Ustick In Bloom

Join with West Valley Neighborhood Association – our neighbors to the east, as they celebrate Ustick In Bloom on June 10th. It’ll be fun and music for everyone. Your Centennial NA will have a booth there as well to celebrate the collaborative efforts our two neighborhoods share.

The first major rewrite of Boise’s zoning code in 60 years is headed for City Council consideration after getting the thumbs up from Boise’s Planning and Zoning Commission Thursday night

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 10, 2023

MODERN ZONING CODE DATES SET FOR CITY COUNCIL  

After a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission, Boise City Council will consider the modern zoning code the week of June 12, 2023. Residents are encouraged to provide verbal testimony at the public hearing, either in-person or virtually. Written comments will be accepted until June 8, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. and should be submitted to zoningrewrite@cityofboise.org.   

The full reserved hearing schedule is outlined below and will take place at city hall in the Maryanne Jordan Council Chambers; days and times will be adjusted as needed, please check the public meetings webpage for updates to the schedule. 

·          Monday, June 12, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

o    Presentation from staff and neighborhood associations               

o     6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. dinner break 

·         Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  

o    Public testimony 

o    4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. break 

·         Wednesday, June 14, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.   

o    Public testimony 

o    6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. dinner break 

·         Thursday, June 15, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

o    Q&A, rebuttal, deliberations, decision 

o    6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. dinner break 

The hearings will be available to view through a live stream on the City of Boise Public Meetings YouTube Channel. To learn more visit the modern zoning code webpage. Any accommodations needed for the public hearings, such as language interpreters or ASL, can be made by reaching out to communityengagement@cityofboise.org or calling (208) 972-8500.  

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A close up of a logo

Description automatically generatedNicole Carr (she/her)Energize Our Neighborhoods Program ManagerOffice of Community EngagementCell: 208-805-2170Office: 208.972.8502ncarr@cityofboise.orgcityofboise.org Creating a city for everyone.

CITY OF BOISE INVITES RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC HEARING ON MODERN ZONING CODE 

Dear neighbors,

Next week Boise City Council will hold a public hearing on the modern zoning code. The news release shared today includes a schedule, pre-registration for testimony, and an email address to share written comments.

The executive summary is attached and you can also view it online here.

For questions related to the hearing and/or zoning code, please reach out to Lindsay Moser, Communications Mgr. – Planning & Development Services (PDS) lmoser@cityofboise.org or 208-972-8496.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 5, 2023

CITY OF BOISE INVITES RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC HEARING ON MODERN ZONING CODE 

Next week Boise City Council will hold a public hearing on the modern zoning code and is inviting the public to participate by providing verbal testimony. Sign-ups are now available, and residents are encouraged to pre-register online. Written comments will be accepted until June 8, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. and should be submitted to zoningrewrite@cityofboise.org

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended staff create an Executive Summary, which is now available on the city’s website, along with all other project documents.  

The full reserved hearing schedule is outlined below and will take place at city hall in the Maryanne Jordan Council Chambers; days and times will be adjusted as needed. Please check the public meetings webpage for updates to the schedule.  

·           Monday, June 12, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.   

  • Presentation from staff and neighborhood associations                
  • 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. dinner break  

·         Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.   

  • Public testimony  
  • 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. break  

·         Wednesday, June 14, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.    

  • Public testimony  
  • 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. dinner break  

·         Thursday, June 15, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.   

  • Q&A, rebuttal, deliberations, decision  
  • 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. dinner break  

The hearings will be available to view through a live stream on the City of Boise Public Meetings YouTube Channel. To learn more visit the modern zoning code webpage. Any accommodations needed for the public hearings, such as language interpretation or ASL, can be made by reaching out to communityengagement@cityofboise.org or calling (208) 972-8500.   

Free Trees for Centennial Residents

Dear Centennial neighbors,

The City of Boise recently completed a planting project in the area of the McDevitt Sports Complex and Lowell Scott Middle School with a surplus of two dozen trees.  We’d like to offer these trees at no cost to residents and see them planted within the Centennial community. Please share this with your members across all communication platforms and we’ll do our best to update you once inventory has been claimed.

If you’re interested in putting down some roots with a free tree, here’s the info I’ll leave you with:

  • Trees are located at the Boise Forestry Office, 4969 W. Dorman Street, Boise
  • Bring your ID and pick up on Fridays between 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. beginning tomorrow, June 2 – until they’re all claimed.
  • This is a first come, first serve basis with a limited number of trees available. One tree per household, please.
  • Residents will take ownership of the tree upon pickup and will be responsible for transporting, planting, and maintaining the tree. The city will not replace any tree failing to thrive.
  • Tree planting and care instructions are attached and should be reviewed as weather plays an important piece in successful planting. You can also check out the Tree Guide here.

