Growth
Mother of All Skinny Houses
First it was those ubiquitous (for you non-library types that is “ever present”) skinny in-fill houses and now a developer is aiming for the MOTHER OF ALL SKINNY HOUSES with a 194 feet tall tower only 30 feet wide. Big spread on the business page of the Statesman newspaper Sunday cheerleading a proposed skyscraper which […]
Special Treatment for Tamarack
The foreign business interests controlling TAMARACK Resort in Valley County continue their successful courting of Idaho government officials. Their latest coup came as André Agassi and Steffi Graf along with their Canadian real estate partners got the Idaho House of Reps to pass a bill to give them a special exemption from the Idaho liquor […]
Change the Law Just For ME
Residents of the two story “Square at Strawberry Lane” condo complex off Walnut and Park Blvd. have lived within the law for many years and are unhappy about a planned development which would be outside the law. Quarsar Development wants to build a 119-foot-high complex which is illegal. The land is zoned to allow buildings […]
Greedy Growth
Growth is costing us not only additional taxes, but it is destroying our quality of life. Whether you are a “money grubbing capitalist” or a “tree hugging greenie” growth in the Treasure Valley is costing you. We constantly hear people say, “growth is inevitable and you can’t stop it.” Perhaps, but there is no need […]
GUARDIAN News Briefs
–Former Gov. Phil Batt sees Guv Dirk’s highway building plan for what it is–borrowing into the future on the backs of our children and grandchildren. Legislators are also concerned about the GARVEE bonds which are to be paid by future federal gas taxes. Much of annual highway budget is eaten up by debt service. –The […]
Masterson Meets Motorists
If you want to have a personal chat with Boise’s Police Chief all you need to do is zip past him in traffic–he has made nearly 40 “contacts” with motorists during his first year on the job–along side the road. No doubt those he meets call him “sir” and say “thank-you” when he lets them […]
They’re b a a a ck!
Teenage boys are taught that “no means no,” but the Greater Boise Auditorium District G-BAD boys are at least a generation too old to understand that message. Voters told them “NO” at the polls on two occasions when they wanted to build a new convention center in downtown Boise. Developer Gary Christensen briefly considered doing […]
Dump on Dirk
Legislative season brings out all the kooks with weird ideas and it looks like Gov. Dirk is doing his best to lead the pack. No other way to put it folks, we are being deluged with bad ideas. –Gov Dirk wants to buy about $2 million worth of bare ground around the J.R. Simplot “free” […]
Power Plant Poses Problems
The proposed gas-fired electrical generating power plant on Boise City owned land presents some ethical concerns of potential financial conflicts of interest. The site of the proposed generating facility is on a desert sage covered parcel off Gowen Road near the Outlet Mall. It was originally purchased as an “Industrial Park” site during the Brent […]
Downtowners Fight 8th Street Project
(A GUARDIAN correspondent report) Downtown residents have appealed the Design Review approval for the proposed 81 unit apartment complex slated for 100 N. 8th St in the heart of downtown. Residents and business owners fear the project, with little additional parking will cripple the vital Capitol Terrance garage, which is already heavily used by visitors […]
Tale of Two Cities
Eagle and Boise represent a tale of two cities when it comes to development philosophy. A proposed high end development in Eagle built around a designer golf course along with a designer swimming, tennis, and soccer sports programs is a far cry from Boise’s penchant for “infill.” Boise provides those amenities at taxpayer expense. Both […]
Hide the Statehouse?
A social engineering project is underway for Boise’s downtown in the form of a welfare housing project atop the trendy Piper Pub and Grill at 8th and Main. It is complicated bunch of tax credits and public financing, but the bottom line is people who can’t afford to pay market rates for rent are slated […]
Park Land Could Prove Costly
Marianne and Larry Williams have donated 70 acres of Boise river front land in the Harris Ranch subdivision to the city of Boise to be used as a park. On the face of it the deal looks good. It will extend the greenbelt, it is a nice gesture, it will preserve a mile of river […]
G-BAD Fails Again
Message for the Greater Boise Auditorium District: “Give it up. Three strikes, you’re out. Let it Go, Forget about it.” The citizens have twice voted down your plan to build a convention center and now your hand picked private sector developer has also shown disinterest and failed to meet an October 31 deadline. We don’t […]
Contractor Law Pressures Cities
An unintended effect of the new contractor registration law which goes into effect January 1, 2006 places cities throughout Idaho in the position of encouraging contractors to be dishonest or forget about building permits. While there are no provisions (or funding) for cities and counties to enforce the new law, these local governments issue building […]
Contractor Registration Law
Looks like some Idaho building contractors stand a chance of being “hoisted by their own petard,” thanks to a contractor registration law the Associated General Contractors lobbied through the past legislative session. (For non library types: hoist with (or by) one’s own petard means to have one’s plans to cause trouble for others backfire on […]
Avimor Moves Closer
Avimor, the planned community which will eventually eat up 26,000 acres of Spring Valley Ranch in parts of three counties, obtained Ada County Planning and Zoning Commission approval last week. At the public hearing a lone supporter testified in favor of the subdivision which will include 685 houses and 75,000 square feet of commercial structures. […]
Give Me More, Give Me Bigger!!
Like the odor from the sugar factory and feedlots, we have become inured (for you non-library types that’s “accustomed to something unpleasant”) to the effects of growth in Idaho. Easy to sound like an old fart that wants to return to the “good old days” on this issue, but folks we are assaulted daily with […]
Big Lie Continues
The Idaho Statesman ran a front page puff piece Sunday about BoDo, the newest development about to open in downtown Boise and included the ”big lie” which remains untrue, though oft repeated. The Statesman reported, “The project will also boost Boise property tax revenues, create hundreds of jobs and is expected to trigger new Downtown […]
Meeting Host or Guest?
The GUARDIAN asked the folks at St. LuKe’s Regional Medical Center exactly who called the meeting that Sheriff Gary Raney contends was not a meeting, but the Ada Commissioners listed on the agenda as a meeting at the posh private Arid Club on Wednesday. Government and community leaders were set to discuss a proposed drug […]
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