MORE APARTMENTS for Crescent Rim residents to view in the Lusk area.

We took a little tour of our downtown area recently and sadly realized it is nearly impossible to see the foothills or much of any horizon thanks to the big city apartments and other structures.

The state capitol used to be the centerpiece of the Boise skyline, but it is pretty much obscured today unless you happen to be in the middle of Capital Blvd looking north.

Our city fathers and mothers have carried on a love affair with developers to the point Front Street is a deep canyon with tall buildings crowding the street. They have given away several traffic lanes on both Capital and often on Front.

While the zoning ordinance is about to undergo wholesale changes, it is not an understatement to claim that nearly every development in the past ten years included “variances” for everything from parking requirements to building materials. So much for the rule of law. If it doesn’t fit, change the rule.

The upcoming election for councilors and mayor are of particular importance. We get to vote for only one of the six councilors. Here are some views of our fair city as it continues to grow like cancer.

FRONT STREET canyon looking east

NO VIEWS from street level, no horizon.

LONELY TREE downtown.

CAPITOL PEEKS from behind downtown apartments.

ORCHARD AND FRANKLIN apartments on city land partnering with developer.

Guest Opinion by
KATIE FITE

Why I will urge the Planning and Zoning Commission to Reject the Upzone:

Tyranny. It’s top-down tyranny for Boise leaders to impose a Code re-write cutting the public’s voice out of development decisions that will profoundly alter our Boise neighborhoods.

Transparency will be lost. Developers will push projects on city staff with no public hearings, increasing potential for corruption. Projects will be set in stone, and the public’s only recourse will be expensive appeals. Crucial development decisions that could drive us out of our homes or apartments will be made behind closed doors at City Hall.


Teardowns will multiply. Existing affordable housing will be hauled away as trash to the landfill and replaced by new much larger structures with a bigger carbon pollution footprint. How not to get to net zero.

Tree canopy cover will be chopped down. The City of Trees will become the city of stumps, harsh concrete, and an unhealthy environment.

Temperatures will shoot up. The urban heat island effect will rise as green space vanishes.



Trauma. The social fabric of our community will be ripped apart as predatory speculators swoop in – turning Boise into a city of transitory renters, where regular folks can’t afford a home, and workers live in fear of rent skyrocketing and impending homelessness.


Terrorized. How renters will feel when landlords keep raising rents and they endlessly have to move to survive. How seniors will feel when they can no longer stay in their homes as tax assessments climb and gentrification engulfs them.

Taking away a good place to live from all those who helped build this community over the 60 years that the existing Code and various modifications have served us well. Taking from those who invested their life savings to buy a house in a pleasant place. Taking from neighborhood groups who spent thousands of collective hours crafting plans for livable neighborhoods.

Taxes will go through the roof. Seniors and workers will be forced to flee to somewhere more affordable.

Traffic.

Jammed! Streets are already clogged, as our weak public transportation system falls further and further behind. 

Transfer of wealth will take place. High density apartments and Airbnbs will be owned by Wall Street speculators and transnational corporations. Money will flow out of Boise. Civic values will suffer.

Trickle down housing has failed to produce affordability wherever it’s been tried. 

This complex, confusing 600+ page Code change and 300+ Comprehensive Plan revision will foster a Wild West growth mentality and chaotic development. Robber Baron style developers will chart our city’s future, converting Boise to a city of renters at the mercy of landlords.

Any large-scale Zoning Code change should come up from the people and be conducted through close study of, and consultation with, individual neighborhoods. It should not be imposed top down using expensive consultants who spoon fed boilerplate growth industry schemes, resisted in other cities, to a committee weighted with development interests hand-picked by the Mayor.

Any change of this magnitude must be put on the ballot for a public vote, giving citizens and media the time to dig into what these vast regulatory changes will do, and how they will impact our community. Instead, city leaders are trying to rush this through, and put distance between the Code controversy and the upcoming fall 2023 local elections.

Guess Opinion by
KEN PIDJEON

Boise currently allows between 15 to 45 dwelling units per acre, sometimes more, and under the proposed Zoning Code those numbers remain but, in some cases, unlimited density is allowed.

Contrast Boise with all five boroughs that comprise New York City – the most densely populated city in the nation.

According to the 2020 Census, New York City, overall, has approximately 19 dwelling units per acre. Boise’s currently allowed maximum density and proposed maximum density is at least twice that of New York City overall and about two thirds the density of Manhattan which has 63 units per acre.

After New York City, San Francisco is the second most densely populated city in the United States.

So why is Boise attempting to surpass both New York City and San Francisco in density? Do Boise residents really want to live in the most densely populated city in America? As a 45 plus year Boise resident, who grew up in Philadelphia proper, I don’t think so.

