Category Archives: Announcements

“30th Street Area” or “West End” or “something else”?

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Check out historian Tully Gerlach’s blog titled “The West End: The Name and the Place” on Preservation Idaho’s website. Tully draws attention to the interpretive trail that VPNA is planning in the 30th Street area (more on that from us later this week). His article also  offers some interesting history of why Veterans Park Neighborhood Association stretches from Thrift Way Lumber all to way to 19th Street. Perhaps most discussion worthy is Tully’s argument for using the name “West End” for the neighborhoods in the “30th Street area”.

Tell us what you think…

VPNA’s is interested to know your thoughts related to the the moniker “West End”. As residents how do you refer to the neighborhoods between State St and Main St and between 19th St and the river? Do you like West End or prefer something else?  Please email us at vpnaboise@gmail.com and we’ll pass along your thoughts to Stephanie Inman whose working on the 30th Street Area “branding” plan (see previous post for background on that project).

30th St Branding Project

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The City of Boise has hired Stephanie Inman to help develop a “neighborhood branding” plan for the 30th Street Extension. It’s an exciting way to use public art to highlight the best things in the area. It’s also first time someone has been hired by the City for this purpose.

To share your feedback Stephanie came up with the following questionaire. Please answer the following questions and email them to sinman@stephanieinman.com by May 31, 2011.

  1. What is your interest in this area? Do you live or work nearby
  2. What do you feel is unique about the area surrounding the present 30th Street?
  3. What do you like and dislike about the area? What are you most proud of?
  4. How is this neighborhood different from the North or East Ends?
  5. After the park and parkway are finished, how would you like people to describe this neighborhood? Please use descriptive adjectives.
  6. Any other relevant information you’d like to share?

Thank you for your interest in Boise’s 30th Street Extension Area branding project.

ACHD open house Willow Lane & Alamosa St Connection

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May 23, 2011 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Taft Elementary School
3722 Anderson Street.

The Ada County Highway District (ACHD), working with local agencies, is seeking comments on a proposed new street connection between Willow Lane and Alamosa Street using property owned by ACHD. The purpose of the project is to enhance connectivity and provide safe neighborhood access to the traffic signal at State Street and Willow Lane.

ACHD representatives will be available at the open house to gather your input and answer questions. Written comments can also be submitted by mail or e-mail to 3775 Adams St. Garden City, ID 83714 or projects@achdidaho.org by June 6, 2011. For more information please contact Jeff Lowe, ACHD Transportation Planner, at 387-6235.

Boise whitewater park gets key gift from Albertsons

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From the Idaho Statesman 4/6/2011

BY CYNTHIA SEWELL – cmsewell@idahostatesman.com

By this time next year, river rats should be cavorting in the city’s new whitewater park.

Without the $950,000 infusion from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, the city might have missed the narrow window to do the in-river construction work this fall and winter, which would have delayed the project another year.

“It is very gratifying to see visions like this one become reality,” said J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation executive director Jamie MacMillan.

The donation brings the foundation’s total gift to the city’s Ray Neef MD Boise River Recreation Park to $1.7 million, more than half of the estimated $2.8 million cost for the project’s initial work.

This fall, after river and irrigation canal water levels drop, crews will demolish the aging Thurman Mill diversion dam and replace it with a state-of-the-art computerized diversion dam and two “wave shapers” — features that will provide boaters waves of varying difficulty year-round. Water features also will include in-river drops, chutes and boulder obstacles as well as riverbank seating.

Construction on the first set of planned river features should be complete by spring 2012.

So far, $1.2 million worth of design, engineering and site preparation work has been done. The city of Boise has allocated $850,000.

In addition to the Albertson Foundation’s gifts, the Friends of the Park, an organization of boating enthusiasts and civic leaders, has raised almost $1 million in cash and pledges.

The river recreation park, located upstream of Veterans Memorial Park, is one of the central elements of the city’s new plan for the larger 30th Street area. Other upcoming improvements include a new 30th Street extension and two additional riverside parks — the Esther Simplot and Bernardine Quinn parks.

The new 36th Street footbridge at the whitewater park connects to Garden City’s waterfront district and is already receiving a lot of foot and bike traffic, according to Idaho River Sports co-owner Jo Cassin.

In 2005, Cassin and partner Stan Kolby moved their business from Hyde Park to 3100 W. Pleasanton Ave., to be closer to the Boise River and the river recreation park.

