In case you may have missed it, we received an update from Boise Parks and Recreation on the Master Plan for our neighborhood’s Charles F. McDevitt Park completion and reviewed it at our announced April 11th open board meeting last night at Tree City Church. Thank you all who attended and shared their thoughts. The board is investigating a few proposed changes to the current plan and will present those at next week’s P&R Commission meeting. All are encouraged to attend. Zoom meeting options are available – see below.
Here is the latest update from Boise Parks and Recreation. We encourage everyone to attend.
March 2024 Update from Boise Parks and Recreation
Thank you to those who have participated in the outreach process so far; our team values your feedback and is now preparing a final design proposal following a second survey.
Incorporating initial feedback on potential amenities, our team of landscape architects prepared two design concepts for people to vote on. Option 2, which is more focused on wheeled sports with a bike pump track area and new skatepark features, was the winner with more than 63% of the vote. If you would like to view these follow-up survey results, you may do so here.
Following this second round of public input, the city’s landscape architects are working to finalize a master plan design. This design update 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. Details for the April meeting are listed below.
If the updated master plan design is approved, the impact fee funding to build out the new amenities is expected to be available in fiscal year 2025.
If you have feedback for the folks who will ultimately make the decision on the future of the park, please attend the meeting they reference on 4/18/2024!
CTNA’s Second quarter board meeting has been rescheduled from April 18th to April 11th to accommodate members being able to attend the very important McDevitt Park Plan presentation
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!
Centennial Neighborhood Association Meeting – 2023
Annual Meeting of The Members
Our meeting closely followed the evening’s AGENDA. Bonnie Shelton led a highly informative presentations by Boise Parks and Recreation (McDevitt Park Master Plan Kickoff). Nicole Carr did a presentation on “Energize Our Neighborhoods Boise”, and District councilwoman, Luci Willits, spoke to the valuable relationships between neighborhood associations and the City. Mark Salisbury, “West Boise Needs a Library Too” updated members on the great progress of the library initiative. Five new board members were nominated and unanimously elected, bringing our CTNA board to its full eight members! Thank you all for your support.
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 11th, 2023, Boise City Council Meeting- FY2024 Budget.
One of the benefits of living in Boise is the number and quality of our parks. Mayor McLean has established a goal of having a Boise park within a 10-minute safe walk of all Boise Citizens. For many of us in the Centennial Neighborhood, McDevitt is that park.
McDevitt is one of only three parks within the boundaries of the Centennial Neighborhood Association, but it’s a nice one. The park includes: Norm’s Pond, a 1.2-acre fishing pond the 10,000 Sq. ft. McMillan skate park 2 children’s play structures 7 groomed and fenced ball fields complete with tall backstops, foul line markers, batting cages, covered dugouts with water fountains, bleachers, league storage sheds, a concession stand and restrooms parking a walking path around most of the perimeter There are also a few small, old backstops with wooden benches in the unfinished area that might have once been softball fields. However, about a quarter of the park in the NE corner is unfinished.
Walking path should be completed to extend to Eagle Road. Walking path needs to be completed
ACHD Proposed Changes in Neighborhood “Speed Calming” Policy
This is a recap of a proposed change in ACHD policy for those requesting speed calming. In the past applicants would need to collect data to prove excessive traffic speed, traffic volume, and cut-through. A cut-through is when traffic passes through a residential neighborhood that did not originate, nor arrive at a destination in that neighborhood. Additionally, a petition for speed mitigation needed signatures from 75% of affected residents. At that point, ACHD would consider if it would pay for the speed mitigation structures, or if the requesting party were responsible.
Under the proposed policy, calming applicants will have to prove either excessive speed or traffic volume in the area — not both — and get the required signatures on their petition. This eliminates the cut-through requirement. ACHD will pay for the cost of the structure installations.
Traffic speed and volume are typically determined by placing tube counters across the road at an agreed-upon location. According to the policy, a street must be over 750 feet in length and have more than 400 cars per day to be considered eligible for traffic calming evaluation. If a street has more than 4,000 vehicles per day, it surpasses the upper limit for traffic calming and is not eligible. Only residential streets and collector roads that have a speed limit of 30 MPH or less are eligible for traffic calming.
The default speed limit in Boise is 20 mph, so the majority of our side streets qualify.
We’re not sure how ADHD would define “affected residents” when requiring signatures. And, while now a moot point, we also don’t know how ACHD would define the boundaries of the “neighborhood” for cut-through.
