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Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). a. 10. 11. (lfpature) 12. let •• ~ . BORI-00 (AuiUat 1965) .'· Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 2. BOR ClauilcaUOG of aree I Claeck -· • (jJ "•• Slte . . 0 AddlUoa tD ezladla •• '· Coftt, eoNif Ia ..... 5. Total eere. to M acqwNd J2S A. ,..,... • JJ . e. ~-·----· D. ,...., __ _ L Ora.. •• ~ ~ G. Wot.tt 7. Topocr8PftJ, oena la A.. P'tat JZS B. HUIJ -:---c. Roll~_ D. Mouatalno.o _ PAitCKL HUWB&R •. . • •• ~~t. fHt .. a. war. __ _ P'Oit CONCURRJtNT ACQUUJ'nON AJifD DltVKLOPimMT PR0]1tCT IUaDSIIOI(I . . . . UTHCIO 011 ACQ~ APPitOX. .OAT& OP UllrnoK '. • TOTAL UTDIA T&D YALUit I TOTAL YALU~ ,,. .... Attadt, t.r .. r..-c:e -'*· a. lbllowt.c .. ,.a • .,..tal dHuae_. -...., • ~ elllt A~taitioa Protect Pr••l: A-660-1 Proj.,ct Jutif/c-; tltM. 1 A.: ~tH.-., A.•w ~ ,.4j.W~.,...ect a..1a ~ '"* 1M ltato Mt4oor tecNatUia p&oa .U ...&4 laelp ... , priodtJ .... 1•• Hf'lecl Ia .. ,... lrdfc1t1 •• ......... ~tJ' ef tllo .,.. .UI " ,... ....... IDcllcato o1Mr4 ...... -~ ......at~M .~ Jl!•~r"•', .... ,, ...... , C.. PtaM '~ ~tJ-• ~ llllaUat-...~tee. ' '' • · • ... •· '' • ·' P"'• fJ .l •· A-660-1 M«<• .M Ci.ru. A ..... i. ,&at .... w -. ................... .._ ~ -.1 ltl NlaUMaht• • .. ~ .. ,.,... A..-taw.., ,._. fw Mrwttl, .,._.. • ., •• ......,........,.. .... •.a- a.-eM • • ... , .... ~a..a.-.,... (Key ...... leQtloa wttua .... c ... t,, ., ott)'.) .. DeMrifdea ., .., ' ....... tl - t..4a .... ~ C. ~Uoa of all lopl riFta to be r.ow "' ..,uceac _. •r ..., ,.,.... • .,..._d-. • A~ A4,... • ..,., .. A. A••-•• w ..,.... ....... wt.- odler .....-della lw ........ • .. fi'OJect. • Ia lotor eperetioa ~ .. iateuoco ol .. ~ot" IMO(H'o : ~· . , . . Tbe , .... ahowa Wow ... ct •ol M p"-'t..4 •• ll.e· ~et fc.fo..a. •-••• ..... tM _.. el ••octal6oe ., • ..,,..-c~ proJect. .._ -..,ra.e.t ........ be.,.,...., .. •'-it .._. te-.. .,... ,_......., .. r.u-.. · ...- - ~ · ~ ... ....,.. A...-o-t """la&l ,..orta M4 .._ •c.~•• t.t.r.. ol_.t. l•,• .·., -.r- .. A-MO-s ~"*" m_.. . ., tau. ,_. .. • .,..._ t.r t.f" .... a--..r- ~ ...... ~ · -· A-660-4 rt_, •• lalat~ ., eene~ ..; .;. parcel u ...... ~ ~ ..,.,.. ~ ftl ~ ....a.-. ... '"- lalllroet 1- ...,.,e4 -.1 .-.& .. .ue.). f"Jt, ~I J <~ • ~..:.._ _.. __ • • •. - ..,.............,. ' •·- - ..,:;._ ___ _ _ - -· ' .' ,1' J'•U J:. " J I ' • \.;., • . V. Jl-·4 1~ ·"· ·'~ , . .. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). m:.'·or.HT Jon r.:o. nn6 , zy· AMENDED •->·~-~- I J\'[ TilT: COWICU.: PHAZEI\, ltJ:i"i'J.l!CU\, !-10ll.RIS, ON1'1El1.Elt, PE)'(t\Y and RICE ;, l!l.:'lll,ll'flOIJ /\l!THOlU7.;(\Ifi ·nu; P'\~{()Jl Ahlll CITY Cl,E!U( TO IJ.%.E i!I'J'i. <:\TXO~i 1'0 lJ;•: :n:·,"J';; (H' Hl.i'liO, lllif'i\ll![NJ;!JT OF PAHK;,, 'A"O :; Hlli\rr·Tfl!. t·.:;;;T:,·,·,~,·'r:J: l'Oit ilt:onn;n)(m! ;'\tiD nr.vnuwrmtif or ~~-·l '1/!':ll , .. :·:l:,J~rJ ni.J,J: i,iiJ<~.·,i:~;,-__ • I'JIH:rmll~;, Tho U.t.y of Bol!~r,, Idaho, in intero!'ltocl ·'.n ''" lh~ foU.mJ.tng ci.e:-:r:dl:·<o(L pl:ojl"!ct f.or the enjoyment. ni: the d.U:~mu:y of ~>t.:ld City ~.,lll. the Stnt0. of Id:1ho, and \'Jl.IERE/\S, Tho Project. dos~ription ir; acqui:.:i.tion ~l«l rlovclopmont nf approxilJatnly 300 aero:. of land lo~otcd witltin tlw U.ty of J1oise, for R:i.ve:r Grnen Bolt purponc:. and pnrl~ ancl. ;:ccrration fncilitir.s of variou!l typnn for the citizens of 110is~ nnd hn~ visitorn, an(l WllEREM>, Lnncl , . .nd l~at.er Conservation Fund Act financial ansintnncc is required for acquisition and dr.vclop-ncnt of sald outdoor rncrcationnl facilities. '''"O"'·'• T.• '1] I..' :'"1'\J:·.r•. o•,,•,j'; , 'i lC l' t J:'OSO 1 lTC d b y th 0 C1' t y C.O URC'l1 of the City o~· Iloisc, Ada County, State of Idaho, that. :.nld City door. nr;Too t.n o1J Ugn to t!H'l funds or services s tipnlntcrl sub,iect to l imi.tat·L0ns of Irlaho fitf'.tut~n bclm1/to sa\:ft.s:Znci:nYHy r;oD•1\c)tc the following project and thus bocono clip,jlhJ.c \o:r LaJH! and \'later Conservation Fund Act fin;m-cinl ald of SOQ of tho cstlnntod or actual cost, Hhic:hever i~ nE IT FlJHTllER llESOLVED that such project and funds or scrvicor; shall be authorized as follows: Total Est. Total Est. Total Ent. nApplicant'~ - c:o:.t Rronl. Co !'it Fedoll'nJ. Shnr.-c Spon:.or's Share Cnnh. ___ d9_:~~--So~y}:c i) 493,370. s 493,370. $441,370 ~ 52,000. 5 ycn;r period) AND, be it ~1rthcr resolved that the Mayor of Boisn is Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). l<lnho, Department f Parks, to seek federal ("nancia.l assistance on this project for thnrn nnd he further authorized to take the nc,c:r.:.:.nry action to conplr,te sm:h project. AND, be it further resolved that thi!l resolution :-.n<l plnn approved Ly said Ci!y Council be fonmrdecl to the State of lclnho, Dopnrtmcnt of Parkr., for the purpose of obtaining such :Onand.al aiel as their share of <levclopment costs. 1%7. of July ATTEST: PASSED hy t!1e Council this zltth day of ,July APPROVED by the Mayor of lloise City this 21+th day ' 1967. For Use of State Park Board: I'ark District County Political Subdivision Project Number Date ==~------------------ ·-------- Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ASSURANCES ( 1. STATE IDENTIFYING INFORMATION: BOISE RIVER GREEN BELT fl. IN SUBMITTING THIS PROJECT PROPOSAL, THE CITY OF BOISE, HEREBY CERTIFIES AND ASSURES THAT: A. No financial assistance has been give or promised under any other Federal program or activity with regard to the proposed project. B. The CITY OF BOISE has the ability and intention to finance its share of the cost of this project. C. All property or facilities acquired or developed under this program shall be operated in compliance with all requirements and regulations imposed by or pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 43 CFR 17, as long as such property and facilities are used for purposes of public outdoor recreation. D. The CITY OF BOISE accepts the obligations to comply with the applicable laws, rules, and regulations in effect at the time of the award and to the further terms and conditions of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation Manual and the Idaho Department of Parks in effect at the time of the award. Ill. SUBJECT TO THE AWARD OF FUNDS, WITH RESPECT TO PROJECT PROPOSALS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF INTERESTS IN LAND AND WATER, THE CITY OF BOISE CERTIFIES THAT: A. Property acquired will be placed in use as an outrloor recreation facility and will be retained for such use in perpetuity or otherwise as provided and agreed to in the project agreement. Prior approval of the Director of the Idaho Department of Parks will be obtained before any. other disposal is made of such property. B. No ur-:f's of such property other than those described in tlw proposal will be permitted unless approved in advance by the Director of the Idaho Department of Parks. DATFD this24th day of July, 1967. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). PROJECT PROPOSAL ACQU!S!Tir.N GREEN BELT SECT! ON I - ATTACHHENT Par. 4 - Description of Project - Land Acquisition Schedule Land to be acquired. Estimated Cost 196d First Year- Purchase or acquisition of use rights to fifteen (15) Tracts totalling approximately 165 acres a. b. Use rights on 90 acres to be acquired at little Purchase to be made of 7S acres at a cost of (Non-fundable costs for property surveys, title or no cost 80,000 c. searches legal work estimated at $7,125) Total cost for land acquisition in 1968 1969 Second Year a, Purchuse or acquisition of use rights to 15 tracts totaling approximately 40 acres. Estimated cost b. (Non-fundable operations contemplated in same year include: surveys, appraisals, title searches, legal work, estimated at $5,125) Tota 1 cost for land acquisition in 1969 1970 Third Year a. Purchase or acquisition of use rights to approximately s tro,ooo 60,000 $ bO~Ooo 40 acres. Estimated cost 70,000 b. (Non-fundable items include property surveys, appraisals, title search, estimated at $5,125) Total cost for land acquisition in 1970 1971 Fourth Year a. Purchase or acquisition of use rights to approximately 40 acres. Estimated cost b. (Non fundable activities include property surveys, appraisals, title search, estimated at $5,125) Tntrl1 rnc;.t fnr l~nri ~rn11ic::.itinn in 1Q71 $-N~ooo 80,000 ~ --;<O~~non Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). SECTirt! liT i\TT,\CI\1\EIHS :1. 0iU:,\NJ.:,\TlllNS C0NSL:LHD QUilHIG Filll,'ll.'lJ, T !11~1 OF THIS PROGRAM i\ number of or<.anizations ,md ~<jenci"s hav<> been consulted by Park Deportment StaFf t1lC1,;hcrs durins the ~.:rowth and evolution of the Green ~elt concept and during the for~tlulation oft is pro:,osal. They may generally be grouped as fo 11 ow:;: 1. Other City Dcp~rt111ents 2. 1\~wncies of the: cnunty, State and Federal Government and quasigovcrrui! Cnt asencics. 3. Privule fir111S .Jnd corporations 4. 5~rvicc clubs and recreation or~~nizations 1. Practically every city department has been consulted in regard to some detui 1 or as1)ect of the Green Belt project. The departments most involved n~v1ever, have been: the Planning Department, Recreation Departrnent, Department of Public Works and City-County Health Department, The Plannins Department has furnished rnuch of the raw data and also the impetus for the pro9rarn with full backing of the Planning Commission and has in effect co-sponsored the project with the Park Department. The Recreation Department has been helpful in advising of extent of Recreational activities in the area ~nd probAble future demands. The Department of Public './orks has been helpful on occasion in providing cost estimates for certain types nf works and in some cuses in establishing ownership and property line locations in some doubtful cases. The ~uildin~ Department has also assisted in cost estimates for building construction. The City-County Health Oepart:nent has assisted by furnishins information on sanitation proulems in the area and suggestions for surmounting them. 2. A number of State and Federal A~encies have been consulted includins from the State of Idaho: Land Dept., OCJ)l, of Highl<ays, Fish and Gam<~, Park, Penitentiary, Public ~arks, University of Idaho Extension Service and Veterans Home, Federal Agencies include: Corps of Engineer•, Environmental Science Services, Bureau of Land llanagernent, Public Roads, Reclamation, Soi 1 Conservation Service, County f;gencics include: .'\ssessor's Office, County Agent, Civil Defence Organization. Among quusi-public agencies arc included: Idaho Pm·1er Co., Boise \later Corp., Boise Boise IndepcndQnt School Oic.t., College, Union Pacific R.R. 3. Private firms .mci corporations consulted are: Cornell, Howland, Hayes und Herrifield, engineers,, Anderson & Kelly, Engineers, Greater noise Cha:d>er of Comm'='rce .. 4. Service clubs and recreational organizations are: Kiwanis Cll:b, ~oise Trails COHtn<ittee, Boise Ridinrj ch_b, Jr. Chamber of Commerce, L"ac,ue of Women Voters, S.'.~. District Idaho Federation of Garden Clubs, t',r. & 1·\rs. Garden \~o:·kshop. .,, ' '"-~ ' I ,i~\' :7 , tlfiP.A~ -·----~ Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). c ;,-660-1 C, PLIINS FOI< OP:RATIGNS 1\Nll i\,\liiTtNi-INCl It is planned that the City Park Department wi II assume the primary obli~ution for n1aintenance with su~plc1nentary assistance by the Police Department to aid in 111aintainin~ lav1 and order. The Trail Committee has offered to provide ussist<:m<:e with respect to pickin~ up litter and to periodic maintenance and a trial .orrunge/,lcnt may be undertaken but the Park Department wi II be prepared to assume the full operation if this does not work out, A-660-2 "'I' 11AP S AND CHARTS A, The followin~ maps and plats are shown: I) A map of Boise City showing the corporate limits and indicating riverside properties already publicly owned in dark green, properties proposed for inclusion in Green Belt (not necessarily to scale) in I i ght green, 2) A map of that portion of [loise River included in the current Green Belt program showing adjoining properties, 3) 1\ special map of the Eastern section of the Green Belt showing properties proposed for purchase or acquisition in that area. B. Improvements on lands to be acquired: It is our intention and objective to buy as .little in the way of improvements as possible, Most of the land currently under consideration has no improvements on it at this time, But with a five (5) year acquisition program to work to, it is quite possible that there may be improvements on key properties by the time we can obtain options on th~1. If this situation occurs we will have to determine whether to buy the improvements or whether we can skirt the improvements and sti 11 achieve our objectives. Cost or value of the improvements· in reference to the budget and the overall estimate of this project will no doubt be a factor. · One tract (identified in Hap 3) as Tract #8 which already has improvements and which is considered important, if not critical, in terms of Green Belt development is 01~ned by the Chattin Ditcher Co. It contains three (3) buildings, including: a) a Quanset type building with corrugated metal roof, approximately 50 ft. wide by 130ft. long; b) a caretakers cottage 20' x 40 1 and c) Sheet Metal· building 40 1 x 60 1 , It is assuncd that one or more of these buildings can be.remodelled to serve maintenance and storage requirements of the Park Department in connection with the Golf Course and the Green Belt. A i so there may be one or two properties acquired East of Broadway and South of Park Blvd, with small houses or outbuildings, These, we find from past experience will have little value other than nuisance value. They can seldom be sold for any price but· scrnetimes can be given away to save the cost of demolition. These wi 11 be the exceptions however. ·Subject to future developments, at least 90,1, of the properties proposed for acquisition will have no improvements of any appreciable value. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ,.,, ( ,,. ' .. A-660-2 C, It is proposed to acquire fee titles to most of the properties involved in the Green Oclt except where le9al commitments by present owners make this extremely difficult or impossible or where substantial savings can be achieved through acquiring long-term leases or perpetual easements or use rights, In the case of tracts owned by the State of Idaho and Boise Jater Corp. it is anticipated that long-term leases or perpetual easements may be obtained at very little cost to the city. AGREEt1ENTS There are no agreements in existence at this time with other or9ani zat ions or agencies allo.,ing for their participation in the acquisition or development of any portion of the proposed Green Belt, t.Jhile no agreements are known or contemplated at this time it is considered possible that conditions could develop where such participation was offered and desirable. In such cases it is ·presumed any agreements arrived at would be subject to Boise City's commitments under this application. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). . J . Project,Tltl• . - 10. lt. 12 . ..,., E\ :.uc , 1 ... :.~, , OOR 8 - 01 • Au¥;U et 1965) Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ' L 'I ' ' I ~~--~----~~~~~----~~~--~-T-r-r~~----~~~~ BEGIN· ICntO COYPU• _COST TlOIC Ct:VE LOP SITE PLANS ~ S PE CI FICATIONS A. 0 . A. a SECTION letae cttr • c-ral ~....,. ,OR CONCURRENT ~CQUIIITION ANO OEVEL.OPMENT .. ROJECT SUBMISSIONS Total .. u ... ted eeqaialUen ..tae IIZE IN ACRES OF AREA , TO BE DEVELOPitD . .UNDER nus PROPOSAL Weter Attach , by reference number, the fo.llowill& supplemental doaa .. nta eecnury to process Proposal: 0 -660-1 PrOJ~ C t Pian aiti/ )Jsti/l c/ni~n. I A:J Desc~pti';,~ ol ..ov,~· ~·~!,hf.._d ra ill accord with the State out· door recre"ation 'p't~~ an~ 1tro~ld ·h~!P 1 .~t pHority 7n~a' fcU.aufYtt.l 1~ ' pl.n~" B .' Surua;,.· of area, Its nature .rlci relation ~f d;wtJfmenl tc:ftb~ 1anta. indtc.-_ 'owlh~Gr:.tural be•ty of area will be enchanced. c, ~~·~rlptiv:e outiine of pro~ose.d,,acc~pliahment~ ~with lunda ~·~ted., r~~·tr ~temp,late,d, ~th~! usu of the arel. 0 . list· of n~ea tJt or(anihttona Wlidi .rftt ~ndertake tt\e ~t:~l~m~t tnd to-. ftlli will be perfomed.1 E. ic~oaitC: 'fedibflity d.ta :-• o'ha't~· ~ o1 data10 tndlalte ed~t "~lf ~tnt!' oi uae to be made of the completed arn or facility. F. Pl•• lor operetloaa Md aalatenance. 1 D- 660-2 M~ s 11ml G_._.J$, ~ A. tSu.;ple -.te p--s • ..,.: •.ani -.,tat area. lll 8dditlon to area to be MY. tope"<!. Annotate to show plans for, or exist1n& streets, hi&hways, watedlnes, ...., • ., etc. to be located oa or aear the areL (Key to allow Jpcatlon within "State, .County, ot clty.) Jadlc:ate uaea aow ••de of the area b)' eP · pllcant or other a&enciea or indiviQ.aaJa . B. Deaeriptioa of aU lepl rl&hta to. the area to be held by ap-plicmt .nd any other peraon or or&aniutioa . , 1. 1 , , ,~ •. D-660-3 Ag rum~t s. A. ACJeet~~enta or arrancement. ·~ wtdl otller orpnlntlou i»r partic:tpatln& tn p~UJeet, · ta-cludin& o~ration and ealnten~ce of c:o.pleted ffl~. • ~ .. · • A • • The terma lhoWJt below need 1ot be aubmitted with &htt peojec:t propoul. However, •rtaa the courae of execution of an app~~ proj~, the aj,pU~aat ahould be'"'~ t~ aubait th• to dae ·~- for review, •• followa: l.J-ob0-4 Plans. A. Site plana, apecific.,tipns and.c:oat ea~mat;·L a: ConatNction pl_;a :-apeclfication~ · and !:!1!. estimates. These must be submitted for review anCf lfgnmal befol! conatNcti~ ••Y proceed on 1 11 ~re to coat Ia exoeaa of SlOO,OOO. · ' : ! ' I - 0 Pf.i.S 1 I . . ' I " • i . f~ :f \r. 0-660-5 Contracts. A. Copies of pertinent contr~~cts, •• spedftcat~y ... Cfllred by the &areau of Outdoor Recre on . Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ( SECTION Ill ATTACH11ENTS 0-(,60-l PROJECT PLAN AND JUSTIFICATION n. <;LJt1:11\RY OF f1RE1\, ITS NATUflE ,\flO f~Eli\T!ON OF DEVEOPMENT TO THE AHEA norsE iHE Cot\11UNITY i\ND ITS SURROUNDINGS I NTROIJUCTION: noise City, Capitol City of the State of Idaho has an official population of approximately 72,000 '"ith an additional 30,000 or more in its immediate fringe area, It is situated in the Southwest corner of the State in the upper (East) end of Boise Valley. It serves as the trading center of Treasure Valley, seemingly a modern synonym for Doise Valley 1•1ldch is an oblong-shaped area in excess of 1000 sq. mi lcs extending for about SJ miles in a \·lest to north"esterly direction from Boise City, It is bounded on thr. North by the Boise /1ountains and on the South by the Snake River and the 01·1yher, /lountilins, Thr, name Treasur" Valley, believed to have been coined by the Chamrcr of Comc.1crce or local cun;nlOrci.ol interests appears in application, to refer to the more populated northern section of the valley, this nunbering approximately 259,000, Coincidentally Boise River also threads its way through this northern populated section, as defined urb,1ni zing Boise City covers an area of about 22 sq. miles. in several reports and studies is considered to be area and covers 106 sq. miles. HISTORICAL DACKGROUND: The Metropolitan area the total urban or According to legend a band of French Canadian trappers reached a point overlooking the valley after a long hot dusty trek across the desert country to the East. Sishtinn the trees along the banks of the River they shouted "Les Bois!, Les Ooisl". One version has it that Captain Bonneville, leader of the canpany, first uttered the '"ords, The name was later anglicized to Boise, (Jlronounced as Boy 1 Sl!E!), Perhaps a more likely explanation of how the name became applied to the present location is that Fort Boise, originally established in the eighteen forties, several miles further down the river near the present site of Parma, Idaho, was abandoned after a flood and in 1363 was reestablished under the command of 11ajor Pinckney Lugerb.,el at the mouth of Cottonwood Creek at the northeas~~edge of the present City, Boise ~ity itself was founded in the sa•~ year on July 7, ~63 originally consisting of the platting of 10 blocks, later enlarged to 136 blocks, Initially it served as a supply and trading station for mining operations in the Boise Basin to the north, where gold was discovered in 1d62. A few years later Idaho City, lying about 30 miles northeast of Boise was a tent town of 40,000 miners and chinese coolies, Boise City became the State Capitol in 1864 following a bitter fight in the Legislature at Lewiston which was the provisional ca~itol prior to that time, On January 11, 1366 a special Territorial Charter was approved for Daise City which continued to serve dS the city's basic form of government until 1912 when it was voted out in favor of a comr.lission form, This in turn was voted down and the original charter voted back in, in 1927. The charter remained in effect until 1961, almost 100 years after the original grant when a special act by the legislature followed by a vote of the citizens resulted in abandonment of the charter and the classifying of Boise as a city of the first-class under the statutes of the State of Idaho. Heanwhile irrigation was introduced in the Valley, the firs~right to divert water from Boise River for this purpose having been granted in 1'64, The Hater was used to irrigate the townsite and to supply Fort Boise. The Boise and Nampa Canal was put into operation in 1873 and in the early eighties the bui !ding of additional canals and of the Oregon Short Line Railroad stimulated the development of Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 2 a9ricultural interests. Population growth also was encouraged and with due allowance for wars and depressions the growth has be.cn fairly steady ever since. As the importance of mining faded with the exhaustion of gold deposits, agriculture and lumbering took over and a variety of commercial and business enterprises took up the slack. Growth in population wus fairly steudy up to the Depression Era of the Thirties. 1\ period of a;Jparent stagnation in population growth occurred fr001 about 1930 to 1961. Aside fran the effects of the depression and a war economy from 1940 to 191+6 tl1is condition was largely attributed to those provisions in the city charter 1~hich in effect made annexation possible mainly at the pleasure of those to be annexed, whereas, provisions of the state statutes for cities of the first class permitted annexation of contiguous areas by the cities on their own initiative following due process. During the thirty year period mentioned above the population within the corporat" lifllits remuined essentially at a standstill increasing fr001 about 26,000 to 3t•,000, while population in fringe areas grew from a few hundred to about 50,000. It WclS this situation with attendant headaches resulting fr001 lack of planning and regulation in the fringe areas coupled with the financial problems imposed on the City to operate 1~ithin a limited tax base that resulted in abandonment of the charter in 1961. In the foll01·dng five years an annexation pro'lram was embarked upon that resulted in an increase in popu 1 at ion from a bout 3t1, 000 to the present estimated 72,000 and an increase in area from a bout 12 sq. miles to approximately 23 sq. miles. CLIMATE Boise Valley, particularly at the lower levels is comparatively arid, averase annual precipitation amounting to about 13 inches at Boise and lowering to about 10 inches at Caldwell, 25 miles d01•nstream to the West. Most of this precipitation tends to occur in the months fr001 October through May with only trace amounts recorded fr001 June through October, though in occasional years one or both of the latter months may receive appreciable amounts. Little snow is seen in the valley, at elevations of 2800 feet or less above sea level, usually not more than an inch or two at a time and this perhaps two or three times during the winter; some years none at all. This situation is markedly affected by elevation. Snowfall and annual precipitation rate rise rapidly with a rise in elevation and at elevations of 7 1 000 ft. or more a snow pack several feet in depth may accumulate during the winter. Humidity is generally low in the valley during summer months though the relative humidity scale naturally tends to be s001ewhat higher where large quantities of water are impounded in reservoirs and where large scale irrigation is practiced. Average relative humidity at noon during July and August is about 27X,. Temperatures are generally mild at Boise, minimun winter temp"ratures occasionally dropping belcH zero, perhaps once in three years on the avera~e. Coldest recorded temperaLure was -23° in 1388. Summer maximums usually exceed 100°, sometimes ·several times in one season. Highest officially recorded temperature was 121° in 1371. Nothing approachin9 the hi9h and low extremes listed above has been seen in recent years. Average maximum temperature for the month of July is about 90°. Average minimum temperature for January, the coldest month is about 21°. Average length of growing season {free of killing frosts) is about 160 days. Because of low rate of SU11mer precipitation and generally low humidity, ~~igation is essential to production of most crops, including hay, field crops, ~~ bP ards, berries and garden vegetables. This also applies to maintenance of turf f2 t'·· an~typical trees and shrubs used in landscaping. Typically 36" or more of water must OP~HC"' me 'ii plied to the land during the summer months for econ001ic crop production. There Ill " a~e;drought-resistant grasses such as crested wheat and a few native shrubs such as <:,B~~><iii-9e brush, bitter brush and rabbit brush that can survive without supplemental water but they are of relatively slight econmic value and to most people apparently of little ornamental or aesthetic value. They are useful in helping to control erosion on uncultivated areas and providing cover and to s001e extent food for wild life, Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 3 •.·lind movement is varinille thvu~h 'Jcncrally mild ran~ing in velocity fran calm tn fifteen or twenty tniles per hour with occasional gales havins gusts of up to 60 nr 6~ miles per hour. When the latter velocity is achieved it may cause considerable d,,;noqc to trees in the area r>articularly in the summer months when the foliase is h"·"'Y and offr.rs maximum I·Jind-resistC~ncc. Generally the air is relatively calm during the cvcnins dod early morning hours, often increasing to eight or ten miles per hour by noon, reachin~ a peak in midafternoon and then easing. Areas near the mouths of cc~nyons 1•i 11 often exr>c·rienc·o a do11n-draft fran the canyons in the evening hours as Lhe dir al upp<'r levels cools off and is funneled down to the valley. \·lhi lro the wind motion is usually rni ld it can, under certain circu1:stances have a hir;hly dessicating effect on agricultural crops, grasses and trees and add substantL> lly to irri~ation requirements. Irri9ation was originally limited to various methods of flood irrigation, but in the last twenty years, with the risin~J cost of labor many farmers and many institutions having large turfed areas have uone to some form of sprinkling systen1 l·li>ich can save from 75;; to 95.1, in labor and often almost as high a percentage in water. The only significant deterrent to sprinkling is the high initial cost, The Boise City Park Department is installing sprinkling systems in all newly developed areas and is converting to sprinkling systems on older developed sites as rapidly as funds can be budgeted. GEOLOGY The following description is taken from aU. S. Geological SurvP.y publication published in 19~7. "From the mountains north of Boise south1~estward to the Owyhee 11ountains, south of the Snake River, the area is underlain by a huge basin in the consolidated ancient granitic rocks of the Idaho and Owyhee batholiths. Within this trough, formed primarily by fault activity, is a great thickness of Tertiary stream and lake deposits of tl1e Payette formation and volcanic rocks of the Owyhee rhyolite and Columbia River basalt. Resting on these materials is the Idaho formation, consisting of clay, silt and sand. On the ancient land surface formed by the Idaho formation, streams spread a thick sheet of terrace gravel. Lava flow of the Snake River basalt rests on the lower part of the (:ravel at sane places and is covered by the upper part of tne gravel at other places. Basalt accumulated chiefly on the 11ountain Home plateau, to the southeast and in the southcentral part of the Boise Valley, only a few sheets extending to the southern edge of the eastern part of the Valley. The Snake River then cut a deep canyon through the basalt and sediments, forming the present course of the Snake River to the south of Boise. Meanwhile, the Boise Valley was formed by alternate stream erosion and deposition, which formed terraces underlain by yo~nger terrace gravels, and bottcm land occupied by alluvium. Recent basalt flows arc interbedded with terrace gravel at a few places." PHYSIOGRAPHY The fol lm•ing excerpt is from a report on the century by Charles A Jensen and B. A. Olshausen, significant landforms in the area. a soil survey made early in It succintly outlines the more • .