It is time to make both rational and realistic decisions about population density. 45 dwelling units per acre is neither rational nor realistic. The same goes for unlimited density. Perhaps 10 to 12 dwelling units per acre would be sufficient. Dwelling units per acre in that range are more than double the 2020 Census reported dwelling unit density for Boise and they are more than sufficient to support a transit system per St. Paul, MN Metropolitan Council guidelines.

On the road it meant driving with intelligence and realizing the speed limit is not a suggestion. Your turn signals are meant to be used in a timely manner. One of the most basic ways to be respectful is to use your turn signal.

We can’t read your mind. So do not make a turn or cut into a lane without signaling a good distance away. Stop signs mean full stop, not rolling through and putting others in danger. You are on the road driving a vehicle with the potential to cause great harm so please pay attention. Not the time for putting on make-up or texting. It also meant living in a neighborhood, a place where neighbors are people who know, help out and care for each other.

Sadly, things have changed so much in the last few years. This up-zone is a developer’s dream. The neighborhood I live in is on a road that is 25’ across. It actually should be a lane as two cars cannot park across from each other or emergency vehicles cannot get through. Our street, sadly, now has 5 rental houses. Some are rented by the room and are overflowing with occupants, too many cars on the street and an abundance of visitors who come and go. Most of these have Cali plates and go way too fast up and down the street without paying attention. Damn, there are small children who live here!

Along with the above, other traffic has really increased with trucks from UPS, AMAZON, FED EX and food delivery ALL DAY LONG. Places that were once homes and focused on family living are turning to rentals, Air BnB, and VRBO.

So, from one who grew up here, I feel there is very little respect left. It’s a losing battle to get newcomers to understand and I feel our city government has lost control and can’t seem to help in any positive way. They don’t seem to care much about the Boise way of days past and now seem to react only to the green…..and I don’t mean the trees.

As citizens, we must speak out against the proposed city lead zone code rewrite, which seems to be based on a premise as ridiculous as the plot of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

Just like the three convicts in the film, we have been duped into believing that increased development density will magically bring affordable housing to our city. But let’s face it, folks, we’re not living in a fairy tale. Increased density only leads to increased traffic, noise, and overcrowding. And as for affordable housing, well, we’re still waiting for that treasure to be found.

Mayor Lauren McLean, who is playing the role of Pappy O’Daniel in this real-life drama, seems to be singing the same tune as the city’s new development director, Tim Keene, and the entire development industry. They’re all trying to sell us a bill of goods, folks. But we’re not buying it.

Former Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson is playing the role of Homer Stokes in this plot, trying to put a stop to this madness and save our city from the destructive effects of increased density.

We need sensible zoning policies that will protect our neighborhoods and preserve our quality of life. We need policies that will truly address the issue of affordable housing, rather than just promising us a treasure that doesn’t exist.

So let’s be like Homer Stokes, folks, and stand up for what is right. Let’s tell Mayor McLean and the city’s development industry that we’re not going to be fooled by their false promises anymore. It’s time to put the interests of the citizens first, not the interests of developers who are only looking to make a quick buck.

Affordable housing is a real issue, and it requires real solutions. Let’s work together to find those solutions, rather than chasing after a mythical treasure that will never materialize.

While some may see the expansion as a coup for Boise, the GUARDIAN fears the expansion and all it will entail will change the culture and character of our beloved city and state.

There are many aspects of the project that concern us. They include cost of infrastructure to residents while the chip making giant gets all sorts of tax “incentives.” Then there are issues of water, power, traffic, costs for police and fire, which are glibly addressed by Micron with no mention of who will provide the money for all that is required.

If Micron paid their fair share of taxes based on the touted $15 BILLION value of the project, their annual tax bill would be something close to $135,000,000. That calculation comes from a combined projected 2022 levy rate of .09% for city, county, schools, ACHD, etc. The firm has numerous tax concessions and limits which were passed by the Idaho legislature. Granted, if they were included in the tax equation, the levy rate would likely be lower.

Sadly, it appears to us that state and local government is quickly getting in so deep it will be impossible to say NO to any of the concessions sought by Micron. Simply put, it is too much in one place which will give the company untold power and authority over the lives and lifestyle of those who live here.

Several Boise Councilors have had informal meets with Ada Commishes and County Park board members regarding the plug being pulled on free compressors three years ago at Barber Park.

Boise contends tubers and rafters unwilling to use “arm strong” hand pumps to inflate their water craft are trespassing in nearby Harris Ranch subdivision and poaching power from unsuspecting resident’s electrical outlets.

Ada justified cutting the air flow as a COVID-19 precaution, citing crowding at the “pressure point.”

HISTORY
Back when there were gas stations selling tires, folks would pay $1 or two and get an old inner tube to float the river. At least one tube was often reserved for beer and sodas. Parking was free in the grass and brush under the cottonwood trees and folks helped each other navigate the float to Ann Morrison Park. There was no Barber Park in those days.

Then along came well-intended Ada Commishes. They developed the park and not missing the chance to expand THEIR reach, Boise Councilors annexed all around the County Park, encouraging development and increased population.

