Fwd: Somerset II; Boise's growing disinvestment problem

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

Subject:     Somerset II; Boise's growing disinvestment problem
Sent:        12/4/19 5:25 PM
Received:    12/7/99 10:44 PM
From:        DPlum65@aol.com
To:          smartgrowth@onenw.org     [Copy to Visionaires:  If the 
Idaho Statesman's version of what's going on
              politically in the Boise area's development plans, maybe we 
ought to take it as food for thought as we 
              face somewhat similar decisions down the road -- ? --]


=====  A message from the 'smartgro' discussion list  =====

The Idaho Statesman printed an "Our View" in today's 12/7/99 edition in 
regard to the Boise City Council and the Somerset II development hearing. 
 
The Statesman recognizes the damages to the community and to Boise's 
quality 
of life that this development will bring.  

They mention the Foothills Policy Plan and the Interim Foothills 
Transportation Plan, and say that approval of this development will mean 
that 
the city officials will prove these plans to be "essentially worthless 
documents".  I say that goes for the Boise City Comprehensive Plan as 
well.  
It will also prove that Boise officials care nothing for family values 
and 
safe schools for modest income people.

The City of Boise promised to release a disinvestment study by 
mid-October.  
That report has not surfaced yet, and as is often the case, is probably 
being 
withheld for political/development reasons.  It is my understanding that 
poverty levels in schools is the main factor being represented in the 
report. 
 Since so many of the studies, testimonies, and even appeals that we, and 
possibly dozens or hundreds of other citizens, have delivered to Boise 
City 
Hall have been steadily disappearing these past several years, I feel 
that 
this listserv is the only way to document that we have spent time working 
on 
these issues.

This past Saturday the 5th neighbor in less than two weeks caved in under 
the 
pressures from the constant degradation of our home and neighborhood 
schools 
fronting street.  They stood out in the freezing cold selling off their 
personal possessions in a hurry to move out of Boise.  None of the 
vacating 
families that I have spoken to are relocating within Boise.  They appear 
to 
believe that this mayor and council will continue to wreak havoc on the 
entire cities values and quality of life. The punctuation point in the 
midst 
of their regret at leaving a home and neighborhood that they had 
previously 
said they would like to live in forever, was yet another traumatizing car 
crash at the intersection 3 houses away.  

Protecting public health and safety has been brought up at many of the 
Boise 
City Council and P & Z hearings, apparently falling on deaf ears and cold 
hearts.  ACHD attorney Neal Newhouse said at a July or August hearing 
that 
officials have not just a right, but also a responsibility to protect the 
publics' health and safety.  What greater responsibility can they have? 
Overwhelming evidence goes against Wardle's and Simplot's Somerset II, 
Ken 
Howell's, Mason's, and RB Smith's public endangering and blighting 
projects.  
Only a tunnel or the broadscale destruction of the function and 
appearance an 
important signature heritage neighborhood can truly mitigate the traffic 
problems if these developers proceed.  ACHD's years of helpless inability 
to 
help the residents with current traffic hazards will be nothing compared 
to 
the human safety problems AFTER these projects are built.

The Interim Foothills Transportation Plan provided mega-millions in 
infrastructure subsidies for foothills developers further west.  Not one 
dime 
was for the area to be impacted by all of these central and eastern 
foothills 
projects.  At a pre-council meeting Councilman Wetherell confessed that a 
couple planners had indeed told them that many more development permits 
had 
been issued, prior to formal approval of the 90 HH's promised in the 
Interim, 
so the traffic problems were not really a surprise that "sneaked up on 
them". 
 That claimed surprise also hits a sour note with those of us that have 
spent 
most of decade testifying at Boise City hearings about traffic hazards 
causing neighborhood blight, quality of life, health, and safety 
problems.  
Why aren't similar dollar investments such as those in the Interim being 
made 
to protect and maintain existing neighborhoods and taxpayers?  

Boise is far into a very real and very noticeable disinvestment spiral.  
The 
nature of the spiral is to speed up, so the damages we are seeing will be 
multiplying rapidly from here. Toxic traffic is the poison, clear and 
simple. 
 The Boise City Council will decide whether to administer a fatal dose of 
that poison to its own children tonight.

C. Cole



------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com