• "The a 11 uvi a 1 soi 1 s extend frnm Boise Canyon, 5 or 6 mi I es southeast of /':> 1>[\6i~, to the junction of the Boise and Snake Rivers, a distance of about 50 miles. r':;;· jt:\&:1:fea varies in width from 1 to 5 miles. It is level throughout its entire length [(-:,)'l'''.''apo· ~~ :omewhat. low, though not generally s~bject .to overflow. South of the river. '\" ' bottom 1s a ser1es of benches frorn 1 to 5 m1les w1de; and the bluff south of the r1ver ·,(.,t~.f)/om 20 to 75 feet above the river bed and the succeeding terraces south of it are '-''ab6ut the same elevation above each other. These terraces terminate in a ridse about Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 4, 7 :ni lcs from the Snake ilivrr and pM<J11e1 to it, This ridge has an elevation of from 2)0 tr, 7<~0 feet above the river. Tlw bench lands between the terraces are nearly 1'-•vel, [)Ut V-lith u sentle slope toward the 3oise River." Ooise River rises in the S,1Wt<'oth 1·\ountains approximately 100 miles to the C1st of noise and flows throu<!h the heart of "oise City in a Northwesterly direction uftcr bein~! detained along the way hy three major dan•s, Anderson Ranch, Arro"'rock and Lucky Peak, whose reservoirs have a cumbined capacity of almost one million acre feet, These reservoirs pl(ly u mujnr rol~ in the economic life of the commt.nity, serving to r<•9ulatc run-off and prevent or minimize flooding and providing essential irrigation l·t;,ter for a<:ricult~re, In recent years th<:'y have also become a popular center of recreation activities such as boating, fishing and water-skiing. Anderson Ranch Dam ic lncuted on the South Fork of the Ooise ~ivEr, /\rrowrock Dam, the middle dam is the oldest. It is located at the approximate junction of the South Fork with the Middle Fork and the North Fork, The watershed of the Boise River is in excess of 2000 square miles in area, The three major dams intercert the flow from about half that area but that flow constitutes at least JO,(, of the total run-off. Lucky Peak Dam, 10 miles East of Boise is the nearest major reservoir. ~elow this point the River is confined for two or three miles within the narrow ~ois~ Canyon, lined rather spectaculurly with moss-cncrested black lava-rock cliffs, The valley tl~n widens out rather abruptly at the mouth of the canyon to a width of half ami le and more as the rocky canyon walls disappear, blending into a series of mesas and foothills on the north and benches on the south. New York Irrigation District Cane1l Diversion Dam is located one-half mile upstream from the canyon's mouth and extends "'estward along the south side of the River, The River \1est of Boise Canyon is generously lined along much of its len>Jth with native willm<s and Cottonwood trees where agriculture or other uses have not resulted in cle.:~ring, Except in the fe1< areas where there is heavy traffic near the river such as at bridge crossings the vegetative cover is sufficient to attract considerable bird life. This is especially noticeable in regard to migratory birds in the spring and fall. \1i1d ducks and geese are seen by the thousands, Seagulls are Conll"•lon ~ lmost the year around. About two miles further c!ownstream and to the West of Boise Canyon is Darber Point where the Diversion Dam is located for the Nampa-Heridian Irrigation District Canal (cornr,lOnly knm<n as Ridenbaush Canal), which again extends westward alone; the South side of the River. At this point the valley is hemmed in on the South by a low bench but on the North side the valley opens out into a cove about a mile wide at its widest point and perhaps two miles long. The valley floor rises very gently from the rivers edse North to the toe of the foothills, The Oreson Short Line Railroud from [loise extends to this area, about one half mile North of the River and serves a brick kiln and a planing mill, the latter a facility of BoiseCascade Lumber Company. Barber Point Road and Bridge cross the River at right angles, at this point and connect State Highway 21 on the North (to Idaho City) with East Boise ,wenue (also known as Sarber Road) on the South, Just bel01·1 the bridge there is a small area (2 or 3 acres) of flat land on the South side of the River and this is the point where tubing enthusiasts enter the River, Frorn here they can f19at >lithout serious ruption For six miles to Ann Harrison Park in Central Boise. As one proceeds further \.Jest the valley on the ·North narrows again, being back on the North finally almost to the river's edge by foothills about 3 1rdl,,s the center of noic;c, This is referred to locillly as "The point of the mountain," The "f.\ountain" involved is .>bout 9UO feet high. and is cappc.d by a flat Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 5. basalt outcrop 9iving the appearance of a mesa, This is a fmli liar land,,,ark known to the community as Table Rock t·lountai n. From this point the val ley gradually widens out to provide room for the (old town) North section of Boise City. lleanv1hi lc on the }outh side of l he River the Bench, (referred to by Boiseans "'the "First nench") grarluillly reccrles fr"'' the River's Edge holding a l.~cstNly course For about three mi l<'s us the river turns to the Northwest and the lo><er valley ,,; dc11s on the South to as much .JS two nli lcs; then the Ilench abruptly turns almost ~orth puinting tm•ilrd central 8oise and narrows the River plain to about on~-ha1f milco. ,·he nench then parallels the course of the River at approximately this distuncre for scvcr._1l mi lcs. The elevcltion of the Bench r~1eunwhi le increases from a few fc(•l at 3arh,,r Point to 60 or 70 Feet above the valley floor. The flat lm•land area (abol•t 6 squ;Jrc miles) to 1\0 or 70 feet above the valley floor. The flat lowland area (about 6 square ,,,iles) enclosed between River and Bench East of Boise is generally referred to us Snuth Boise, a rortion of this are11 havin9 once existed as an independent town cor vi.llc.ge of that name, The !liver, as it winds through 3oise City roughly bisects the COII.Illunity and to a considerable desrec separates the old from the new. Most of the olccor section of the city, including the ori~1inal townsite platted in 1863 lies on the North side of the Rivr.r, South of the River the land rises in the series of steps or "Ccnches" referred to e,;rlier, The First Bench ranges up to 5 miles in width and extends several miles frolll Rarber Point in a north••esterly direction approximately paralleling the River, This currently represents the faste,;t growing residential area of tht· City. sea leve 1, flowing at 200 ft. in diversion The elevation of the River at Boise is approximately 2700 ft. above mean Its average rate of fall at this point is about 10ft. per mile. '.lhen the normul high water volume it ranges in width from about 100 ft, to width and a maxim1..111 de 11th of 6 to 8ft. except at points just above irrigatior dams where depth n~y exceed 10 ft. The average rate of flow of the Boise River is about 4,000 second feet ranging from a few hundred second feet in dry years to as high as d,SOO in years of heavy snm• accun·,ulati on on the water shed. Lowest levels are usually in the late winter and early spring months when water is held back to fill the reservoirs or in October when repairs and lnaintenQncr operations are performed on Lucky Peilk Dam.. Durin9 the late spring and early sur•;mer a rniniro1um of 2500 second feet is req~ired to be delivered down stream for irrisation purposes, Although the River level fluctuates considerably it provides a number of opportunities for recreational use. Consequently there is adequate flow to a~sure reasonably good fishing much of the year and in fact fishing is ccr•lillon along the !liver even within the City limits, Immediately to the West of Ooise on the extension of the river plain adjoining the South bank of the River is Garden City an independent incorporated village embracins an area nf 4,8 square miles and a population of approximately 2,000, This village was born in the post-Warld War II era when slot-machines were lesal in the State of Idaho, Since 1952 when slot-machines were outlawed this community has been hard pressed financially to provide the services expected of a munici~al cor~~~ t~ion by its citizens but so far has been able to survive. "'~' 1£ (, "'<:> s 0 s ~\);I ~~"''"~~~. ~~ 0 ~~c"'~a ~ i · .I.. to The social and ethnic characteristics of the co~nunity are probably very those of '"any other American cities of its size '•ith perhaps a fc1·1 minor ions. 1,-/hite ;;nglo-'iaxon Protestants·constitute at least 60;', of the total pop-ulation, llany of thern are third and fourth generation descendents of early picneers, This includ~s about lOA who are LOS or i1ormon. Roman Catholics probably com~rise ~~~~·~,~ ... r)r ,..,,.. 1.·,1 nf tnt.-•1 nnniJL-.tinn. The tremaininc; 10;~ consists of several small Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). --------. •.. J •. - ''•' .~,_ ;:-·i~· .. ·c'',~~~· ~<. ·~r . --" " . c minority groups, including Chinese, Japanes·e, Negroes, Jews and Latin Americans. Included in the Catholic percentage are a small but noteworthy number of Bas'ques. 6. 11ost of them are descended from .gasques who migrated to this area in the last decade or two of the 19th Century to work as sh"epherders and cowboys, when sheep and cattle '"ere a lurse and grQI.oling factor in the local economy. Some of their descendents today are wealthy ranchers. Others have entered ·business and the professions including bankin9, law, teaching and medicine. Among ethnic groups the Basques are among those most noted for respecting family ties.and retaining native language and traditions. The r,asques have produced an outstanding Basque dancing group and frequently have parties and get-togethers among themselves. However it appears that the process of assimilation is inexorably at work and that in another generation or two they will be unrecognizable as·a distinct social element. virtuully hundred. The Chinese who once numbered thousands as a result of their importation as slave labor for the miners have shrunk to a small colony of perhaps a In a few years this group may well disappear. Negroes number probably less than 1% of the total population and while they have tended to cluster in a certain low rent district there has been a tendency among some in recent years to move out into suburban areas. The p~rcentage is so small that most Ooiseans have not been aware of any local race problem. An identifiable LatinAmerican minority has been even less obvious. The 9reat majority of Boiseans, in terms of i.ncome, fit into the midale class. There are very few extremely wealthy residents by modern American standards. And there are comparatively few in terms of percentage that are extremely poor. PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC FEATURES Discussion of general topography was covered in some· detail under Physiography. It might be further added that whereas the River bisects the City in a Southeast to Northwesterly direction the City is bisected also at approximate right angles to the River by Capitol Boulevard (a section of U. S. Highway 20,30) a wide straight boulevard about ami le long, lying astraddle of Boise River• !t has a strong axial character, the Union Pacific Depot being located on the South end at the top of a rise and the State Capitol Building itself terminating the axis on the North end. Both of these are very proo1inent buildinss. Construction of the Capitol began in 1905 and was completed in 1920; however, the structure was constructed in stages and has been continously occupied since 1906. It is patterned after~e National Capitol. The Depot Building was erected about 1927 reflecting Spanish Mission style with the addition of a tall clock tower adding to its prominence •. This axis is so strong that although Boise has the usual 11ain Street and Broadway, Capitol Boulevard is most apt to be used as the first frame of reference by citizens when orientin9 or giving travel instructions to strangers. Capitol Boulevard also bisects (or nearly so) the downtown bu~incss district crossing Front Street, 0enerally considered the Southerly boundary, about lj; mile North of the River and penetrating to Jefferson directly in front of the State House. The Northerly edge of the district is State Street, one block further North and running directly behind the Statehouse. The district is measured laterally by 1st Street on the East (Capitol Boulevard is also 7th Street) and about 18th on the \4est althou9h "(,P.. e is some linear commercial development westerly on State Street, M~in Street and ~? par ularly Fairview which is the Westerly exit for ~ighway 30, Streets in the down< n,,,.,,.t!O\Ill\~ ction are now almost_all posted for one-way traffic. l ~..: ' ' ' -, • . :1 ·. ,. ~_','','~Q-_ .... e/d Capitol Boulevard crosses the River over Capitol Boulevard Bridge and is '\.,_~ 'f'a.':l'1 with the 3th Street Bridge one block West. One mile to the East is the Broadway Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ···'. ·;· ~-. ' -: nridye connecting South 3oise to North Reise. There are no further bridges t6 the East unt i 1 Barber Point is reacher! 