Trees available at the Forestry Office (as of June 2):

1 – Spring Snow Crabapple

3 – White Flowering Dogwoods

5 – Canada Red Chokecherries

6 – Eastern Redbuds

9 – Multi-stem Autumn Brilliance Serviceberries

All trees are in 15-gallon pots and range from 10-15 feet tall with approximately 1” diameter (see photos attached).

Please reach out to me with any questions. If I’m unavailable, my colleagues copied on this email may be able to help.

Nicole CarrEnergize Our Neighborhoods Program ManagerOffice of Community EngagementCell: 208-805-2170Office: 208.972.8502ncarr@cityofboise.orgcityofboise.org Creating a city for everyone. Upcoming Vacation: June 6-15
Posted on Categories News

Crime and Safety

Neighborhood Contact Officer – Presentation – May 16, 2023

Here is the Power Point presentation that was made to your Neighborhood Watch leaders at the West Boise Police Station, Mark Stall Place. There was good attendance and many questions addressed by BPD officers and staff. Many thanks to our BPD community for taking their time to keep our neighborhoods informed and protected!

National Night Out

National Night Out is Tuesday August 1.  Registration for Nation Night Out 2023 opens today and runs through July 25, 2023. 

Please do not wait until the last minute to register.  While we encourage all to enjoy a great time with their neighbors and community, we can only guarantee City representatives (police/fire, etc.) for the first 50 parties to register.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/police/national-night-out/register-your-national-night-out-event/

Boise Neighborhood Watch Information and Documents

We will be adding updates and new information for Neighborhood Watch and BPD as we receive them.

Photos Wanted

It’s “Spring” or is it “Summer” already? No matter what it is, there must be some great pictures of our Centennial Neighborhood you could send in!!!

Wanted! -Send your photographs of our great Centennial Neighborhood to centennialnaboise@gmail.com. Each month we will select and feature a new photograph with credits to the photographer. Let’s “show” the rest of Boise how proud we are of Boise’s westernmost Neighborhood. Your photo will be displayed on Centennial’s website – https://www.centennialna.org as well as our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/centennialna. Selections will be made at the end of each month. If your photograph doesn’t make it to our Home Pages this month, watch for it on a new special display page we are developing – no pun intended – well maybe a little intended 🙂

Email your photos to – centennialnaboise@gmail.com. as an attachment. Please include: your name and Description of where the picture was taken in our Centennial neighborhood. If you would like to be added to our neighborhood email list, please also add your email and street address. We will not show your email or street address in the post.

Submitted photographs will not be used by CTNA for any purpose other than displaying on our website or Facebook page. centennialnaboise@gmail.com centennialna.org https://www.facebook.com/centennialna

Thank you for helping to make our Centennial Neighborhood a Great Place to Live, Work and Raise a Family!

Zoning Rewrite – CTNA’s Position Statement – For Membership Review and Comment

The following is a communication from Don Day, BoiseDev followed by CTNA’s response. It’s a long piece to read but if you are interested or concerned in how the current Zoning Rewrite package could impact the future of Boise – then it’s well worth your time

—————————————–

To Boise Neighborhood Associations- March 27, 2023, To Boise Neighborhood Associations

I’m reaching out to each of Boise’s Neighborhoods to gauge their stance on the proposed Boise Zoning Code Rewrite for an upcoming story. As you know, the first comment deadline has passed, and we want to help the public see how the city’s neighborhoods view the plan before public testimony in April.  Could you answer these three questions, and reply by Friday, March 31?

1) Does your neighborhood association support the Zoning Code Rewrite as proposed?  (Yes, no or undecided)

2) What if any changes would the NA want to see to the ZCR?

3) Does your NA feel the city conducted proper outreach to help shape/provide input on the rewrite?

Thanks! —

DON L. DAY | BoiseDev Founder & Editor

————————————–

March 31, 2023, Centennial Neighborhood Association Responseto be discussed on April 20, 2023, board meeting

To: Don Day, BoiseDev

The attached document is a position by consensus of the Centennial NA board of directors. We were unable to call a special meeting of the association’s general members within the timeline for response to your request. Accordingly, we cannot stipulate that this represents the consensus of the entire constituency of Centennial NA. We have been working diligently to keep the membership aware and informed and are therefore confident in offering this response. We are following through with an upcoming Centennial NA meeting on April 20, 2023, to further vet topic consensus and be prepared for the subsequent public hearings.

