The developer went in that area, dug dirt, and moved dirt around.
It is THAT action and we are now seeing the result.

Bury a kid’s pet turtle in the back yard, cover it up. Wait 4 weeks and you see the same result. It’s not a ‘geologic process’.

Had the developer not gone in there with a project, that area would look the same as it did 10 years ago. Or, had the developer gone in done it differently, then the result may be what it is today.

At some point in the future that area will effectively be done settling and it will be available to build again.

I would pay a little bit for the land today-AFTER the city uses our tax dollars to clear the land– say, $1,000 an acre.. plant sour-grapes on it and wait 10 years. No worries about “geologic hazards”.

Boo poo on the city for paying tax dollars on this deal.

Maybe, but I doubt it ACHD and Boise City will require a detailed geologic investigation from foothill developers and have a staff person that understands foot hill geologic hazards.

And of course, a P&Z and council that will finally learn to say NO to development when these hazards are identified. As for now, all one can do is admire geologic process at work.

You should run a contest:

Alto Via Landslide Debacle Memorial Inscription Contest

A Tribute to Hubris.

First prize gets a slice of pizza at yourpizzaplace.com

You kind of hit the nail on the head by proposing an RV Park so we can get that land back in black on the tax ledger.

However, people have designed houses to withstand land creep. Check out the Portuguese Bend landslide in LA’s Palos Verdes neighborhood.

I can’t find pics, but one house still there sits on a tripod of 3 shipping containers which are independently adjustable. Such a design in Boise could be made into mother in law apartments given the city’s current love affair with trailers, er mobile homes, er tiny homes or whatever the euphemism du jour is.

Although the Portuguese Bend landslide is much bigger it’s probably a decent case study. Property has been abandoned since the late 50s. Talks about stabilization are underway. Cost estimates in the $millions.

One other thing:

Not mentioned anywhere by anyone is the denuded soil just uphill on Table Rock Road created by off roaders. Any serious study would have to look at how much extra run off is created by that. Maybe it’s time to finish Table Rock Road to full urban standards with curb gutter and sidewalk all the way to the top and a city park at the top. Charge an entrance fee, it could make money.

Side Note concerning ACHD.

With few exceptions ACHD is responsible for design review, approval and maintenance of all storm water infrastructure located in Ada County. A NPDES permit issued by EPA in 2002 to ACHD and others define the requirements and responsibilities of the agencies listed on the permit.

Read GEO’s recollection of history. My original comment regarding Boise City’s culpability was spot on.

His report included geologic hazards including old stabilized landslides in what is now the Alto Via and Nativa Terra area. Boise city personnel were made aware of this report and geologic hazards prior to approval of Alto Via development. Both Boise City and consultants hired by the developer ignored the report or failed to read or understand what was stated by Dr. Hollenbaugh.

This report is available through the BSU library. In spite of available information and knowledge concerning construction on landslides Alto Via was approved for development. The head of the landslide is visible on aerial photography taken prior to development. Any geologist would have recognized this slide. Development and the introduction of ground water due to street storm water runoff into ACHD drains increased soil pore pressure and lubricated one or multiple slide planes. Once landslide movement started additional water sources from ruptured water and sewer lines and storm water runoff contributed to and accelerated movement.

The Geotechnical & Geology report furnished to Boise City by the developer was not signed off by a Registered Professional Geologist, as required by Idaho State Law and did not adequately identify geologic hazards present in the Nativa Terra area. Boise City staff did not fully appreciate the geologic hazards present on the site when they were informed of the problems with the Geotechnical Report furnished by the Developer.

This ancient slide had stabilized prior to development. Construction activities on the head of the slide along with the introduction of large amounts of water most likely reactivated the slide. It will continue to move until some type of stabilization or complete downslope failure takes place. The homeowners were not notified by the City that they were living on an old landslide that could reactivate. Boise City, for failure to understand the geologic hazards that exist in the foothills and ACHD for introduction of storm water runoff into unstable soils and landslides in the foothill area should be better prepared to address these issues prior to allowing development to take place in the foothill area.

Boise City, paying an additional $57,000. to tear down a house will not stabilize this slide. It would take twice that just to do a detailed geologic study to understand the subsurface conditions that are present. Sometime in the future the area will once again re-stabilize.

270 N STRATA VIA PL

It has back taxes from years 2015 and 2016 still due.

In 2016 it was assessed at $1,000,000.
It is currently assessed at $0. (I’ll buy for $1 it to store an RV). It can’t be ‘worthless’ Assessor!

Back to the taxes– not paid.
Not even in 2015, before things were so obviously bad. YET the County Commissioner’s exempted taxes for the Alto Via owners AND one developer parcel, back in June 2017.

Perhaps City/County should be seizing Richard Paveleks’ million dollar property and Timothy Day’s personal properties- to be sold- to defray the costs of the developers’ mess.

Pavelek was able to pay the taxes on his personal residence at 100 N Bene Posto Place but not on a Terra Nativa LLP property????

Oh and their 5 acre vineyard in the same neighborhood, that generates less than $200 of county taxes per year.
5 ACRES = $200/yr.

Pavelek’s 4 acres is valued at $490,00 for the DIRT (975,00 total). His 5 acre vineyard is assessed at $11,000, because he chooses to put fancy grapes on it instead of another house, so the county loses over $10,000 a year.
That is just one of the things screwed up at the Assessor’s office.

Non bene!!!