5 miles further upstream. ·Downstream and about one mile to the Northwest of Capitol 8oulevard is the Americana Boulevard Bridge, providing another connector from the Ocnch to North Boise. One-quarter of ami le Northwesterly is the Union Pacific Railroad crossing bringing freight into the freight yards and business section along Front Street and conne~ting to the Old O~egon Short Line, now a part of the Union Pacific system. About two blocks further down the river is the Fairview Bridge and t.1o blocks beyond that is a bridge recently completed by the State Highway Department connecting the \Jest end of Main Street to the Bench and Garden City. Fairview serves as· the incoming or East-bound route and portions of Grove Street and Main as the outgains or Hest bound elements of a one-way couplet system constructed in conjunction with the 1·\ain Street Brid£e to facilitate traffic flow from downtown Boise to the Aest flench and beyond. The next bridge downstream is at Strawberry Glen, some three miles beyond. There is now under consideration a new bridge-crossing and connector route about a mile Northwest of the Main Street Bridge to facilitate movement of traffic from the Bench to the Northern and Western sections of Boise without requiring it to penetrate the downtown area. Currently favored site for this route 110uld be from the North end of Curtis Street on the Bench across Garden City to State- Street at about the intersection of 36th Street (State Highway 44) adjacent to the former Old Soldiers Home site (referred to elsewhere in this statement). One or more cross-town routes North of and roughly paralleling the River and lying between the proposed Green Belt and the business section are also under study. Serious consideration is being given to these alternate routes as a means of permitting through traffic to by-pass the crowded downtown section and thereby relieve it of some traffic congestion. One likely route is shown on the accompanying Green Belt map. It would extend the full length of the current Green Belt project and on the East would extend beyond. The River, the foothills to the north and the terraces or benches to the south all tend to lie in a southeast to northwesterly direction through and adjoining Boise. The orientation of the early development of the City, including the layout of the downtown area, adjoining subdivisions and the internal and connecting pattern of streets of the early development period reflects this. To this day some of the important arterials such as Hill Road, State St. (State Hiway 44), State Hiway 21, Boise Ave., U. s. Highway 20 _and parts of Hiway 30 parallel the River; and Capitol Blvd. and Americana Blvd. are at right angles to it. Much of the irrigation system and the drainage ways follow a similar pattern. From the eighties on, after the Federal Land Survey had been made in this area the tendency •1as to orient streets north and south or east and west. In more recent years the trend hns been back to street alignments that relate to the topography. This is particularly true in the northern part.of the city where residential development has penetrated into the foothills of the Boise Range. Again the locati0n of the new Interstate Hichway, whether by design or coincidence tends to reflect the general terrain. The foothills are breached at almost regular intervals by canyons or gulches which carry pr.ecipitatiun run-off from the mountains. Starting near the east end of the City and proceeding northwestward ~he major drainage channels, occurring at intervals ,. _ bout ~2 mile to 1~2 mi lcs are: Cottonwood Canyon; Hulls Gulch, Crane Gulch, Stuart ,,_,,., 'Gul Polecat Gulch and Oierce Gulch. These are generally small streaHis and some dry ill. ,,YJI'''~ rely durin') the sumrne; but cloudbursts in the summer or a sudden chinook in the ~""'<~dtotler can create a flood threat to the City in a matter of hours, sometimes even minutes. 0~ ~~~ott cod Creek in purticular has tended to present such a threat to the City about l.~ five (5) to ten (10) years. In January of 1965 literally thousands of Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ---~-~----- -'•''·"'··-l~-~.-~~~la&·~~ '7~p·~~t~~~--~- -.. "'(·.· ' ' '" ------- .. · :;.;_; .•. .., c a. sandbags were placed as portions of the street system including part of Broadway were converted to temporary overflow channels to carry flood waters safely past residential and business sections and into .Boise River. ~ ,.,. Boise has an almost com;>lcte sanitary system but so far only a fragmentary stor"' sewer systelil. \lith the low rate of 'precir>itation heavy rainfall is comparatively infrequent and then usually only of short duration. Hov1ever, problems do occur, partly becuuse of the rath<.,r flat grade in much of lhe developed area, partly because as in most cities, devclorment whether residential or canmercial has converted a high percentaoe of the surface area, perhaps as much as 40/,, to paved or impervious surfaces such as paved stre<'ts and alleys, sidewalks and roods. Provision for passage of drainage water at most intersections is provided by inverted siphons which carry the water under the cross street in a pipe and then up in the gutter on the opposite side. Several of the larger irrigation ditches which still thread their way through town serve as storm drains in the off season and occasionally in the "on" season ciS well. Historically, Ooise wqs established becaus~ it filled a 9reat need as a trading post and su;>ply depot and as a government outpost (Fort Boise). Today, the economy of the City sti 11 rests heavily on these two factors. It is well locilted to serve Treasure Valley as a trading center, a distribution point for goods and supplies of all kinds. It has substantial warehouse facilities and many retail outlets in the immediate vicinity. Several regional and transcontinental trucking firms have depots at Boise. With its logging and shi;:>ping facilities it is a short haul for logging trucks from the mountain forests to the north. It has long been a shipping point for agriculture and with its grov1th in recent years has become a good market as well. /\s mass production methods have been applied to farming we have seen several examples develope in the area. Some of the grocery chain stores have gone into production themselves. Twenty-thousand-hen poultry farms and 200 to 1000-cow dairy farms are .becoming more common. While there are still plenty of small farms and ranches (120 acres and under) the tendency tm<ard corporate farmins is growing. Likewise the business of government has expanded in the area. Oeing the state capitol and the county seat, Boise has become the local, state and regional headquarters for a variety of federal, state and quasi-public agencies. Furthermore its strategic location and its position as a population center has caused it to be selected as a regional or central headquarters for several utilities and for a number of insurance firms and nationally distributed business firms. A comparatively high percentage of the city's labor force is involved in government work, a st.:Jbilizing factor in the economy and one that has helped to buffer locally the effects of sudden changes in the national business climate. /\nether substantial segment of the labor force and of local capital as well is devoted to contr~cting, a form of activity which does not tend to lend stability to the local business scene inasmuch as the fortunes-of the contractor and consequently of his personnel tend to fluctuate somewhat mercurially with business and credit conditions either locally or nationally and with seasonal or climatic conditions, not to mention the individual ski 11 and business ability of the contractor. Still there are some lwrge and successful contractors based in Boise, Morrison- Knudsen Co.,- to name the most outstanding. .,: . · .. ; ~f(, Some light industries have developed in Boise in recent years and an (" indu~~~l park of about 230 acres was laid out and is being developed East of the ~ ... ,Airp.qr.t ... ~ hich lies South of the City on the 3rd Bench. There have been no large major 1~ndustri 1 develorments in Boise however, a fact which has caused some wringing of ~~> ... t~an?i\~ some cornmerc;ial inter:sts but whi.ch· ju~t possibly may have saved the ,~Ln1ty the necess1ty of mak1ng some maJor adJustments in terms of schools, utilities and related services. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). c 9. CUL TURJ\l LIFE AND FACILITIES There seems to be a .high desree of interest i~ cultural activities in the c01nmuni ty. Boise h.:~s its own Symphony Orchestr.:~, There are also the Boise College C<~"munity Symphony, the Sinfonettes, (s!)onsnred by the MusiCians Union}, a City Band which sives weekly concerts at the Park ~andshell during sunmer months and several singing groups. The Carnegie Public Library has run out of space and the Library r.o.:~rd has lon9 advocated cunstruction of a new and larger bui I ding. This appears nearer to realization as the City plans to call for a bond el~ction this fall. There is a State historical museum and Art Gallery, both in Julia Davis Park, The Boise Little Theatre group has built its own Little Theatre (400 spectator capacity) in another of the City Parks and gives eight or ten plays a year, usually about six (6} performances of each, Music \leek originated here in Boise about 30 years ago and has been an annual spring affair ever since, drawing upon the talent of the whole community. i\ Concert-and-Artist Series offers about six (6} programs a year of highly professional out-of-town performers which is well subscribed to, CITY GOVERNf\ENT Boise City is governed by a 1\ayor and Six Council Members, all elective offices. The Mayor serves as the executive officer of the administration, supervising day-to-day conduct of city affairs as well as carrying out and enforcing the policies and ordinances adopted by the City Council, City activities and services are extended under the usual framwork of departments, including: Police, Fire, Public Works, Park, Recreation, Airport, Library, Welfare, Personnel, Planning, Purchasing and City Clerk. One agency that is missing is a Water Department, Water in Boise is furnished by the Aoi se \later Corp., a private corporation which, however is treated as a utility company subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission. The City Planning Dept. is relatively new having been established in late 1964 but has, under the energetic direction of Mr. Arlo Nelson pursued an active role in the City annexation program and other activities involving planning. The City had a Planning Commission for many years but until 1964 when a reorganization took place, it was quite inactive, meetings having been held only upon call of the Mayor, Now it meets regularly every fortnight, Excellent progress is being made (See Exhibit "G" toward adoption of a redeve I ')pment program, Boise, as other first class cities, has a fiscal year that corresponds to the calender year and, again, as with other first class cities is limited to a maximum general fund levy of 30 mills although it may also levy under a number of special fund categories which would theoretically permit it to levy perhaps another 30 mills, Total mill levy rate for 1967 is 47.59 mills. Actual property taxes assessable under the mill levy rate are also directly affected by the assessed valuation figure placed on each property. For many years this varied frcm county to county and even to some extent within the county ranging from lOt on up •. The 1965. legislature, however adopted a uniform assessment Ia~/ which provides that for tax purposes all properties shall be assessed at 201o of fair market value, It allowed a period of about four years to bring this about, requiring proportionate adjustment each year when necessary, Meanwhile actual tax on any·given property was to be frozen or at least not increased during the period of adjustment, "'' ,. -,_' ' · .. ' . The property tax levy was estimated to.provide $3,262,154.00 to Boise City in 1967, Balance of expenditures is met by revenues. of a considerable variety ranging frOilll parking meters to Airport revenues .~~-Cemetery Fees fl..;(~Jile~~~nts. PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES . ., .. ,.,".,. . , . /•' '<·. r,, •·}1 Boise City's park system began with the deeding in 19~~of a ~acre tract of land along the north bank of the Boise River by Th~mas Davis in mer:n·ory of his wife 1 .. 1.:...., n ...... .;c:- Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). .. _ .. , .. ·., ' . ;~ .t.,. .,·;- • ). • 1, .. ' ' • -~ ,, ' • c d'l ,., .. Since then the park system has grown to i bi lity for 35. separate park and parkway areas totaling 900.51 acres 6f' ' h,.20 tracts embracing dJS.72 acres have moderate to substantial recreational· v~l ~ Of, the total park area, about 310 acres might be classified as "developed";· . is, planted to lawn and provided 1~ith roads, fireplaces and various recreationa: faCilities. Of the remainder 565 acres remains essentially wild and about 25 acres represents hiCjhway 10. R/IJ and traffic is lands, The Park Department also maintain~· the City Zoo, and two cemeteries with an additional 85 acres. Through its Tree Uivision the Park Department also provides partial maintenance of scrne 25,000 street trees in addition to the 5000 or more located within City parks. ; .. '. :;•· ._ contrasts ing to 86 60 years. Besides the wide variety of facilities avail~~,!'~,'' s~e interesting are offered by different units of the park system,· ·:Julia Davis, now amountacres has been in the process of development for rri9st of the intervening " .