We are appreciative and are in admiration of the evident effort of BoiseDev’s “Deep Dive” into the ZCR. Thank you for the opportunity to weigh in.

On behalf of the Centennial NA board of directors,

Gary Dufault, President

Centennial Neighborhood’s Reply

1) Does your neighborhood association support the Zoning Code Rewrite as proposed?  (Yes, no or undecided)   

No, we support some of the rewrite, but are opposed to some.

  • We support mixed use residential and commercial zones.
  • We support high density housing. 
  • We especially support high density housing along transportation corridors, should Boise ever have viable public transportation.
  • We support neighborhoods of mixed size and type housing.
  • We applaud zoning code leaning toward form based over use based.
  • We applaud a streamlined approval process for all developments that meet form and use code, not just affordable housing use.
  • We support bicycle and motorcycle parking minimums that encourage alternative transportation.
  • We do not support limiting public or private parking.
  • We do not support the city subsidizing housing, the city owning housing or the city competing with private real estate.
  • We do not support ‘affordable’, subsidized or rent controlled housing in Boise prime real estate areas where we have the opportunity to grow the city tax base and relieve resident taxes.
  • We do not support use deed restrictions for affordable housing. 
  • While we support streamlined approval, we do not support the efforts to stifle public comment on any project.

2) What if any changes would the NA want to see to the ZCR?   

Parking

Parking space restrictions are not appropriate for Boise.  We are a private vehicle culture. The public brings up parking at every opportunity and it’s usually the #1 issue.  The lack of parking affects everyone, but those without other options are impacted the most.  Adequate parking drives the economy.  We do not want to devolve into a city, like so many others, where commercial endeavors fail from lack of access and parking, motorists driving around in circles looking for parking and parking disputes turning into violence.  We should encourage people to get out of their cars by positive actions and attractive alternatives, not by trying to punish them with negative actions and unrealistic options.  

  • We applaud efforts to reduce traffic volume and we applaud developing walking neighborhoods, but we do not support limiting public and private parking in either the ‘modern’ or the old code.
  • The Treasure Valley does not have a viable public transportation system.
    • We understand the ‘chicken and the egg’ approach…
      • But those moving into housing without parking will need a fully viable public transportation system on day one.  Viable means access throughout the Treasure Valley, not just transportation corridors, 24/7, all weather, affordable, quick, safe and sustainable.
        • This is the minimum a working person would need just for day-to-day use and does not include major shopping trips or recreation. Even those that prefer to use public transportation regularly will usually also require a personal car on occasion.    
      • At what cost and for how long will the taxpayers support an unused public transportation system before they begin to trim off the edges by cutting routes, operating hours and trip frequency?
  • Walking neighborhoods require somewhere to walk to.  The current focus on more housing will result in more housing, but without the commercial and public accommodations we might want to walk to.
    • Centennial Neighborhood is an example in which the city has denied commercial development in commercial zones and approved in-fill high density residential.  There was nothing to walk to before.  Now we have more homes and still nothing to walk to, but also less available parking.
    • Walking neighborhoods require sustainable businesses to walk to.  In mixed use development, parking is essential for any business that cannot survive only on the clientele within walking distance.
      • Those of us in areas like Centennial and West Valley without a lot of commercial development have been in the habit of driving to other areas to spend our money.  If we get to those areas and don’t have anywhere to park, we can’t patronize the businesses.   

Affordable Housing

  • We do not support city subsidized housing, the city owning housing or the city competing with private real estate.   We see this as an infringement on free enterprise and, perhaps even free elections.
  • We do not support ‘affordable’, subsidized or rent controlled housing in Boise’s prime real estate areas where we have the opportunity to grow the city tax base and relieve resident taxes rather than concede these areas to tax-free or subsidized-by-tax areas.  The areas we consider prime are downtown, along the Greenbelt and bordering any parks or foothill access.  These assets are places residents will, and should, pay a premium to live near.  They should be reserved for either high tax base residential or commercial properties that all of Boise can enjoy.
  • We do not support fixed use deed restrictions, If the project fails, it might need to be repurposed without trying to change deed restrictions.   

