Gary Dufault – Centennial Neighborhood Association

You are invited – Town Hall

CTNA First Quarter Open Board Meeting January 16, 2025

Thursday January 16, 6:30 PM Location Tree City Church – Rm 246

Library Testimony Given on July 11, 2023, Boise City Council Meeting, District 1 Council Woman, Luci Willits, “Citizens for a Library” – Jenny Froerer, Amanda Salisbury, Mark Salisbury, and Molly Froerer. CTNA board members, Larry Ice, Joe LaGue, and Gary Dufault. Gary’s special assistant, Vonnie Dufault

Centennial NA’s1st Quarter Open Board Meeting is just around the corner of the New Year! Mark your calendar.

Charles F McDevitt Youth Sports Complex Completion Included in Boise’s 2024/2025 Fiscal Budget

Your Centennial Neighborhood Association has been diligently advocating for the completion of the remaining open space and upgrades to this west Boise jewel for over three years. Thanks to a lot of hard work and attendance by your board and other Centennial members at many city and neighborhood meetings, this great park is finally scheduled for completion with funding included in the 2024/2025 City budget.

Centennial Neighborhood Supports Ashcreek Development

In testimony before Boise’s Design Review Commission August 14, 2014, Boise City Hall

Case # DRH24-00194, 12673 W Ashcreek St – The Ashcreek multi-family residential development (Ashcreek)

The Centennial Neighborhood Association (CTNA) has been aware and actively engaged in review and assessment of Ashcreek since 2022, when it was first proposed. Recently, a meeting notice was sent to all participating members of record of CTNA, with reference to the project design changes proposed by Brighton Corporation and offering opportunities for review, discussion and potential action. Representatives of CTNA have also discussed Ashcreek with applicant representatives as well as Rachael Ferell, city planner.

We have a CTNA member consensus.

CTNA desires to go on record in support of Ashcreek as proposed. Further, CTNA anticipates and appreciates that Ashcreek will yield:

Complimentary housing units in close proximity of companies and employers within and near the Boise Research Center, the Idaho State campus and the HP campus. It is noteworthy that the adjacent, former and longtime vacant, AT&T/DIRECTV building has been recently acquired by ACHD for a new headquarters building.
Ashcreek will also yield improvement and completion of pedestrian access from W De Meyer Street to Hobble Creek Park.
Yield completion of north side of W De Meyer Street with addition of curb and sidewalk.
There will be tree removals. But it is anticipated overdue attention, care and some potential replacements for the numerous trees that populate the site and adjacent berm will be made by applicant.
Provides added pedestrian access to the southern border of the Boise Research Center.
The elimination of a chain link fence and anticipated replacement with a more attractive and appropriate fence will also enable improved pedestrian access.
For what is currently an unused parking lot, better property utilization and additional tax revenue to support the City’s services to Ashcreek and the local area.

Preventing Vehicle Burglary

VehicleBurgPrevention

Charles F. McDevitt Youth Sports Complex master plan update and request for input!

February 15, 2024

Good afternoon, you are receiving this e-mail because of your interest in the Charles F. McDevitt Youth Sports Complex master plan update. Our team values your input on potential amenities and design elements and is excited to share the next phase of the master plan outreach process.

In December, we opened an online survey to receive feedback on potential amenities in various price brackets and recreational focus areas. Thank you to those who participated in this survey – we received over 830 responses! If you would like to view these survey results, you may do so here.

Incorporating input received through the survey, our team of landscape architects has prepared two design concepts that we are now asking for your feedback on. Option 1 focuses more on traditional sports and includes a fenced dog off-leash park and a small water play feature. Option 2 is more focused on wheeled sports with a bike pump track area and new skatepark features adjacent to the current skatepark on site. Both options include new trees, a nature play area, and pollinator gardens in the park.

Click to Review Option 1 and option 2

Please take this brief follow-up survey to vote on your preferred option. There is then an opportunity to share what, if anything, you would change about your preferred design. This survey will be open for two weeks, closing at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28.

Next Steps

Following this second round of public input, the city’s landscape architects will work to finalize a single master plan design. This design will be presented to the Boise Parks and Recreation Commission, where a public hearing will follow a presentation from staff. The Board of Commissioners will then vote on the updated master plan. This meeting is anticipated to be held in April, but neighbors will be notified once details are confirmed.

Thank you again for participating, and we look forward to engaging neighbors and community members as this process moves forward.

Who’s Stealing Our Mail and Why?

In recent weeks I have seen a few complaints of mail theft in various areas of Boise. So far in 2024 we have received four reports of mail being stolen.

Mail theft is a different problem than package theft. When someone steals a package, they are looking for a valuable item sitting on our doorstep. When a person steals mail, that are looking to steal your financial information or your identity.

What are thieves looking for? Cash, checks, gift cards, account numbers, your social security number, banking details, pay stubs, and identifying information like your name and date of birth.

Reduce the opportunity. Switching to paperless billing and statements can reduce the amount of sensitive mail you receive.

Purchase a lockable mailbox. A lockable mailbox allows the postal carrier to deliver mail through a slot in the mailbox but requires a key to open and retrieve mail.

Don’t flag your mailbox as a target. Using the red flag on your mailbox can alert thieves that there is something inside to be stolen. Hand your mail directly to a letter carrier, use a secured USPS blue mailbox, or go directly to your local Post Office to send mail.

Pick up your mail regularly. Don’t leave letters in the mailbox for several days, over the weekend or even overnight. Make checking your mailbox part of your daily routine.

Stop delivery. Alert the Post Office if you are going out of town and request them to temporarily stop the delivery of your mail. When you return, you can pick up your mail at the local post office and resume normal delivery. https://www.usps.com/manage/hold-mail.htm

Talk to your neighbors. If your mail was stolen, let your neighbors know. They may not realize their mail was stolen too. Watching out for your neighbors helps to build relationships and keep your neighborhood safe.

