County
Whaddya Want At Fair Grounds?
May 10, 2021 
Ada County officials are doing yet another opinion poll on what folks want at the Fair Grounds (Western Idaho Fair, Les Bois Race Track) at Chinden and Glenwood.
They are seeking COMMENTS on the county website where there is a banner announcement.
The GUARDIAN has made no secret of our idea of an AGRICULTURE HERITAGE PARK with some version of a working farm, horse drawn rides, concessions to include a restaurant with Idaho menu featuring all sorts of potato dishes, beef, trout, wine, etc.
It should be a cross of destination theme park and educational historic venue for Idaho school kids.
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Comments & Discussion
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© 2021 Boise Guardian. 
May 10, 2021, 9:52 am
The land has too much value to turn into a working farm. It is a pleasant thought, but not realistic. 40 acres along the river should be developed into a park to offset Lady Bird park. That land should be sold and developed along with the property on Glenwood. The interior could then be held by Expo Idaho for the fair.
EDITOR NOTE–Perhaps “working farm” is wrong term. “Demonstration farm” may be better. I envision turn of the century general store, barn, stable, blacksmith, chicken coop, farm house, corn crib, etc. All donated from throughout the state.
May 10, 2021, 10:53 am
I think the Idaho theme park is an excellent idea, if some senior housing could be added peripherally
would be a good addition.
May 10, 2021, 1:08 pm
That survey was intended to drum up support for the status quo. Only the last question dealt with the what should happen with the future of that property. I could see Beck and Davidson derailing the work of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee that already issued their report last January.
May 10, 2021, 2:58 pm
100% Park.
May 10, 2021, 4:13 pm
I agree with C. Anderson. The survey is highly biased toward the status quo. Any other future use will depend on sources of campaign contributions. The biggest contributors to Beck and Davidson will get to call the shots.
May 10, 2021, 5:52 pm
I think it would be great if there was some kind of race track in Boise. There is a decent crowd of enthusiasts who im sure would make it worthwhile.
May 10, 2021, 8:01 pm
Marijuana farm park.
May 11, 2021, 12:52 am
A giant theater or race track
May 11, 2021, 9:24 am
Digler for the win!
If we are trying to teach our children about farming we should at least consider the ‘cash crop’ aspect of farming and the pure economics lesson of making the most profit for the investment in growing a product. Along with that economics lesson is the civics lesson of how a state and city can tax a product to pay for bigger schools to support all these breeders having 5 and 6 children. If Beck and Davidson are true patriots and libertarians they should support the idea. It’s a win-win-win-win scenario.
May 14, 2021, 3:28 pm
It is sure too bad that the horse races at Les Bois Park did not work out.
I know that my opinion does not matter with these folks in power so I am going to take a swing into left field with the following proposals:
1. Leave Memorial Stadium where it is. Tell the Hawks owners to renovate it or beat it. We are taxed enough already.
2. Renovate Les Bois Park and turn it into either a concert venue or some other form of racing.
3. Construct statues of Rod Beck and Ryan Davidson right across the street from the bowling alley. These people, after all, have made everything great again.
May 15, 2021, 4:39 pm
Isn’t this a redundant exercise? Wasn’t there a task force or committee that did some outreach and need finding? I’d like a race track, so lease the track to an Indian tribe that could operate it for the community. I want a fairgrounds at the fairgrounds. Developers – get lost!
May 17, 2021, 7:29 pm
“Boise Working Together” starting the scrutiny in 2019 when it challenged the adequacy of a grand plan to wedge a “sports park” into an increasingly congested and built-up downtown Boise, particularly since the proposal involved the use of public funds for a largely private venture by Atlanta (as in “Georgia”) investors. We didn’t think such a grand vision was “ready for prime time” and that citizens deserved greater oversight (and future votes) over such expansive, expensive, and impactful civic endeavors. The Boise political establishment fought it, but 75.2 percent of voters agreed with us in the 2019 city elections. Thank goodness, Can you imagine having launched both a downtown stadium and a $104 million library in an era of COVID, accelerating construction materials prices, and a “backing away” from the affiliate farm-team system by Major League Baseball? We never opposed a baseball stadium. We simply asserted that any new sports facility should be fiscally prudent, appropriately sited, and far less impactful than its proposed downtown location … and that voters should have a better say than they were being given. We’ll see how gracefully Ada County now steps up to the plate for a second try at bat.