Growth
Mayor Nixes SW Land Swap
Mayor Lauren McLean has put the brakes on the ill-advised land swap of 160 acres of designated park land in SW Boise. According to the STATESMAN Heronner declared the deal no longer made “financial sense.” The GUARDIAN broke the original story after neighbors contacted us crying foul, saying the land had been promised as a […]
Park Land Worth $128,000,000 Up For $15 million Trade
Irate neighbors in SW Boise were provided some deadly ammunition Monday when the Boise School District announced a deal to sell 15 acres of surplus land adjacent to the 160 Murgoitio Park site for $800,000 per acre. That 160 acre parcel is south of the Victory Road School District headquarters and West Jr. High, between […]
And The Survey Says…
About 6,000 Ada County residents responded to a survey from the county commishes regarding what to do with the Fair Grounds (EXPO Idaho). A whopping 84% wanted to leave the venue in its current location at Chinden and Glenwood. The survey offered three choices of suggested use of the 247 acres of public land. Respondents […]
SW Cropland Worth 20 Times Foothills Per Acre
After seeing about 400 residents sign up for the public hearing on a proposed land swap that would plant up to 400 houses on proposed park land in SW Boise, we checked some official land value records. Boise City is proposing to swap 160 acres of irrigated farm land previously designated as a future park […]
Boise Seeks To Make Public Land Available To Speculator
In an effort to feed the growth machine and urban sprawl, the City of Boise is proposing to make public land intended for the future Murgoitio Park available to real estate speculators. About 160 acres of public land south of Victory between S. Cole and S. Maple Grove owned by Boise City are targeted for […]
Whaddya Want At Fair Grounds?
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 […]
Boise STILL Needs A Police Commission
Each time there is a rash of high profile incidents involving police–either in Boise or nationally–there is a scramble to have some sort of oversight of the coppers. Back in the 1990s when Boise had a rash of officer involved shootings, a citizens group called for oversight and paid for a city councilor to attend […]
Ada Commishes Nix Jail Plan
The GUARDIAN offers kudos to Ada Commishes Ryan Davidson and Rod Beck for not endorsing a plan by previous commissioners to subvert the Idaho Constitutional mandate to seek voter approval for debt to build a jail expansion. Margaret Carmel at BOISEDEV has a detailed account. Under former Commish Dianna Lachiondo, a plan was hatched to […]
Reader’s Open Letter To Legislators
The following is a self-proclaimed rant by Dave Kangas about the state of the Idaho legislature and legislators. GUEST OPINION By Dave Kangas There have been few times in my life, when I have been as outraged by actions or proposals of or by government officials as I am now. The current bills limiting local […]
Former Boise Councilor Seeks City-wide Reps
GUEST OPINION By Sara Baker For years, we Boiseans have been represented on the City Council by those who live basically within spitting distance of each other, the North and East Ends. Those council people never wanted to create districts by geography. So finally, the legislature in 2020 changed the law to require cities over […]
Thoughts On The “Homeless Problem”
The GUARDIAN has thought long and hard on the “homeless problem” and we have concluded its a conundrum with no solution. We figure answers would be forthcoming if the folks living behind Albertson’s at Vista and Overland and along or near Shoreline were to relocate to Warm Springs or Harrison Blvd. or even Harris Ranch. […]
Sky Is The Limit For “Ludwig Tower”
We don’t have a TRUMP TOWER in Boise, but if things go right for a former City Councilor we could have a “LUDWIG TOWER”. Scot Ludwig, the former city councilor and CCDC member, is proposing to build a tall building in Idaho at 5th and Broad Streets. If approved, it could be 19 stories tall […]
Is No News Good News?
Dear GUARDIAN readers, I want to personally apologize for not posting anything lately, but we are aware of only the Orange Man’s cries of “foul” on the election counts, and daily updates on mask vs no mask debates at all levels of government. We will offer some additional topics, but remember, it is only for […]
Fire Chief Choice Ignites Councilors
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean made a point of using buzzwords like “transparency, listening, community outreach,” and similar terms when she took office in January. Now, 11 months later, when it came to naming a new fire chief to head a department with a $57,000,000 budget, she not only failed to allow citizens to be involved […]
Former Commish Raps Jail Finance Plan
GUEST OPINION By former Ada County Commissioner Rick Visser The end run by Commissioners Lachiondo and Kenyon to fund the construction of a new jail pod is a blatant affront to Ada County property tax payers. In the interest of transparency and accountability of a commissioner to her constituents, I ask Commissioner Lachiondo to tell […]
GBAD To Hold Onto Cash, Ahlquist Asks City To Make “The Sky The Limit”
The Greater Boise Auditorium District held a special board meeting Tuesday in which they decided to hang onto their cash reserves until the COVID-19 and slow hotel and convention business did a “pivot.” This came in the wake of an attempt by Tommy Ahlquist and his Ball Ventures Ahlquist development firm to recruit GBAD to […]
Ada Officials Scammed By Developer
A GUARDIAN reader expressed concerns with the Tommy Ahlquist-Greenstone attempt to corner the market on Expo Idaho (Fairgrounds) to the Ada County Development Services. The reader got this well reasoned and measured response Monday: First and foremost, I want to make the following very clear: the co-chairs did NOT meet with Tommy Alquist’s company, nor […]
Foothills Levy Spending Update
The recent purchase of 325 acres of foothill land by Boise City from the family of Gov. Brad Little prompted one GUARDIAN reader to do a little research on the activities of the committee entrusted to spend the $10,000,000 levy. Here are some results of their examination. The (Little) parcel is not within the current […]
Gov Little Family Paid 79 Cents Per Acre In Taxes On Foothills Land
The recently announced deal between Boise City and the family of Gov. Brad Little to purchase family-owned land in the foothills to be set aside for public use points out the need for property tax reform in Idaho. The six parcels are taxed at the rate of 79 cents per acre. The Little’s paid $255 […]
BSU Seeks To Close Boise Streets
EDITOR NOTE: In a meeting July 1, the ACHD commishes changed directions on last week’s street decision. They voted to reconsider the June 24 action as requested by BSU. An insider tells us that doesn’t mean the vote is likely to change and the matter “starts from scratch.” Seems that Boise State University officials won’t […]
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