Business
Brent Coles Tells P&Z Not To Rezone Library
May 13, 2019 
Don Day at BOISEDEV reports that former Boise Mayor Brent Coles testified before the Planning and Zoning Commission Monday against a rezone of the area near the library and the Log Cabin Literary Center.
Coles and about 10 others opposed the rezone. Commissioners agreed and turned down the application to rezone the area which included a proposed parking facility.
Coles left office nearly 20 years ago under a cloud after a group of citizens gathered signatures on a recall petition. It was nice to see him speak out publicly on behalf of citizens and offer some “institutional memory” on the purchase of the warehouse currently leased from the city by BioMark.
BOISEDEV quoted Coles saying, “I was stunned to hear a lease was given,” Coles said. “Back in 2002 we acquired that land for expansion of a library.”
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Comments & Discussion
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May 14, 2019, 12:25 am
The City has no final plan for the palatial Library. The City staff charged with constructing stories to tell about WHY a re-zone was needed had no real justification for the scheme — other than mumbling something about “Blueprint Boise” and “Downtown Core”.
Commisioner Gillespie made the motion to deny the re-zone, and said something like “We need to have a plan to justify re-zones”. So the City pretending this precedent-setting re-zone was really just a little zoning housekeeping tidying up loose ends fell on flat ears. The Commissioners were as baffled as the public about why the city needed to re-zpne the Greenbelt for high density use and buildings as tall as 9 stories …
May 14, 2019, 11:47 am
So, Brent Coles surfaces to throw shade on a project that is long overdue (regardless of the current fiasco). Wonder who he is carrying water for.
May 14, 2019, 2:17 pm
I believe Mr. Coles was there to testify on the next agenda item (NW Boise housing project) and decided to testify on the library since he was already there. He wasn’t signed up on “the list” for the library, but was for the NW Boise project.
EDITOR NOTE–Don, thanks for sharing. Interesting how it all turned out.
May 17, 2019, 11:07 am
I always liked former Mayor Brent Coles. He put on a training program that I attended about keeping drugs and illegal activity out of rental property. I was not a Boise resident or landlord but Mayor Coles allowed me to attend this training. I got the chance to meet him at this training and he came through as someone who was first and foremost was in it to make Boise a better place for everyone.
May 18, 2019, 5:54 pm
Who says that this palace is “long overdue?” Keeping bridges intact is actually long overdue. Kudos to Coles for questioning this travesty.