• 'or Ann Harrison Memorial Park with an area of 153 acres was acquired, constructed, and deeded to the City as a complete park fn a period of less than a year (1958-59), a gift of the ftarry w. Morrison fami 1y foundation. Among the special attractions at Morrison Park are: The Memorial Fountain and Reflector Pool, best seen at night when water, music and' color blend to create a variety of moods and impressions; Candy Cane City, a modern children's playground; gardens both informal and formal; a lighted softball field, 11nd some excellent picnicking facilities, I•"" Julia Davis Park facilities include an Art Gallery, The State Historical Museum, a Band She 11, a sma 11 zoo, current 1 y being improved, boating for canoes and ro1~boats, Boise Fun Spot, an amusement center with rides designed for children, a battery of six excellent asphalt-surfaced tennis courts, Pioneer Village, a restoration which includes two of the oldest cabins built in the valley; and acres of well-shaded ') ·~ . . ' picnic sites, Municipal Park, the next-largest developed park consists of 15 acres of picnic sites. In this park reservations can be made in advance for large group picnics. Other· points of interest include: The Platt Gardens, an attractive naturalistic garden consisting of a series of pools and low falls descending down from the Union Pacific Depot to Capitol Blvd. The view from here toward the Statehouse with the mountains in the background is impressive particularly at night •. The Depot Grounds and the approach areas along the edge of Capitol Blvd. include about 15 acres. By special arrangement the UPR:l maintains about three acres immediately in front of the Depot, The rest is maintained by the City, · .,. ' Bonneville Monument. This is a ten-acre tract about eight miles Southeast of Boise, not far from Highway 30. About an acre of ground immediately surrounding the monument is fenced to protect the trees from range cattle, This is the point (according to legend)from which Captain Bonneville's party first saw Boise River and shouted 11 Les Boi S 11 • 1 Military Ceroctery, In this cemetery were buried soldiers stationed at Fort Boise and members of their families. It is located on a branch of the Cottom~ood known as Freestone Creek in what was once part of the origiht.l Military Reservation, now the 432 acre City-owned Military Reserve Park. ·-An 18-target Field Archery Range constructed to National Archery Assoc. standards is· also located in this park. . '' .• .. . . ;~~},, There are three outdoor swimming pools in 'Boise, two having a ~!11,;31 ,~), capacity for about 400 people, the third having about double that capacitym plh,e.·· zyll!,9z smaller pools are very heavily used in the summer season carrying a load o a~1 in'afW · <,;, . :&~.~"{ ~·-1 Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ',"•'•,"''"' ... ·" " ' "''" .... " ''""" ' _.., --· .:..J.~..~.i'f'WCJvewiB '"" '"'~··· •· · ''• ' • ,: j)' .~ "·',., ~ ' • \ '· ' ; ' ' ...... ' . " ' ' .. ~,;.;,~;~,lt '! .•• . ~ ,,. ~ 'J ,_,.,.., ~)~~r~·. ,~J · ( ,,,, ~ h ' f t;;a:~· Iii. 'l •, •,, '"""••· • l ., ''' .. 1200 children per day on hot sunmer days. This can ~nly b~ i!Ccomplished by divid1ng the chi 1 dren into shifts of an hour or an hour and a half eacb~ ':'The largest pool~ unfortunately is not well located geographically to help "tak.E;l,,,.m!<Jch of the load from the smaller pools and the site on which it is located is too ··small at present to permit the development of picnic fact lities and other recreational facilities which could give it the multi-use character which tends to foster family use. Boise urgently needs at least three more outdoor swimming pools, strategically located so as to be within easy walking or bicycle distance of the areas thf!Y ~re "Jntended to serve • .... ,.J,·.,,'' : •J • ... ~I ,'.•" L The Park and Recreation Departments are separate tlepartments in Boise. In general the function and responsibility of the Park Depar~ment is to develop and maintain park areas and recreation facilities and that of Recreation is to schedule andmgulate their use by the public. There are some"exceptjons to this however. The Recreation Department maintains and operates the swimming pools. the Park Department schedules picnic reservation in Municipal Park. · · '~"~· .. : ' The Park Department is assisted in an advistir~-~~pacity by the Board of Pdrk Commissioners consisting of seven members, each of whom is appointed 'by the Mayor with confirmation by the City Counci 1 to serve a 5 year term. The Board's principal functions are to formulate rules and regulations for the various park areas and to formulate policies in connection with their development and use. ' .· .~· The Recreation Department is assisted by the .Recreation Committee which consists of several ex-officio members including: The President qf the Board of Trustees of the Boise Independent School District, the Superintendent of Schools and the Athletic Director of the School District, a City Councilman, the President of the Park Board, a representative fr~1 the City Planning Commission, the City Park Superintendent and a County Commissioner: and six (6) "lay"members, appointed by the City Council, four (4) of whom must reside within the City limits. Like the Park Board the Recreation Committee is ·advisory and assists the department and the City Counci 1 by helping to formulate policy. · · · '.',,, ,_., ... · :.'()~\( ... ~·.!· . ,' In 1962, following a series of studies and rep~rts and hearings before the Park Board, Recreation Committee and Planning Commission· a set of ;'Minimum Standards for Park and Recreation Sites" for Boise, Idaho was adopted by the City Council. These provide a goal to the Park Department in terms of park land acquisition and formulas by which to measure and achieve those goals. A copy of the Standards, a current land inventory and a summary of the considerations that led to the adoption of the standards are appended to this application as Exhibit 11 D". In 1964 a land acquisition program was initiated aimed at achieving the Standards set forth. So far under this program the City has acquired outright fee title, mostly by direct purchase, to 34.5 acres of park land in the neighborhood and community park categories • • \ ,J' . . In 1963 Boise City hired the Planning Consultants firm of Atkinson and Associates to make detailed studies of both the City Administration and of the City itself. As a result of these studies a Comprehensive General .Plan for Boise City was prepared and was adopted by the City Counci 1 in 19·64 •. This plan, in addition to confirming the City's f\inimum Standards for Park and Recreation Sites made the recommendation that the City, "Acquire land along the Boise River so as to create a continuous green belt Of public lands stretching along the"river throughout the entire leng_th of the community." This is the first known reference to the term Green Belt as applied locally or to the concept of. a continuous chain of land reserved for the use of the public; altho the City had years ago reserved to itself a 100ft. strip about a mile long along the south bank of the River between Broadway and Capito 1 Blvd. "then it deeded property it former 1 y owned and operated '!? an airport to the Boise Jr. College ·(now Boise College). The Comprehensive Generaf~r>1;;:; also recommended developin~: " " mall complex north of the Capitol groun9,"(ra propos11l which 11 ha~ si n~e been initiated by the Stat-e Government. The Plan ,fu~-}1er .??er,! to say, Bo1sc C1ty has been favored by natural, scenic surroundings of ?,_ver5~"· ""' 6-~AR"i Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 'r ''" ' • ' ~··· '. j'!,• •'• :,.l'"..:.:lr.o ,. .. ...WI~~._ ............ ~ .. ;.::o;;;-;:""7.'--:·c;c-~--,~. ·- - .... ~ ·: .. ,.,-~~J~')Srj~'·""~~,.·~- -~·... 12~- -~~_v;r_i.~:- ·. ··' .... ''~{~"~t\\-~( .··' ' ( mountains and dramatic civic beauty forming an essential pa~t of the Boise City heritage." .. . ~--' ~::/;~--: ' . .-:· . The Comprehensive Plan also included (in volume 2) a Neighborhood and Comrounity Plan, Exhibit "E" a feature to which the neighborhood park land ac•1uisition prouram is directly related and for which .it has served as a guide. The original plan hns been modified in some details since its adoption, after due study by the Planning De;>t. and the City Planning Commission but in scope and general character it is essent i a 11 y unchanged, ,', i\cquisition of land for neighborhood parks has proceeded since 1964 with the ossistance of Federal matching funds applied for through the Housing and Urban Development Agency. Boise qualified for the first and second projects in the State of Idaho under the HUD Open Space Program, E 1 even-acre Winstead Park was acquired in late 1964 and early 1965 as a neighborhood park and in 1966 the 17 acre South Boise Park Site (not yet officially named) was acquired as a community park. Development of Winstead Pork has been progressing under a six (6) year plan approved by HUD with the first official steps being taken in 1966; the installation of a well and pump for irrigation, In so qualifying it was necessary to show that Boise was working toward a long-range acquisition and development program under the purview of a qualified planning body, in this instance the City Planning Department and the Boise City Planning Commission. The Green Belt acquisition and development program will serve as a companion program to the neighborhood pork acquisition program. ;, Early in 1967 the City Council requested the various departments to prepare proposed six (6) year Capital Improvement Plans covering the years 1968- 1973 so that the Council misht be able to develope guide lines and establish priorities for budgeting purposes, particularly for long-rangi projetts.·' The proposed plan for the Park Department was submitted on May 31st and is now subject to review by the Planning Department and the City Planning Commission. '··,.~:··,· .. · ·' ,., ' ;· __ ,.!:.:.· Boise being at the edge of extensive mountain and forest lands has long been a mecca for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Hunting; fishing, riding, pack trips and farni ly camping and picnicking have been popular pastimes in this area for many years with the resident population and in recent years have attracted recreation enthusiasts from all over the country. ,. became months A few years ogo floating a popular sport and presently of June, July and August. down the river on rubber rafts and inner tubes has a large number of adharents during the hot ~ ... ; .. ' { ,' " :.-.;· Riding is also a populor sport here with many of the suburban residents owning their own horses, There are at least half a dozen riding clubs in the Boise area'alone and at least two dozen others throughout th~ val)ey numbering a total membership of perhaps 2000. For several years riding club members, individually and collectively have urged development of a riverside trail system for several miles along one or both sides of the River. Lack of funds and of unified plans and efforts have so far spelled failure for these groups, but the birth of the Green Belt concept has stirred the interest and imagination of the membership of .these organizations and their spokesmen have expressed their willingness and desire to help. '' ' ' ... " ' ' ','' i.~ I' ~ - ' .• With the rise in popularity of ikiin~'throughaut the country in the last /-;:,~ years the potentialities of the Bogus Basin area, 18 miles north of the city /<!, llr ,·were soon recognized and about 1956 the Bogus, .Basin Recreation Assoc., a ''' ofit corporation was formed to acquire,· expand and improve the facilities which ;; I i ... , 0 ;,,<~:\?'t t time were extremely limited. Since then 3 chair lifts, 2 poma lifts and 5 rope ~ to ave been installed and some of the slopes have been lighted for night use. The '-~&<m , through its Recreation Department has played a key role in sponsoring these rlr-•Jr>lnnr;wnts, Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). · ··· · .,.. ,., .:.::: .i!_~';.i~T~ ' ·~t~-~~·lJr~:::·.:~>·· .. · .,. !,i· ' ~e·: ·:·;:t """~'::··::~Y~';;t~;r:~· •' ,.~J ., • -~ - ' . ''·"') '"' . - ., ( .. : ''• ,1~' ,, ';,;,,:,':' it"'~',;,. '' .. ·' •'.'· . ), : 13 ,, '' ' ' ,,,, .• :, .. ,..J(l'): ' <·>~<:.,.",) ',' :. Coming closer to home, a strong s~~e~ .~~~;~;~{~~~W~~6~)~m is ~ffered.the youth of the community from ages 6 to 13. Jlith most chi ldr~i:f' p,liing in urban or' suburbdn areas, opportunities for suwner jobs are ex~re!!leJ,r'.,lj!1l,Hed for children under 18; other than those compar<~tively few who actuallyJi'(e,t;?n}arll]So Therefore an extensive recreation program fills a great need for tt'!t; f!iiijorHY qf youngsters, • " •• ' 1 ' •• :··:·.~J·_;_t·;:t;~:i>···~-;.:;:' ' One of the outstanding features of the City-School joint program is a combination of Little League and teen-age baseball teams 'offer'i!"g an opportunity for all interested youngsters to play with and against others 'of'.their own age and abilities. 1-/hi le the objective is to provide each child who wishes ,t6 with 'an opportunity to play rather than to emphasize quality of play there is a .strong i=!""'petitive spirit evidenced in these leagues, A strong summer tennis program is also 'sponsored by the City using the JO:surfaced tennis courts provided by the school district e~nd the park system, Instruction is given followed by play periods and at intervals by tournaments, . ~I '' .,, ~, . .'~·.