Boise coppers lobbied the legislature to obtain jurisdiction over the beer and river. Prior to the adoption of city jurisdiction, waterways–even within a city–were governed by the local county sheriff and the state.

The county has joined the cash flow created by the river current, licensing vendors for rafts, tubes, buses, and snacks, BUT no air.

TODAY

Boise coppers are faced with citizen complaints of power poachers, illegal parking, and other annoyances. The Boise Fire Department saves lives almost daily using expensive jet boats and water skis.

The GUARDIAN has talked with officials of both the city and the county. The county says they have no plans to pressurize the air compressors. They say the park use is enhanced without the pressure of air. The city says free air would eliminate the parking and residential trespassing, even encourage safer water craft instead of flimsy plastic inflatables. Plenty of hot air!

We noticed on again, off again, KTVB newsy Justin Core has left the PR post at Lauren McLean’s mayor office and is returning to the TV station.. Seems like he is at least the fourth or fifth to hold and leave that post during her administration.

She also recently announced a proposed 45 additional city government workers to handle the work created by growth, but the City Admin continues to seek more businesses, offer assorted “incentives” to developers, hence more people and more demand for services. If they would simply welcome only those people and businesses willing to pay their fair share of taxes and a fair wage it would solve many of our problems.

New planning director comes from Atlanta, GA and wants us to think differently than we have been thinking.

We would welcome any INFORMED comments about what’s happening with our local government. PLEASE PLEASE, no nasty general negative comments not supported by facts.

At last check the GUARDIAN found the Ada County election office could not find any “qualified electors” living within the “community infrastructure district” (CID) which was established years ago to finance the proposed project through sale of municipal-style bonds. Under the scheme lobbied into law by the developers of Avimor rather than using their own money, developers are able to sell the bonds and then place the repayment financial liability on each parcel as it is sold. The election would consider taking out up to $600 million in debt, with an additional $311.5 million in interest — for a total of $911,560,484, to be paid back over 30 years.

The Idaho constitution states in ARTICLE VI, SECTION 2. QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTORS. Every male or female citizen of the United States, eighteen years old, who has resided in this state, and in the county were [where] he or she offers to vote for the period of time provided by law, if registered as provided by law, is a qualified elector.

So what happens when they hold an election and there are no voters? Ada County’s legal staff and the election office are studying the issue. So far, we hear the developer is struggling to come up with a couple of voters.

It appears there will be challenges if the developer is unable to come up with legal Idaho residents of the CID who own property and have lived there for at least 30 days. In reality it would seem nearly impossible to find financial backers who would rely on the vote of a handful of property owners to finance nearly $1 billion.

Here is the Idaho law on voting:
IDAHO CODE 50-3102
(13) “Qualified elector” means a person who possesses all of the qualifications required of electors under the general laws of the state of Idaho and:
(a) Resides within the boundaries of a district or a proposed district and who is a qualified elector. For purposes of this chapter, such elector shall also be known as a “resident qualified elector”; or
(b) Is an owner of real property that is located within the district or a proposed district, who is not a resident qualified elector as set forth above. For purposes of this chapter, such elector shall also be known as an “owner qualified elector.”

Legal scholars we contacted agreed that provision 13(b) could face constitutional challenges in that it allows non-residents to vote if they own property.

The GUARDIAN visited this issue back in 2011.

Council President Elaine Clegg said, “This is a great opportunity to secure a revenue source for taxpayers and preserve shelter for our unhoused community members.” She noted the city is in the real estate rental business at the airport, Gateway industrial park, and the Franklin-Orchard housing development. The trailer business would just be an extension of the city’s marketing scheme.

Mayor Lauren McLean was a supporter of the idea noting she would gladly make a “business recruiting trip” in an attempt to attract house trailer manufacturers to relocate in Boise. She declined to name potential businesses or a destination for any trip. At one time there were several manufacturers along Federal Way providing jobs for Boiseans.

Golden Dawn trailer park off Warm Springs is nearly surrounded by Harris Ranch upscale housing and Councilor Lisa Sanchez suggested the city purchase the property so, “People who look like me” can have cheap housing in the east Boise area.

Newest councilor Luci Willits liked the idea of more affordable housing and noted the house trailers are similar in shape to the so-called “skinny housing” found throughout the city. Willits noted with the modular design and shape, the house trailers would fit nicely on the median strip already owned by the city along Harrison Blvd.

She jokingly called her plan a “median priced” housing fix, adding, “No reason to limit affordable housing to the Bench area. We should provide affordable shelter in the North End as well.”

Councilor Jimmy Hallyburton jumped on the idea saying he would gladly give each new resident on Harrison a bicycle to show his support of unhoused citizens moving into the median priced homes.

Always the voice of caution, Councilor Patrick Bagaent told his colleagues, “Check the date here and then think!”