Project Approval

While we support streamlined approval, we do not support the efforts to stifle public comment on any project.  There are pieces of the ‘modern’ code designed to limit public participation such as elevating the design review to a commission, allowing planners to make more desk approvals and creating the role of a ‘Fair Hearing’ that will be appointed by and accountable to the administration.  We also note the current practice of reducing the time for public comment, especially for the Neighborhood Assns. which have been labeled as remnants of the old, failed urban renewal efforts of the past.

  • Public comment provides benefits.
    • It encourages the developer to present quality projects, not the bare minimums.  What we build today will be with us and affect quality of life in Boise for years.  
    • Even when a project ticks all the boxes legally, public comment has resulted in voluntary project refinement and improvements that make it more palatable to the neighbors.  At least their voices were heard.
    • It allows for public participation which grows participation.  
  • We’re told some projects will still require public hearings based upon “complex applications” and other considerations, but who will make those decisions?  The temptation to make these decisions based upon political considerations would be great.   How would the public hold the administration accountable for elevating controversial projects to a hearing?  “Alternative form” hearings would be held for the reasons opposite of what the public may want…less density, more parking, etc.

3) Does your NA feel the city conducted proper outreach to help shape/provide input on the rewrite?

We feel that the city has made extensive, but meaningless outreach.  

  • The administration appointed a ‘city wide advisory committee’ packed with developers and affordable housing advocates to represent us, but that’s not representative of all of Boise. 
  • An intern was assigned to interview the public and she chose a laundromat to hold the interviews.  Not very representative of much of Boise.  
  • While the city has made some small perceived concessions such as:
    • leaving a zone named residential in the new code, but changing residential zone details that change the nature of this zone
    • calling for ‘stable neighborhoods’ while defining stable as restrictions moving toward more dense, affordable housing
    • changing the name of the ‘hearing examiner’ to ‘fair hearing’ and letting the Planning Director, who reports to the mayor, appoint the examiner instead of the mayor appointing that person directly.   These changes do nothing to change the fact that one person, accountable to the administration, would still be making the decision and the only appeal would be an expensive lawsuit.  

 Affordable housing is needed, but that should not be the predominant goal and following the examples of cities that have failed in this effort will only lead to failure here.  We have the chance to create a code that will encourage affordable housing while also encouraging vibrant, quality development that protects what we love about Boise

Zoning Code Rewrite – It’s Almost A Done Deal – What You Need To Know!

The final phase of the Boise Zoning Code Rewrite is upon us.  This is public comment time, which is when the CTNA can choose to participate followed by approval by the city. The time to voice an opinion is now or never!

This link to Boise Dev is a great summary of the rewrite. It also contains the public meeting dates starting 4/24 and a link to the actual rewrite draft. Centennial Neighborhood Association will be considering its position on the “Rewrite” at its upcoming board meeting, Thursday April 2oth. https://centennialna.org/event/ctna-2nd-quarter-board-meeting.

West Boise Needs a Library Too! Update!

West Boise Needs a Library Too – Door-To-Door Campaign Kicks Off Saturday, May 13, 2023

At our most recent board meeting, we agreed that having a library within or closer to our neighborhood would be a tremendous boost to our community. Supporters of this initiative will be going door to door on Saturday at 1:30 PM to collect signatures and distribute flyers. If you would like to help, please sign up here:

Sign Me Up

Past Updates:

Mark Salisbury updated CTNA tonight on the library meeting that was hosted by Mark and his wife, Amanda, last night.

“We had a great meeting last night! I’ve started working on a presentation for the library board / city council, which I shared with everyone who was present. I got some valuable feedback – thanks everyone who was here for your ideas. We got a little more organization, with several people volunteering to help this effort in a variety of ways. I’m excited to see where we go.

And the pie — lots of pie, it was delicious.

If you believe having a library nearby is worth some effort, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks especially to Amanda Salisbury for all your help 🙂

Join us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1266257710908051

West Boise / East Meridian Needs a Library Too!

Your Centennial Neighborhood Association supports the need for Boise to have a library closer to the citizens of West Boise.  Ideally libraries are within walking or at least biking distance.  The Library! at Cole & Ustick is more than five miles away from parts of our Neighborhood Association.  Many citizens of Boise live within 1 mile of a library, and most are within two miles. “?” West Boise stands alone in a “library desert”!

If you are interested in supporting this effort, help is needed.  You can help in the following ways:

Join the “West Boise / East Meridian Needs a Library! Too” Facebook Group set up to bring together people who support this idea.

Sign this petition – https://www.change.org/p/west-boise-east-meridian-needs-a-library-too

Spread the word.

SEE YOU AT USTICK IN BLOOM JUNE 10