•· ' ' ' A decidedly weak area in the Recreation program o.ffer'ed to the youth of Boise is golf, Golf instruction courses are offered to a limitednumber of youngsters, The department is at the pleasure of the management as'to the illlOUnt of time the course is made avai I able to the youngsters, About 125 children received the benefit of this limited activity in the 1966 summer program; however, if, a municipal course were provided, a muc.h treater number of youths could be served e~nd giv~n better instruction, ., . ,.,,· THE RIVER ' -~ ,. As can be seen from the many references to it in the foregoing discussion Boise River plays a most important role in the life of the' community, The River and its watershed provide the life blood for the agricultural i~dustry and thereby indirectly if not directly to the community itself. ·.:•''·, · '"I i','. •{, ,•' I . ' , ' While the supply of drinking water furnished by :th~··Boise Water Corp. and other smaller companies is in part or in whole derived from wells or galleries most if not all of them would not have any water to {:''; ld if their 'substrata were not charged at some point by the River, ~· ·'' . ' ., ' As noted heretofore recreational use of th~· river and its reservoirs has gro"n rapidly in recent years for boating, water-skiing, tubing, fishing, picnicking, riding and camping and the demand keeps growing, · · . '~ .4: ,.: .. ·: '" Pollution has not been a serious problem in that portion of the River East of !loise, There have been problems within the City Limits' and beyond but most of these have been corrected, An outfall sanitary sewer which entered the River between Broadway and Capitol Blvd. and the main City outfall line which entered the River about three miles West of the Capitol Blvd, bridge were eliminated in 1950 by the construction of an activated sludge sewage disposal plant and the placing of several thousand feet of intercepter line to pick up and treat the sewage from South Boise, This was followed by the formation of the Bench Sewer District and the 'installation of several mi I es of 1 at era Is and mains on the Bench in 1958 and 195g, There remains an area of about 2~ sq, miles in the north and west sections of the city.· Steps toward correcting this situation have been initiated by the formation of the Northwest Sewer District, There also remains an old storm sewer .line that was bui It north to the River from South Boise in WPA days, entering the River one ,block East of Broadway, Numerous coliform bacterial counts taken by Public Health officials at this point have led them to be I i eve that there are sanitary sewer service lines which have been clandestinely connected to this storm sewer, Proof,' however, is hard to come by and :;<t'h~~~~~lic Health Department has so far been unable t: ~ffect any noteworthy improvement, i.v · '· < A secondary factor in water pollution has arisen from the activities of \"~ sanet gr vel-crushing operations by contractors and companies engaged in the production \: .. of r y-mix concrete, sand, 9ravel and asphalt. Quarrying and crushing oper<~tions '(I~Yitf'ci,e discharge of waste or surplus materials into the River or along the River banks have sometimes resulted in muddying the "aters, particularly during periods of low flow Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ,I I • -.1.1.·- ... :~.~-~\~t'~~r·(_, ... '.,,_ .u- .. ,, ... . : --~·- 4<~~< !. ":''• t -''•' .... ,~. :h!ft/'~ -~.}i ' :Jf/,1.'· i' ',t' : .· .... :- :; ~-,-~_ . .'1·~·'{~~-;;'i' ·. / c -~-.' ... 14 • and huve at all events tended to create unsightly conditjo.ris along the river shores. \. :;··§ .. , .... ·-~,.:~.:;·~~-- ~- ., The uses to which riparian properties have been put in the past have not as a rule interfered drastically with public uses of the banks and the waters. 11ost of the river bank from Boise East to Boise .Canyon is devoted to farming or ranching or is being held for future use or appreciation. Even within the City Limits there are as yet s urpriai ng 1 y few deve 1 opments which prec 1 ude. the use of the river bank by the public- but there are some. "--~:-.... -"** Much of the land within the city limits is owned by gravel-crushing firms, contractors and associated uses. Recently one such firm within the City limits sold off a portion of its property to a discount store and two or three other business firms have recently built office or warehouse space nearby so a trend now appears to be in the making. Time, it seems, is about to run out and unless a positive program of acquisition is undertaken immediately a priceless opportunity may be lost forever. BOISE CITY'S PROPOSED GREEN BELT ,~CQU!SIT!ON AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Boise City proposes to acquire or secure and de~~lop for aesthetic and recreational purposes, and for the health and welfare of the public, strips of land along the Boise River, referred to herein as the Green Belt. CONCEPT: In concept the Green Belt is a continuous chaln of land adjoining the River on both sides and could be extended indefinitely both upstream and down, It is variable in width, ranging from a recommended minimum of 100 ft. to, in some cases, several hundred feet for special facilities. In a few places it is possible that less than 100ft. will be obtainable because of exi.sting developments. The Green Belt will serve to: 1. Preserve for the public unrestricted access to the River and to the special and unique forms of recreation it provides. 2. Preserve, insofar as possible the aesthetic and educational values of the River. 3. Minimize water pollution. 4. Serve as a buffer zone between business and industrial uses and the more sedate uses of government, education and residences. $. Provide continuity to the park system and to recreational uses for which continuity is very desirable. SCOPE: The current project is planned to extend for a distance of about three miles east (upstream) and three miles northwest (downstream) from Capitol Blvd., in the heart of Boise, Idaho. It is planned to acquire a continuous band of properties on both sides of the River excepting certain portions along the south bank that are outside the City limits, .(mainly in Garden City). The full project wi 11 require five years (1968-1972) and will consist of at least three distinct elements: l. Acquisition or reservation of approximately 325 acres of land adjoining the river, including a site for a municipal golf course. Where feasible, tracts of at least ten acres will be acquired at approximate half mile intervals for picnic areas, toget~er with access right-of-way. !· :~: -:···-~-'···,' ,.,_- .. 2. Development of an 18-hole municipal golf course, on an area of about 125 acres. Development will include a club house, parking facilities, driving range and practice putting greens. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ,;~·--· ... _·:~· ... ~ .. ;(: ·~·)!:· l-•-.i~--~:it'·~.:._~:-":;:;';:,; t-•~ ..• ;~"t·"•"'j· ' ' .. : ;('•:': :--~~:·'.- <:-4'~.~-~~--.t~-~it:f'i'·-JJ,,'' -~'·f'' ·, .. -._.,.:(·-.,·v·-1!<'- . :_·-;~ ~:~·tl:!/ti.-~~J.,t~:-1' ::-:; '. -.:·. ·. -· .. _, r~· ~!,!"·,·. r:.·- .i~- ~ .. ~.~ '·!.- •• -.+,.~\ -~)-.~ ~~ ... ::c . ·_ ,:•· . • ,,:1<'·'11.:1.-,Y~~ \.' .' i•-: Development of the balance of the properties ,t() provide recreational use for picnicking, fishing, hiking, horseback ~.iding, and water- ' , ---~-; ........ .,-- c ' 15. related sports. Tentative 9uidclines for development are incorporated in this report as Exhibit c. · · :·.;'' ··' "' , The program is substantially aided by the fact. that several tracts adjoining the River within the project area are already under City or public control. Julia Davis Park and Hunicipal Park on the north bank and Ann Morrison park and Campus Road (the latter bounding the Boise College Campus) on the south 'account for about 50/o of the Hiver margin in the project area. ,,. L, • It is initially assumed that simple title but that where appropriate, recreational purposes will be obtained. not a 11 prpperties wi 11 be acquired by fee perpetual use permit.s ·or easements for . :·:_ '• ., It should also be noted that development contemplated in certain areas is of a higher or at least a more costly type than in others. Turf and ornamental shrubs wi 11 be planted only in certain key locations.' Elsewhere existing vegetation wi 11 be saved where possible and where it cannot be saved wi.ll be encouraged to regenerate. The reason for this is that turf and ornamentals require irrigation and the cost of providing a water supply (wells and punps) and sprinkling system for the entire Green Belt and the cost of regular maintenance would be prohibitive. Furthermore it is felt that along much of the Green Belt preservation of a·natural or naturalistic character would be more in keeping with the surroundings in the for-seeable future. , .. ,..-. On the other hand there have been many instances where rock, broken slabs of concrete or asphalt and other coarse fill have been placed along the bank of the river, usually by private owners but on occasion by g()vernment agencies either for the purpose of rip-rapping and thereby containing the River during flood threats or for the purpose of wresting some additional real estate from'the River. These fills may have served after a fashion, the purpose for which intended but have created visual eyesores and reduced the value and usability of these,shores 'to the public. While this presents some problems in Green Belt development a lot could be done at a nominal cost to eliminate or minimize these eyesores·. ··rnother areas actual dumping has taken place at or near the river edge creating minor sanitation hazards. l~ith the land under City ownership or jurisdiction these encroachments ~ould be more easily controlled. '.· · ,.._ .. NEED AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE GREEN BELT ~ . ' ' i' There are many and compelling reasons to justify the Green Belt concept, the scope of the current proposal and the appli~ati?n for matching funds under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. Chief among them ~re the following: .. 1. First of all it will constitute a major local step in Land and Water Conservation. By acquiring or reserving these lands whire-Tt is still possible it wi 11 guarantee them and the River against encroachment from activities or developments that would destroy existing or potential aesthetic .values. As we have attempted to show in preceding sections of this report, the Boise River, has, by it geographic location, its size and character wielded a· strong influence physically, historically, economically and spiritually upon the growth and dev.elopme. nt of the ~!.~_pity. It has in fact played a key role in that development •. I.t is most app~~."' ~1iaate- ~hat it be protected from degrading, unhealthy and unsightly developments .!:' .,.. . ::;;. .. .• 0''1 . .;r·· r'l!f\1·~ ' ; : ~ <;:~:;; Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ( 16. 2. The Green Belt concept will also guarantee in perpetuity public access and right of use for recreational and educational activities. These uses are not inconsidera!Jle now and with development of the type contemplat,ed we believe these uses woulu be multiplied manyfold, 3. If the project is not undertaken immediately the opportunity to do so may b~ irretrievably lost; or at best limited to a fraction of its potential possibilities. 1\s noted in the recently published Idaho Outdoor Recreation Plan (p.138), "Acquisition of lands for outdoor recreation should be considered where a significant public value mily be lost such as a river, stream or lake shoreline; or a unique ecological, historical or geological area," 4. The project is of such scope and magnitude that a considerable strain l<ill be placed on the City financiillly even with LAWCON assistance. without such assistance the cost would be almost prohibitive and would undoubtedly result in critical and self-defeating delays in acquisition of key areas, 5. Finally, there is broad community support for the Green Belt concept by the citizens of Boise from all segments of the community; the business executive, the housewife, the man on the street, all have expressed interest in and moral support of the Green Belt as a feature that would greatly benefit the community. SIGNIFICANCE IN THE PLAN OF P~OPOSED MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE Boise City, by act of the State Legislature in 1967 was granted an opportunity to negotiate with the State Land Board for 52 acres of land for use in a golf course, This together with an additional 70 acres fromthe Boise Water Co. and other sources will provide the area required for this project. It is believed that the proposed municipal 'golf course is an essential element at the location shown to provide an integrated well-balanced multi-use recreational canplex. A glance at the map of the entire Green Belt proposal will help to explain why this is so. The site of the golf course (along with some additional property for picnic purposes) links up the Natatoriun (public outdoor swimming pool) with the River and f\unicipal Park, Without the golf course project it would be difficult to furnish economic justification to the corrrnunity for the acquisition of so large a parcel of land, Year-in and year-out our park use surveys (See Exhibit F) have shown that the single most popular recreational activity in the parks is picnicking. But they have also shown that people, particularly young people and family groups tend to stay longer in the parks where there are a variety of activities to go with picnic facilities. A picnic facility such as a fireplace or picnic ta~le may serve as a meeting place, a sort of Headquarters for a group or family and a place to eat. Once the meal is over some will stretch out to relax or take a nap. Others, particularly children and young people will tend to look around for something else to do preferably a play activity. \~hen the Natatorium was acquired by the City several years ago this fundamental fact apparently was not generally recognized. The site acquired along with the swimrni ng pool was bare! y large enough to provide parking. No room whatever was provided for picnicking or other recreation activities.· In addition this pool, of the three purchased or constructed at that time was least appropriately located for neighborhood use, being at the fringe or outer end .of a somwhat attenua,ted res.td~ntial developro1ent. Ahereas the other two pools have been ~adly overcrowded,~sing. Jn~"Nat" to take the load off the other areas required that many parents becau o':Of the, ~ distance,-take their children to this pool in.cars and'either wait fo ij$1il!m or c ne back later, There was nothing for the parents to do at the pool site, !(·§~'!:> , ey too wanted to swim. .:. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ~·-··-,.- •• "'IC'~~~"'!""'"'~-.--, ,- ·, .. -~~~.~.