Be aware of and report suspicious activity. Notice an unknown individual looking at or tampering with mailboxes in your neighborhood? Report it to non-emergency dispatch 208-377-6790.

Sign up for Informed Delivery through the postal service. While this won’t prevent mail theft, it will provide you with a daily picture of all letter size mail that is on its way to your mailbox. You can sign up for this free service through the United States Postal Service at https://informeddelivery.usps.com.

How to report if your mail was stolen? You can report by calling 208-377-6790 or can report online on the Boise Police website. To file a complaint with the USPS you can use this link https://usps.my.site.com/emailus/s/daily-mail-delivery-inquiry or call 1-877-876-2455.

Crime Prevention Unit

Boise Police Department

Office: (208)570-6071

Snow!!! Who you going to call? Snow Busters? Call ACHD! They’re on our snow team.

Boise Bike Project – Your Centennial Neighborhood Centralized Drop Off Point

Centennial Neighborhood Association just received the email from the Boise Bicycle Project. This is a great cause. We had a neighbor a few years back that left a perfectly good, albeit used, bicycle outside next to their garage. Through rain, snow and sunshine that bike never moved for over a year. Finally, when they moved – it was gone, probably to the landfill.

I received a separate email encouraging Boise Neighborhood Associations to open convenient collection points in their neighborhood area where folks could easily drop these much-needed bikes off, avoiding a separate trip downtown to the Boise Bicycle Project shop and warehouse. My wife and I are volunteering to store donated bikes at our home between now and the first part of December. From here we will call the Bicycle Project for them to come and pick all the bikes up at one time! Convenient for all! Perhaps, my former neighbor just couldn’t be bothered to bring that bike downtown. It’s sad that some youngsters miss out.

Let’s show our Centennial Neighborhood spirit and gather as many lovingly used bicycles that our children have just outgrown! If you are able to help please call me. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

208-484-3365

Gary Dufault, President

Your Centennial Neighborhood Association

Centennialna.org

McDevitt Park Completion Update

McDevitt Park Kickoff Public Meeting

Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Time: 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Location: Lowell Scott Middle School (Library), 13600 W McMillan Rd.

Latest Time Table for Master Plan

Boise Parks and Recreation representatives to present at CTNA’s October 19th, 2023, Annual Member meeting. It’s the kickoff of a search for ideas to finish the east end of the park

This is one of only three parks in the Centennial Neighborhood Association (CTNA) boundaries.

∙ The land McDevitt sits on was annexed in 1999.

∙ Most of the park was finished in 2001.

∙ Impact fees from new construction have been assessed and are available. ∙ Over 10 years later, in 2013 money was in the budget to finish McDevitt. The Boise Parks and Recreation (BPR) master plan for McDevitt included 3 lacrosse fields to be built in the unfinished area in association with a local lacrosse league. That plan fell through.

∙ Another 10 years after that, in 2023, BPR again had money in the budget to finish the park but needed a new master plan. This was put on hold because of a “capacity issue” or staffing shortage to manage the community outreach needed to develop a new plan.

∙ In July of 2023, the CTNA appeared before the Boise City Council at the FY2024 budget hearing to request the park be completed in FY2024 and not pushed back again. The City Council denied the request. However, Eric Bilimoria, Boise Budget Manager, said McDevitt was scheduled in FY2025, but he qualified that by saying it was “dependent upon collection of development impact fees.”

(1) When asked, Karen Bledsoe, BPR, said that there was $1.2M in FY2023 for McDevitt and that by FY2025 it was projected to be “over $1.4M.” It was asked if that meant planning in FY2024 for installation in FY2025 and she did not disagree.

(2) ∙ Each year, the park is not completed, the $1.2M in impact fees buys less and less. BPR says installation costs have gone up 40% since 2021. We were told by BPR that they currently forecast $100K per acre for irrigation and turf, so just grass for the bare area in McDevitt could cost over $750,000 today.

While McDevitt continues to be unfinished for over 23 years, the city has purchased, improved, and finished parks in other areas of the city. Some improvements are as extravagant as a splash pad and free Wi-Fi.

Impact fees are charges assessed for the impact that new development makes on the City of Boise’s regional parks, local parks, fire department and police department. New residential development pays all four impact fee types, because they impact all four services. Commercial development pays only fire and police impact fees because it typically does not directly impact regional and local parks.

The city’s park service area extends to the city’s area of impact boundaries and is segregated by two types of park systems – Regional Parks and Local Parks. However, since local parks are intended to serve smaller geographic areas with different capital facility requirements and growth patterns, there are five (5) separate local park fee areas – each with separate impact fees. This means the local park impact fees charged in any of the service areas pay only for the infrastructure which provides the direct benefit to that area. For example, the Northwest Local Park only funds parks in the Northwest service area.

So, the impact fees from our area will go to area parks, but that might mean impact fees earmarked for and we assumed would go to finish McDevitt, may in fact be diverted to buy or improve other parks inside the planning area, but outside the CTNA, such as Spaulding Ranch Park. Eric Bilimoria stated that “there are other projects within that planning area.”

(3) Councilmember Hallyburton says that “There’s a priority list.”

(4) Here is a map of the impact fee planning areas:

Currently, we’re being told that the reason McDevitt is being delayed is because of “capacity issues” or lack of staffing. Councilmember Colin Nash encourages us to “stay engaged.”

(5) His advice is good. Mayor Lauren McLean said that Spaulding Ranch Park, acquired in 2016, a favorite of Boise City

Councilmember Nash is “being pushed forward.”

(6) McDevitt continues to be pushed back.

(1) July 11^th, 2023, Boise City Council Meeting- FY2024 Budget.