We are expecting to hear more about where these proposed changes stand over the coming weeks. We’ll keep you posted!
Neighborhood Contact Officer – Presentation – May 16, 2023
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.
The Centennial Neighborhood Association applauds the continued progress made by “Citizens for a Library” to establish a library facility in west Boise. “Citizens for a Library” founder, Mark Salisbury along with Jennifer Gravel, a life-long library patron and a long-time advocate, presented testimony, and the organization’s formal petition for locating a public library in west Boise. Our Centennial Neighborhood sits in the middle of this underserved area and formally supports “Citizens for a Library” and its efforts.
A discussion and questions by library board members followed the presentation. While board members expressed skepticism as to any ability to impact funding for the FY 2024 fiscal year, which begins October 1st, it was clear that Mark and Jennifer made a positive impression.
Boise Public Library Board Presentation Sept. 13, 2023
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”!
West Valley Neighborhood Association has invited our CTNA community to an entertaining and informative presentation about the past and future of the historic Ustick Townsite.
Most folks in West Boise aren’t aware of the fascinating history of the Ustick Townsite. Dan Everhart, Outreach Historian from the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office has an entertaining and informative presentation to share with West Boise residents. The presentation is free, and refreshments will be available.
Poultry processing plant in west Boise . . .. will certainly never happen. Why? Because people would come out of the woodwork and stop it. That seems to be the way things go these days. People quickly react to perceived threats but often fail to support positive change. I expect a “poultry processing plant” to be a negative for most of us!
Sorry for the trickery if you otherwise wouldn’t have come to Centennial’s website. It is critically important, however, that, as your Neighborhood Association president I get this message to as many of our Centennial residents and businesses as possible.
This past Thursday evening Centennial held its 3rd Qtr. Open Board meeting. The meeting was announced a week in advance on our website, Facebook page, Nextdoor and emails were sent to our complete “membership” mailing list.
We had a total of nine in attendance at Thursday’s meeting
Board members (3), Our fourth Board member was not able to attend because of a family medical emergency. Board member spouses (2), Library presenters (2), Energize Our Neighborhoods and Public Works presenters (2), Centennial residents or business owners (0). Energize Boise and Boise Public works gave highly informative and interesting presentations.
Centennial Neighborhood Association’s next regular meeting is the third Thursday of October. At this meeting there are some organizational tasks that must be completed, not the least of which is the election of Board members. As it stands now two of our current four boards have served their maximum consecutive terms and must go off the board. That leaves me, currently president and our Treasurer. We need a minimum of three board members to fulfill Neighborhood Association requirements. Our bylaws call for a board of five to seven at a maximum.
There are many ways you can contribute to supporting your Centennial Neighborhood’s efforts to make our neighborhood “a great place to live, to work and to raise a family”. You don’t need to be on the Board. If a Board seat is something you might be interested in email us, and we can discuss. Review our “make a difference” page on our website. Is there something there you could help with?
As a reminder, here are just a few of the things your neighborhood association is tracking and advocating for you:
Our Annual Meeting, October 19th, is not very far off!
Yes, I was sneaky in the post (Poultry Processing) I made to hopefully bring more of a response to come to our Centennilana.org website. I hope you’ll forgive me for that, but October 19th is very near, and your Board needs to know it has or doesn’t have the support to continue doing all that it can to “make your Centennial Neighborhood a great place to live, to work and to raise a family”
Presentation and Discussion – Nicole Carr, City of Boise, “Energize Our Neighborhoods”, Program Manager – Presents Energize Update
Energize Our Neighborhoods Program Manager, Nicole Carr. Nicole has an extensive background in community building and outreach. She collaborates with neighborhoods to create unique and desirable communities for everyone by supporting Boise’s neighborhood associations.
Questions and discussion?
Old Business
Library Initiative – Update
McDevitt Park – Update “Let’s Finish McDevitt Park”
Zoning Rewrite – Update
New Business
City Public Works presentation by Abby Haydin, on Pilot Water Treatment Program
Board ratification of expenditures for Ustick In Bloom Supplies
Walmart – Candy for Ustick in Bloom booth $25.91, Office Depot -Bus card stock for Ustick in Bloom $35.92 Used CTNA Debit Card – pre-approved by email Unanimous Consent
Election Year – Possible District One candidate meet and greet, Mayoral Election Candidates?
Annual Meeting Planning
Board Member Openings – To be filled at our Annual Meeting
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