-cc=·•·-·· ~~ ... ··~ f;,_l,~,~~rf+i:~\t\'•!1:1') • 1 • ',,. I ., __ ":-., •' ~~"'t, •!, ~...;·'ti (.N r I •' '.,. '1!1'•'"' !lj'. . 17 ' ' 1 ' 'ii.J.l .. • • • ( · .... , . .., ... c~C.... .. . . ·. . . . ~ ~'}"'··P~''' '( ' I ' ,' .· ~ ., ·:!: .l'~;~:·~¥.<( '~. ' ' . ' The poo 1 s are us ua 11 y scheduled for use of .chi Jpren during for adults or families on evenings and weekends, This fits•··;ihe normal activity pattern, · , ::}'.'''::~,::,~(· ' the dayt i nie canmuni t y and The proposed recreational complex will provide Ricriic facilities near the "Nat" where farni 1 i es or groups can 1neet for an evening or. 'a weekend afternoon of recreational activities. lifter a picnic lunch or supper the members of the groups will have a choice of swim1ning, !)laying a round of golf, playing ·~¢nnis or horse shoes or going down to the river to fish, hike, ride or float on inrer tubes, . ·' ~·· I' . · . ;.·-~ • ..-,.1.',. ' •. The larger groups or organizations that tend.to use Municipal Park under a reservation syste1o1 would likewise have a greater choice ... <;>f activities than is now available to them, f' I ''·,,·,: ~ Hith regard to the golf course, studies by National agencies recommend an 13 hole public course for the first 20 1 000 populationand an additional course for each 30,000, Hith an in-city population of 72,000 and ~ ~eiropolitan area of over 100,000 Boise has just one semi-public golf course (and .two.private, closed-club facilities), This course is invariably overcrowded during, the peak playing seasons, which in Boise are April·, M~y and June and Sept. and October, A~tivity drops off sli"htly during July and August (because of the heat and'the ~vailability of good fishing at the upper cooler elevations in nearby mountain areas) _but is sti 11 very brisk. A check of nearby communities such as Nampa and Cilldwell,· 20 and 25 miles away respective 1 y s haws that as much as 20% of their at tendimce during the peak seasons is from Boise. v " · :., ,i,,_:·_ ·' .. ____ ·,• Add to this theg-owing popularity of the game,',p'articularly among the youth and the fact that we are especially deficient in,teaching facilities and it is not difficult to understand why recreation specialists inthe area agree that Boise needs not one but at least two municipal lB-hole golf courses. ·:.· ... ' " •\ i ' ,.r· ",, ·,, ., , ........ 1 :.,,.,f .. ~' ' ':''. '·'··· . Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ( D-660-1-c DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED . •'' ' "' . ' \ . .'.'' 18. Exhibits A and 0 show in outline form the "plann"ed progress of the project, A preliminary appraisal of sorne 57 or more properties will be made in 1967 or early 1968 for the purpose of guiding future budgeting and progr~mming of acquisition. More detailed appraisals will be m•de of lands planned for acquisition in 1968, Engineering will consist in part of property line surveys and in part of topogra?hic surveys dnd studies relating to use and development of the areas, Design wi 1 I consist of general layout designs and design of elements and details of the pr?grur.~. . ,.,._ The golf course, being a specialty in itself, wt'tl require the services of a golf architect to study the site and prepare plans, specifications and contract docur,1ents and provide supervision of construction, It is assumed that the total cost of consultant services for the golf course wi 11 amount to $25,000 and wi 11 accrue in 196J and 1969, the years in which major construction for the golf course is expected to take place, It is estimated that total cost of construction of the golf course wi 11 amount to $298,000, Subject to correction or amendment as plans are developed it is estimated that these costs will be distributed approximately as follo1•s: I. Club House and appurtenances 2. Sewer service line (about 5600 l,f.) 3. Irrigation System 4, Grading 5. Landscaping - ..... TOTAL . , :,"!· $60,000 38,000 90,000 100,000 10,000 $ 293,000 It is assumed that expenditures of $203,000 in f968 will provide for construction of the Club House and nine greens so that the course can actually operate as a nine-hole course the followinn year. In 1969, the remaining nine-holes will be built and landscaping completed. While the golf course is planned to occupy both sides of the River the layout plan contemplated is such that strips of land immediately bordering the river will be reserved for trails and other Green Belt uses similar to other sections of the River. ~''"-~'•''' " . Regarding the balance of the Green Belt, it is planned that acquisition will proceed at a fairly steady rate of about 40 acres per year for the full five-year period. The cost of such land is difficult to estimate even when preliminary appraisals have been made (and they have not to date) because negotiations and acquisitions are expected to proceed over a five-year period and costs will tend to fluctuate with the general conditions of the economy and particularly of the building industry. One can assume a 3 to 5% annual rate of inflation; but land cost increases have consistently outstripped the normal rate of inflation and under certain conditions have achieved astronrn1ic proportions, Preliminary estimates are in the amount of $378,000. . <\·', · ' ''I! Cost figures for land acquisition for each year after the first year are to allow for possible increases resulting from inflationary pressures. ', ... '. ,-_ .,_ ' Development of the Green Oelt wi 11 in general include the following: 1, Construction of public rest rooms at picnic areas; also construction of fireplaces, grills, pati(,s and stationary table-benches, parking areas, and limited sports and play facilities, beach areas where feasibl Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). 2. 3. ( ''" z.-~~·''\,l!~:s:~~· ~ .,rr•~o .~~· ' · 1 ',• lr , ..... ~~ '"''·~ .~\ .... , . f l f I • 7 ' \f•''J~ ' I., ' •' ". •2 ·~····~i("' ,. , ' ;• z· rr. J ., .. '~. ~~i!"''l . tl .. ., l .... .,4~. ~\.·~ ' ' . ~I ·~ I' .!liNt • Trails for hiking, horseback riding, and bicycles •. 19~ Access roads where necessary to provide coiivenient routes for the public to the Green Belt. It is assumed tha'i''vehicular access will be needed to the Green Belt but not on it, with the exception of maintenance vehicles and police vehicles. 'It is in fact assumed that other motorized vehicles will be banned. It should also be noted thut the City of Boise in concert with the State of Iduho and l\da County contemplates the construction of .a· bridge across the Boise River with the north-south connector route to connect two 'important arterial streets, Curtis Road on the First Uench and 36th Street in North Boise. The crossing would be at or near the Old Soldier's Home Site at the approximate west terminus of the curr<mtly proposed Green Belt program. The City also contemplates a cross-town or east-west connector which would approximately parallel and probably at some points adjoin the Green Belt. ·.,,, '· ·1- .•. ,,-, Source of City funds will be primarily annual allocations from the City's General Fund Budget. It is possible that a Revenue Bond Election may be held to cover the City's share. Should such an election be held andbe successful, it might be the desire of the City to complete construction of the golf course in one year instead of two. Construction of the golf course will be done by contra~t. Development of picnic areas may be done in part by City forces or· ,it may ,be all contract. It is contemplated that operation and mainte,nance of ,the golf course may be done directly by the City, in which case all revenues would accrue to the City; or the golf course operation may be leased to others with certain built-in safeguards and stipulations to protect the public and the City's .investment in which case, the City would receive a proportion of the revenues. The ba I ance of the Green Be 1 t would in any case be maintained by the City Park Department and additional funds would be budgeted annually for this purpose. Some hopes are held that revenues from the golf course will exceed expenses therefrom to a sufficient extent to cover maintenance costs for the rest of the Green Belt. ' ; '·-~ ' "' In conclusion, it should be stated that this application is directed to the Secretary of Interior's contingency fund as the source of matching funds because of the size of the project, because of the unique character of the overall program and because of the urgent need to begin the project at the earliest possible date • .. '',. . 'J' .,,,· •. ·•'., ,, ' ... . ,,_r • . •'' ·' ·). ,··.· '· • /. .1 , . ... "{ "/•' ' ... ;, ,' .. < ·~~ ~· •('' ~ • ....... ·, ·•·.· .• •' Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). . ""·'·~·· ~· .~ ,}. . .... ~ .. , "" ( .('' 20. n-660-1-D ORGANIZATinNS At the present time no orqanizations outside the framework of the City ,\d1.1inLtration have requested or been a:>cigned a specific role in developr.1ent of the :>roposed Green Relt Project. This is not to say that such participation would not be wclc~ned or will not materialize as the various steps and stages of the project are bPttcr known an•l understood. The Southwest District of the Idaho Federation of Garden Clubs and some nf its affiliated clubs here in Boise participated in a previous development along the Rivt.>r Bank which v;as then referred to as a Green Belt project, now known as the Li~tle Green 3clt nroject. This w~s subnitted to the State of Idaho Park Department in ~pril 1966 and was approved for LA~CON matching funds by the BOR later in the year. This pr0ject is sti 11 under construction. Completion is anticipated at the end of the year. The participation by the Garden Clubs was relatively small in monetary terms, about $2:>0 out of total project cost for this segment of the project of $'3300 but the ,1roup has made up in enthusiasm what it lacked financially and are going after funds fr<>n private foundations to su;>plement what has been planned to date. Thci r partici1>ation has been very worthwhile for the fine publicity alone which they have achieved for the Little Green Belt Project. It is very likely that they will wish to participate in the over all Green Belt program in some si9nificant though financially limited degree. At the present the only thing that holds them back is that we don't know yet how best to utilize their help. A go! f cor.1mittee has been formed of interested citizens whose obectives are not clearly d~fined as yet but are in general that of securing and disseminating information to the public. In the event of a revenue-bond election they will no doubt play an important role in a public education project. It is probably that this committee wi 11 continue indefinitely as an advisory committee and it is by no means impossible that it wi 11 take a ,,,ore active role prior to and during actual construction. The Boise Trails ConGittee has offered its services to assist in the planning of riding trails and in maintaining them after they are built. Their advice in planning such trails has been and wi 11 continue to be sought. It may be that their assistance in maintenance can be utilized. This will be further explored and if feasible may be utilized. City departments .. nd personnel that will be involved in planning and/or development include: City .. ~ttorney, Building, City Clerk, Park, Personnel Director, Planning, Police, Public Health, Public Works, Purchasing Agent, Recreation. Host of these wi 11 be involved in an advisory capacity or in processing forms and other paperwork connected with the proj"ct. Bulk of actual construction work which is not let out under contr.1cl wi 11 fall to the Park Department and Public Works. D-660-1-E ECiltJ0:11C FEAS I ~ILITY DATA The following reports and studies are cited for pertinent data: 1) Idaho Outdoor Recreation Plan Significant statistics appear in the recently published Idaho Outdoor Recreation Pldn. For Zone 3 (Boise) 50 1c.ile service area (includes Nampa and Coldwell), Activity Day Der,wnd figures for several pertinent outdoor activities include: swin11"ing, 473,198, Fishing 619,394, horseback riding 214,519, nature walking 140,77!, hiking 140,271, walkinq for ;oleasur(' 94/,4;;3, bicyclinq 406,692, picnicking 27'),321. The Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). c 21. lust three activities are included with L category to show 1 Total Ocl<lund of 2,74i+,ll53 1\ctivity Day$,-a 000 a~d a need or deficit (indi~~tin<J lack of facilities) of 2,21)Lf,il)3 .:oa}'~·>'!'.>··.· ' Under the heddin0 of lleed, tile· "Pl~'~,,·states,'",i~l·g-~i,ficant in these zones (urb.:m jO ,,.; lcs service areas) is tile need of acquiring and developing land for the r .. nrc urbiln type activities of walkin•; for pl<lasure, playing ga!nes, bicycling, viewing sport·; event.-... picnickin9 dnd ovtd0or concerts •. · ' ·., r,nut\,.,r siunificant need in these zones is that expressed for the activities of hnrseback ridinr;, natoere walkinr;, hiking, s"i,ghtseeing and driving," 2) Population ,rojections a. The Comprehensive General Plan for Boise {Vol. 1) shnwed the follm·lin<J population fiuures and projections in tabular form: Ooise City Ooise City Plannin9 Area Boise City Metropolitain Area i\da County (1) Dependent on City Boundary 1960 34,481 76,250 82,500 93,460 ,,j 1970 1935 ( 1 ) 110,000 100,250 120,000 109,000 136,000 121,500 153,000 Obviously annexation was considered as important or more so than internal srm-1th in roraking these projections, insofar as Boise City was concerned but the Planning ;\rea the 11etro,cJOiit~n Ar<oa and the County havin!J"constant boundaries tell a more accurate tale of the rate of increase (65-70~) anticjpated,in.the area, :··::'~;.,.-/:'.\~ '• ::_:' ., . ·,-;--\;'ti#·.~ ~-:~·: :·,,- b, A more recent study done by the park Department Staff (See Exhibit H, including exchange of memos bet1·1een /\rio Nelson, Planning· Direction and Gordon S. 801~en, Park 3upcrintenJent) reviewed the Cor.1prchensive General Plan "above and a study by the 1-\etropolitun Transportation Plannin~ Committee, 1964 'and made a straight-line projection of 2500 por>ul<Jtion growth per year,'rcalizing'that .in any one year there could be consideruble variation but assu·,ring that over ·a'IOor 15 year period it "'auld averase out to the 25iJO rat,-,, This projection 'in 'additiori'io' jnternal growth takes into account probable additional annexation 'on amore''limited scale than occurred in f / 6' '' ,._, ___ .