was and remains the focus of my angst. The City did a three-way trade with the doctors to avoid putting the land at 25th and Fairview up for bid while getting the docs to purchase the shooting range from the city employees (illegal for the city to buy from employees) and then trade the foothills range for the 25th and Fairview property. All based on 4-year-old declaration of “surplus property. St. Lukes’ bought out the docs who had planned a private hospital at 25th and Fairview and now owns the land which remains vacant.
Apr 20, 2016, 2:44 pm
I can remember back when we had 2-way traffic in the park and it was like a car show down there. It was the 70s/80s and hot rods were everywhere. I wonder if we’ll see them again.
Apr 20, 2016, 5:43 pm
City traded 25th & Fairview (appraised for $975,000) for
police range (appraised for $750,000)
+ commerical property (950 Citation Ct—valued at $415,00).
City realized $190,000 net gain in asset value and added 8.57 acres worth millions if developed to city reserve/parkland that surrounds it.
Where were taxpayer dollars (mis)spent?
EDITOR NOTE–The deal was structured to circumvent the law period. If it was so important to get the range at that location, why is it being moved so soon afterward? There was no hearing on the trade and council even admitted they “wanted” the land to go to the doctors!
Apr 20, 2016, 9:48 pm
Editor, every change is reason for a tax and fee increase. They’re just rotating the stock and letting a new generation of sheep thing they are making progress.
Apr 21, 2016, 4:10 pm
Now we hear the mayor wants to “go around” the legislature and state law implement a local option tax so he can spent more.
It is very clear that the mayor and council simply cannot live within the amount of tax money they already get and that taking more of our money is such a high priority that they will give the finger to state law and the legislature.
This next election we need to vote out any legislator that support taxing us more via local option taxes!