Business
Growthophobe Movement Gaining Ground
December 5, 2017 
Under the heading of “You saw it first on the GUARDIAN,” we are taking heart at recent success of the North Enders who are fighting the proposed CVS pharmacy at 16th and State.
The group of citizens who are looking to preserve the character of Boise were able to convince the Boise Planning and Zoning commishes to deny a building permit. A well orchestrated media campaign which began with a GUARDIAN guest opinion by Stephen C. Fischer has worked–at least for now.
In other development news, it looks to us like Boise City officials could be grasping at straws when it comes their subsidized stadium scheme. Seems that College of Western Idaho is also having SECOND THOUGHTS on their plans to build on the old Bob Rice Ford land they purchased for about $10 million. A former CWI Foundation board member was the lawyer for the Rice family sellers.
The GUARDIAN covered the bungled bond saga repeatedly.
In a nutshell there is talk among CWI and Boise proponents of the stadium to basically trade locations. That would out the bass park along the Boise River at 29th and the CWI project on Americana.
Team Dave is talking about a Town Hall public meeting which has always meant a sales pitch.
Meanwhile the City Council turned down a 430 unit urban URBAN SPRAWL deal near Micron. Developer Jim Conger has made three attempts to get the city to annex 110 acres, but concerns over single point access and traffric have stalled the process.
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Comments & Discussion
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Dec 5, 2017, 9:30 pm
A hearty thanks to the Guardian for publishing the guest opinion in October against the proposed CVS at State and 16th/17th.
The petition against this oversized eyesore of a box store has about doubled to more than 640 signatures. As the threat from the gigantic corporation of CVS still looms large, please consider putting your name to this grassroots rally.
It’s not about being against all growth, but about being against runaway growth. To put it positively, it’s about being for limited growth, with smart and compassionate strategies to benefit the vast majority of us in the Treasure Valley.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-cvs-at-state-and-16th-in-boise
For the latest news, go to the Facebook sites of SaveBoiseNeighborhoods and vanishingboise
Thank you, Dave Frazier, for all of your efforts to Keep Boise Unique!!!
Dec 5, 2017, 10:27 pm
Tiny House tax. I see Boise is changing tiny house rules. Legacy media has focused on the positive side of this, but I’m wondering if the city-county has found a way to extract as much tax revenue as they would from a full-sized home. Does anyone know?
Dec 6, 2017, 10:02 am
Tiny,
You can appeal your tax bill and if you get many tiny types to go with you it would shed light on how unfair land is being valued in Boise. Smalls are paying unfairly.
Dec 6, 2017, 10:42 am
~GROWTH VIA THEFT~
Idaho’s Forced Annexation law allows the development industry to confiscate property rights of County property owners & force city & county property owners. Taxpayers are forced to become unwilling partners in their business ventures & pay costly infrastructures for schools, streets, sewers, police, fire, etc., etc.
While attending years of legislative hearings to pass legislation to replace Forced Annexation with Voting Rights for the community effected we we’re constantly told by the Lobby Cartel & their Politicians that if your not growing your dying.
During these years we corresponded with citizen organizations in several states who were also fighting the same level of political corruption that controls both political parties & driving taxes up.
BOISE’S AREA OF IMPACT FOOTPRINT IS THE SIZE OF LAS ANGELES, IS THIS SMART GROWTH ?
Enforcing Representative Government requires civic participation, it’s way past time to clean our swamp & send Bieter & our Rinos packing !!
Dec 6, 2017, 11:08 am
Dave, as a Boise Bench resident you are aware of how delightfully challenging it has become to travel from your home to downtown. Capital Blvd’s stop lights are increaseing in numbers (is another crosswalk needed – is the walk under the bridge just “too far” to manage?)
Perhaps to avoid that mess just travel down Protest Ave. – which works until you get to Broadway, which is also filled to capacity. So now to think of Americana – which works… but I hear a rumor that the City is thinking of cutting out a lane for a bike path. Add a stadium to the mix and the only way to get downtown would be to travel though Garden City or catch the connector – Orchard. Whew! Is anyone really awake in Planning and Zoning or is it the Highway District?
Yes, this is slightly off topic, but thank you for all that you do!
Dec 6, 2017, 1:06 pm
According to the coverage on the Daily Paper website, only the drive-up window was denied for the proposed CVS pharmacy, and “it is unclear how the decision will affect the project.” (Existing zoning allows them to build a store on the property without further approvals.)
Dec 6, 2017, 8:25 pm
CVS only builds if the Boise property owners agree to sell. Offers must have been slightly rich, but the sellers are probably naive regarding the amount they could get and and extremely disengaged as to their contributions to the community to which we are all exiled.
There are empty buildings CVS could inhabit. They want to own downtown Boise property, which begs the question of why don’t the current owners want to own it. My opinion – they are lazy. Boiseans are lazy and naive. They don’t vote, they sell out, and they believe life is good.
Try breathing in February.
Dec 6, 2017, 8:33 pm
In our Mayor’s desire to have a stadium does he ever consider the traffic problems? NO? I thought not. He appears to want everything in one area with no consideration of how it will affect the traffic as well as the citizens of this city.
Wait – he doesn’t consider the people of this city at all.
Dec 7, 2017, 9:20 am
Chuck Thomas: Agreed that Boise is spreading out, but the impact area is just south of 150 sq. mi. LA is 500. But it’s a good point.
Agreed, also, that it’s time for a change, but changing the mayor won’t change annexation laws.
Dec 7, 2017, 8:12 pm
Thank you to Bikeboy for pointing out the true story.
The CVS is still possible. Just not with the current drive-thru design.
Dec 8, 2017, 9:09 am
Per HH:
ACHD is terminally addicted to signs and traffic ‘control’. Look at the ‘candles’ they are plopping down in the middle lane of streets. Then look for the candles two months later… many are gone, never to be replaced.
Look at the lights and speed limit signs all over the place. Several of the latter in the same block of many streets.
I guess you gotta ‘control’ the traffic somehow. But wait, there’s more! How about a Streetcar named (un)Desire(able) to save Boise’s Downtown?
Dec 8, 2017, 7:09 pm
Local expertise schmectertise.
Dec 11, 2017, 7:22 am
It appears that traffic and lack of affordable housing are not issues concerning Team Dave. So what is really behind the “gotta be downtown” sports stadium? Put it out near Micron.