~.'l•l'· ''*'·"'"'"''\!'~'''"'-~ the years ·rom 19o2- 6 -···--·<.-,-~J.;:;'·~-~-w<t,.•'"·' ... > .. ·-.·,._ .. ' \·_:··< .. ·. · · · :;:_~~:z.t:~tr:;r .~i·:~·~:~:ti~~ln:t·f·::~J.-.. , - c. Boise City Park traffic and Use.Surveys';':J965 (Exhibit "F") ;·· ... , .. --~>.:"1,".-t. ··'"f;'\~~~---.... !._'1-:t:.:-.. ~ .. ,. ',: .,. ' ... -· ... . This survey is restricted to Boise's three largest developed parks, 1\nn Horrison Park, 153 acres, Julia Davis Park; 86 acr.es~ Hunicipal Park, lj (developed) acres. These are all essentially "picnic" parks, their locations not readily lending to neighborhood use. ;\Sa consequence most intensive use"js in,)ate afternoons and evenings and on v1eckends 1~hen transportation, that"is,"1 thc"family car, is avcoilable, •' ".·: :.~·~~:r-~,;J:i''{-~--<~:.·t~ .. _;·~~~~-~:; '· ,.,, ~ · Not strprisingly picnicking is th~ most 'popular activity asY2l~~!ll"'~by the. Popularity Index 1\ethod outlined in the·s .. ur···;ve··.y;··'.-.:.· As n.ote·····d· u. nder " . ysis'~~ _ page 13, "Most popular activity in all three. P.~r~t,c;onti~ues to be pi ~c:Ki'ri!J,,w h 60/, of those who stopped in Ann liorrison Park, and 36.78/o in Julia Dav ~ Par~· participating. In iiunici;>al Park it is assumed that practically IOO;G f( ho~~)'ho visited were in this c.:>tcgory since there are almost no spe,ct,a_] faci lit1 .fil<>r other types of recreation, It should be noted that'in"making the surveys all visitors who were not obviously participating in some other activity were classed as ::>icnickers, In Julia Davis r~rk where there was a considerable variety of activities and entertainment fuciliti"s the porularity of those facilities as a whole corr.pared with picnickinc: \'1/as much clos(~r. 11 Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ( Park Use Surveys have been ct:nducted every year si nee 1960. They have for the "'ost part consisted of a canbination of actual counts over relatively short 1Jeriods plus sampling methods. 11 \ctual counts" have been made by automatic counter, usually for several days at a tir,;e, or by field observers, usually one day at a time, or iJ combination of both. Occupancy counts \vere made on several occasions to deteno;ine the number of persons per car. These counts were duplicated from 2 to 4 or o; times durin~J the season. In 1965 a combination of field observers and automatic counters was used on three separate occasions, the automatic counters being in !)lace for a week each time, the fiela observers being placed on Sunday only. Sufficient field observers were used to count bolh incoming and outgoing cars, to note license plate numbers and a,;proxinoate time of entrance or exit. It was then possibl" to determine through the use of com~uters the length of stay of each car. It was furth~r possible to sort the visitors into groups or series by 10 or 15 minute intervals based on the length of time spent in the park. Finally it was possible to determine the average len~;th of stay of visitors in each park. The average lenc1th of visit in i\nn 1\orrison Park was 35 minutes and the average number of Sunday visitors was 9153. The average visit in Julia Davis Park was one hour and four minutes and aver .. ge number of Sunday visitors was 7431. Averages for Municipal Park were 1 hour and 57 minutes and 906 respectively. It was then merely a matter of arithmetic to det~rrnine the number of visitor hours per acre for each park, a way of measuring the intensity of use of the park. Thus it could be ascertained that while Ann Morrison Park total annual attendance was 70,1, greater than Juli" Davis and average Sunday attendance 22,~ greater, in terms of visitor hours the latter situation was about reversed and in terms of visitor-hours per acre the rate for Julia Davis Park was about 2~ times that of Ann 11orrison Park and tl;e rate for 1\unicipal Park was 3~ times. This result can probably be accounted for by the fact that there is much more shade in the two older parks; and in the case of Julia Davis Park at least, a greater variety of activities. Total annual attendance estimated for these three parks was 2,833,030 visitors. Assuming an avera9e length of visit of only 45 minutes this would represent about 2,000,000 visitor hours. Translated into activity days of eight hours this would be approximately 25u,OJO in these three parks alone. There were several days during the sU11111er of 1965 when the visitor-hour per acre rate was estimated at betwc2n 100 and 150. Anything over 100 is considered to be the saturation rate both frorn the visitors' standpoint and that of the maintenance man. It is obvious to the park staff that more picnic facilities are needed. Ho>Jever it does take time to ~row shade trees. '•ie need to p 1 an 20 years ahead of need on this basis alone. ' d. Purk Department Annual Report for 1966, Exhibit "I" This report shm·1s not only the visitor attendance at the three (3) large parks (from preliminary evaluation of the of the 1966 park-use survey) but also counted at tcndance of s u;}ervi sed recreation prosrams at other city park and recreation facilities. Tot~l attend~nce amounted to 3,134,752. This included attendance of 125,653 at the three mLnicipal pools. It does not, however include attendance or even an estiro1ate of attencbnce of the casual or unsupervised visitors at any of the several neighborhood ~arks. Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ( .. (; ,,. ' '· ' . ' ' ·~ ( 23. o-660-1-F PLMlS FOil OPEl</\ T1 CNS /\liD 1\1\lt:TFfiiiNC E It is planned that the City Park Department wi 11 assume the primary obligation for maintenance ••i th. supplementary assistance by the Police Department to aid in ,,,aintJining lav1 and order, The Trai 1 Committee has offered to provide assistance '"ith respect to picking Ufl litter and to periodic maintenance and a trial arrangement rnay be undcrtuken but the Park Oepartrnent wi 11 be prepared to assume the full operation if this docs not work out, A, Exl1ibits: II B c 0 E F G H I J K L 11 Brief Statistical Summary of Green Belt Outline of Project Schedwlc and Cost Estimate Guide Lines and standards Minimum Standards for Park & Recreation Sites Neighborhood Plan Park L'se Surveys Statcrnent by Planning Director on the Urban Renewal Program Population Growth Chart Boise Park Department Annual Report Photosraphs of Green Belt Sites General Layout or Site Plan U, S. Forest Service Topographic Map Utilities Hap of East End D. It is proposed to acquire fcc titles to most of the properties involved in the Green Belt except where legal commitments by present owners rilakc this extremely difficult or impossible or where substantial savings can be achieved through acquiring long-term leases or perpetual easements or use rights. In the case of tracts owned by the State of Id~ho and Geise Water Corp. it is anticipated that long-term leases or perpetual easements may be obtained at very little cost to the City, It is understood that Raise City will build no new overhead utility lines on land acquired for Green Belt pur~oses and that all possibilities for screening, removing or burial existing overhead utility lines will be closely examined, D-660-3 AGR E EI1ENTS There are no agrec·ments in existence at this time with other organizations or agencies allowing for their participation in the acquisition or development of any portion of the proposed Green Belt. While no agreements are known or contemplated at this time it is considered possible that conditions could develop where such participation was offered and desirable. In such cases it is pres1..med any agreements arrived at would be subject to Boise City's commitments under this application, Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). ( EXHIBIT "A" ~ PRELimNARY BASIC ESTIMIITES FOR GREEN BELT (INCLUDE~ GOLF COURSE) LENGTH North Side of Boise River -Old Idaho Veteran's Home easterly to east end of Golf Course- 30,600' or 5.8 miles South Side of Ooise River- Fairview Avenue easterly to Division Street - 15,300 1 or 2.9 miles Total Len9th: 3.7 miles CITY 0\JNERSHIP (RIVER FRONTAGE) (I) North Side - 15,300 1 or 2.9 miles South Side - 8,100 1 or 1.5 miles 49'/o of total frontage is in City ownership. APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF ACRES NEEDED 325 acres NUMBER OF OWNERSHIPS WHICH wOULD REQUIRE ACQUISITION 57 as of April 24, 1967 (2) (1 1 2) Other ownerships may become apparent with p~ecise study • .. ,;. .:-:- Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). D-660-1-c Year Scheduled 1968 1970 1 • 2, 1 • 2, : .. ,_ . ·~-~· :. \"': ·.·: .. ;: .,. .. ' Description of Work or Operation Performed {See also companion program in Land Acquisition) Professional Consultant Services """.<"'~,, a, Engineering Design and Preparation of Site Plans b. Detailed Plans and Specifications " ' '·· c. Construction Engineering & Supervi~·ion•·~· .,., Construction: Includes initial 9 holes of gol(.course and . •· appurtenances. .· · .•;! · •• ; . · ,, . a. Grading, construction of tees, greens, fairways b. Install well, pump and irrigation system c, Landscaping · .. . . . , d, A golf club-house including rest rooms, "showers, locker rooms, etc. · · e. Sewer service line, 5600 l.f. :- project.~hare {Additional cost to enlarge line to serve other areas, $8400 to be assumed by Boise Ci,ty.) ',, ,· TOTAL COST FOR 1968 ... . , .:, ., . Professional Consultant Service· ... a. Construction Engineering and Supervision b. Engineering and Oesi~n ~ ~-:--,.;: ... ,.~- Construction: Includes second 9 holes of golf .course supporting· facilities for ~ree~ Belt Grading, construction of tees, greens,·fairways Install balance of irrigation system . , a. b. c. d, Two footbridges across the River, $25,000 ea. Landscaping , . e, Concealment of environmental intrusions {placing power service lines underground) f. Remodel service and maintenance facilities .... \ TOTAL COST FOR 1969 ,· $ and $ .,.,. '\. Estimated Cost 7,000 10,000 5,000 50,000 50,000 5,000 60,000 33,000 225,000 5,000 5,000 50,000 40,000 50,000 5,000 13,000 25,000 193,000 1. Professional Services 2. a. Engineering & Design Construction ··' . ,( a, Construction of two complete picnic areas for maximum capacity of 300 people, each with a public rest room, access road, parking lot, fireplaces, permanent stati'onary tables and benches, beach a·rea where feasible b. Construction of three miles of trails,·either hiking, bicycle or horse trails, or a combination thereof @ $2000/mile .. TOTAL COST FOR 1970 $ 4,000 50,000 6,000 60,000 Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). "--.--... ~ -~-, . ~ "~" Green Be 1 t ( Project Description '. .. Year Scheduled · ...• ~-~·-· ' Description of Work or Operation Performed . .. ,, '• 1971 1. Professional Services a, Engineering & Design .• Estimated Cost 4,000 2, Construction 50,000 1972 a, Construction of two ccro1plete picnic areas for maximun capacity of 300 people, each with a public rest room, parking lot, fireplaces, permanent stationary tables and benches, beach area where feasible b. Construction of three miles of trails, either hiking, bicycle or horse trails, or a combination thereof ~2000/mi le · 6,000 TOTAL FOR 1971 \ 1, Professional Services a. Engineering & Design 2, Construction a. Construction of eighteen hiking, bicycle or horse thereof ~ $2000/mile miles of trails, ·either trails or a combination TOTAL FOR 1972 Total Development Costs for 5 year program 3% surcharge (to State) TOTAL COST OF PROJECT ,. - ·- l• ,_., .. ' ' 4,000 36,000 4o, ooo 578,000 17,340 595,340 ..J Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19 Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
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|MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19
|Boise River Green Belt Acquisition
|July 1967
|Searchable Date
|U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation Project Proposal - Acquisition application by the City of Boise to acquire approximatley 325 acres of land adjoing Boise River on both sides, for the purpose of creating a green belt.
Housing developments
City planning
Municipal government
Urban renewal
|City of Boise Parks department, Idaho Department of Parks
|Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives.
|Len B. Jordan Collection, MSS 6
|Boise (Idaho)
|Original Physical Format
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Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library
MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19
Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
let •• ~ .
(AuiUat 1965) .'·
Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library
MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19
Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
2. BOR ClauilcaUOG of aree
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5. Total eere. to M acqwNd
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C. ~Uoa of all lopl riFta to be r.ow "' ..,uceac _. •r ..., ,.,.... • .,..._d-. •
A~ A4,... • ..,., .. A. A••-•• w ..,.... ....... wt.- odler .....-della lw ........ • .. fi'OJect. • Ia lotor
eperetioa ~ .. iateuoco ol .. ~ot" IMO(H'o :
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proJect. .._ -..,ra.e.t ........ be.,.,...., .. •'-it .._. te-.. .,... ,_......., .. r.u-.. · ...- - ~ · ~ ... ....,..
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' .' ,1' J'•U J:. " J I ' • \.;., • . V. Jl-·4 1~ ·"· ·'~ ,
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Reproduced from the Len B. Jordan collection at Boise State University Library
MSS 006 Box 157 Folder 19
Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
m:.'·or.HT Jon r.:o. nn6 , zy· AMENDED
J\'[ TilT: COWICU.: PHAZEI\, ltJ:i"i'J.l!CU\, !-10ll.RIS, ON1'1El1.Elt, PE)'(t\Y and RICE
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