The DAILY PAPER had a page one story today about the effort to gain a 2/3 approval of voters for the City of Boise to go into debt for 10 years. The measure previously failed. The STATESMAN story is fair, well balanced and accurate. It also dwells on the efforts of GUARDIAN editor Dave Frazier […]
After eight years of the GUARDIAN promoting improvements at Table Rock, it looks like a group of Rotarians is about to succeed where we failed. The Rotary Club of East Boise has “adopted” the icon of Boise as a clean up project beginning with an anti-grafitti effort on the huge concrete bench which provides spectacular […]
At the risk of sounding too logical the GUARDIAN questions how Boise City Councilor Maryanne Jordan plans to squeeze a 10 foot 3 inch wide city bus into a 10 foot traffic lane. In a recent letter to the ACHD, she asserted 10 feet was plenty of room for traffic lanes. The question arose after […]
Its the same old story. New Owners come to town, love the place, love the fans, love the weather, love baseball, and love to have the community build them a new stadium. Such is the case with the new owners of the Boise Hawks Baseball team. No longer with the Chicago Cubs, the Hawks will […]
A public records request by the GUARDIAN has revealed the mega development in the hills north of Eagle is behind at least $57,000 in past due payments to the City for various plan reviews, attorney time, and staff time. We checked and the Eagle has not offered any payment deferrals like Boise has done with […]
After years of sticking with the same picture for the banner, the GUARDIAN has caved to reader suggestions and updated the image above. While the old photo was what we liked about Boise–a clean view of the foothills over the downtown–the new one is much more compact, thanks to the intent of local politicos and […]
Boise coppers will be seeking additional funds from Boise State University as part of a contract renewal to provide police at BSU. The new deal will see the Boise Police Department continue to provide “customary and usual duties,” including investigation and enforcement, traffic control and accident investigations. But the contract would bump up the hourly […]
UPDATE 6/19/14 STATE BOARD OKed THE DEAL OUTLINED BELOW. Meeting in Idaho Falls, members of the State Board of Education approved the proposal. Looks like the Gardner Company has found a pot of gold in the form of government funding for downtown Boise projects. Latest move to get public funding for a pair of proposed […]
We would eagerly welcome a $30,000,000 investment by regional airline SkyWest to build a maintenance facility in Boise as announced by Mayor Dave Bieter Friday. Taxes on a $30 million structure could amount to more than $500,000 a year for Boise Schools, ACHD, Ada County, and Boise City. But it is unlikely it will happen. […]
IDAHO FISH & GAME PHOTO Boise police chief Mike Masterson likes to brag to his former colleagues back in Wisconsin about living in the wilds of Idaho where his officers have responded to animal calls within the city concerning, cougars, deer, elk, bear, coyotes. Now he can add a loose moose to the list. On […]
The DAILY PAPER had a good story by reporter Sven Berg Sunday detailing plans by Boise officials to offer “developer welfare” for downtown apartments catering to young professionals. We see it as social engineering. Efforts to increase population density — not to mention traffic and urban crowding — have not been particularly successful due to […]
After nearly a decade of ignoring the need for “way finding” signs in Boise, the major stakeholders in downtown Boise have adopted the GUARDIAN idea of being tourist-friendly. CCDC and the Downtown Boise Association are gathering ideas on the development of a wayfinding system for Downtown Boise. The meetings are set for Tuesday, June 10 […]
Boise’s Airport (BOI) is asking the City Council for approval of even more welfare for airlines in addition to the $100,000 waiver of landing fees for the first year of new service routes. Now, they want to give away ticket counter space and parking with the hope such a discount program will encourage an airline […]
The Greater Boise Auditorium District (G-BAD) is tiptoeing around the law once again. This time they are aiming to deprive voters of their constitutional right to approve long term debt for a $38 million dollar kitchen and ballroom. Article VIII, Sec 3 of the Idaho Constitution requires a vote of the people to approve debt. […]
BY STEVE HULME Two-wheel season is upon us again! As the days get longer and the temperatures warmer, bicycles and motorcycles come out of winter storage, and fair-weather riders take to the highways and byways. Cyclists (both bi- and motor-) are vulnerable creatures, compared to their brothers and sisters who choose car transportation. Those tons […]
The GUARDIAN has been doing some preliminary inquiries regarding the fate of downtown Boise after the Central District urban renewal project expires in 2017. As it sits currently, no one can offer us a definitive answer to questions of ownership, management, and responsibility for certain Capital City Development Corp. properties. For instance, CCDC owns 8th […]
Calling himself “Boise Cynic,” a long time GUARDIAN reader has taken it upon himself to seek a 2nd opinion on how downtown Boise should be managed with regard to traffic, pedestrians, and bikes. BY BOISE CYNIC Request to ACHD, Boise City, CCDC and/or BSU: Please pay for urban planner Robert Bruegmann to come to Boise […]
Thursday the Gardener Company sent Nampa Development Corporation (Urban Renewal) a letter backing out of the retail/officeportion of the Nampa Library Project. Caldwell GUARDIAN editor Paul Alldredge had filed legal action to allow citizens to weigh in on the indebtedness, but backed out when threatened with being forced to pay legal fees. In the letter, […]
It used to be amusing to poke fun at Team Dave’s latest gimmick for a train, trolley, street car, etc. Now its time to derail this fantasy once and for all. The current topic is yet another round of consulting, planning, etc. for what amounts to a “cargo transit center.” The idea is to create […]
With all the pressure Boise’s Team Dave is putting on the Ada County Highway District, Urban Renewal, Autitorium District, and Valley Transit, we growthophobes have to conclude their efforts are aimed at justifying a TROLLEY through urban growth. While they try to make a case for trains, trolley, street car or circulator there seems to […]
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