“This section of the city is going to be absolutely beautiful,” said Kolby.
Read more:

30th Street Project in the News

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This week the Statesman reported a slow down to the 30th Street plan as the City and ACHD disagree over how to handle traffic along a portion of the new road. Read the full article here.

VPNA obtained a copy of the alternative that ACHD is proposing, to see that click here

In other news…

Willow Lane Athletic Complex is holding COED softball league sign-ups April 4-8. More info here

Also, congrats to Susan Williamson, the Principal at Taft Elementary, who won a national award. More info here.

Welcome New Board Members

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The Annual Meeting was a big success. Elections were held and 6 new board members were voted in, as were 8 returning members. Board members include:

  • President: Matt Ciranni
  • Vice President: Erin Sorensen
  • Secretary:  Devin McGlynn
  • Treasurer:   Zack Klotovich
  • Pleasanton: Jeff Anderson & Katie Hartman (new)
  • Whittier: Deb Hixson & Flyer Seabrook (new)
  • Park Davis: Matt Ellsworth & Michelle Kelly (both new)
  • Veterans Park East: Melvin Brown & Wayne Fischer (new)
  • Heron Hollow: Teresa Lagoski
  • Taft Manor: Brian Fischer (new)

VPNA also announced that the City of Boise selected our grant proposal to create a Neighborhood Interpretive Walking Trail in the 30th Street neighborhoods. More details about how you can become involved in this project will follow in the future.

Statesman Article, CCDC, Henry’s Market

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We wanted to alert you to the Idaho Statesman article “Boise to Retool 30th Street Neighborhood” 1/23/2011. In addition to plans that are well known, such as the 30th Street Extension road, the Whitewater Park and Esther Simplot Park; the article mentions talk of a community center and a baseball stadium as possible additions to the 30th Street plan.

The Statesman article goes on to mention the Capital City Development Corp, the the city’s urban renewal agency, “which has convened a steering committee to figure out how to make the 30th Street master plan a reality.”  CCDC’s website states that the steering committee “will be meeting over the course of the next six months to consider issues, alternatives and options.”

Mike Hall, of CCDC, visited the VPNA February Board Meeting on Monday (2/21/2011 – see minutes here). He emphasized that CCDC welcomes questions, concerns, etc… from residents. Mike can be reached at 208-384-4264 or mhall@ccdcboise.com. Mike noted a number of ways that residents can be involved and help shape what our neighborhood will look like in the coming years. One way is to join one of the following CCDC sub-committees:

  • Physical Infrastructure
  • Public Safety
  • Social Services
  • Policy and Regulations
  • Plan Addendum

VPNA’s primary concern with the current plan is pedestrian safety. The board would like to see a separate pedestrian / bicycle crossing, such as an underpass, of the new thoroughfare as an alternative to the proposed traffic light and crosswalk. One critical reason for this is the fact that the greenbelt’s new pedestrian bridge will allow Whittier Elementary students to walk to school, however students also will need to cross the 30th St Extension.

In other news,  Henry’s Farmers Market (the organic grocery chain) has withdrawn its interest in the vacant property on the corner of Bannock and 15th Street.

VPNA Newsletter

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Look for “VPNA News” in your snail- mail box soon or click on image to see an online copy. Topics include…

  • Neighborhood History Trail – consider joining the history committee
  • Is an Urban Renewal District in VPNA’s Future?
  • Community Garden Update
  • 30th Street Extension Naming Survey

Help the City Re-name the 30th St Extension

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Have you ever wanted to name a road? The City of Boise is giving you yourchance.

The city is looking for name suggestions for a stretch of road that’s being built as part of the 30th Street Area Master Plan. The roadway, currently known as the 30th Street Extension, is meant to help revitalize the western area of downtown Boise along the Boise River.

If you are a Boise resident and want to help re-name the 30th Street Extension, click here.

A new name for the roadway needs to be picked soon so that it can be included in the design plans, which are expected to be completed in early 2011.

The actual roadway will connect 30th Street near the Shilo Inn on Fairview Avenue to Rose Street near the Idaho Department of Transportation headquarters on State Street. Construction on the road is being planned for 2013.

To help pick the name, the Boise City Council is offering a survey to all Boise residents over the age of 18. You can either supply your own name, or pick one of the ones that have already been suggested, such as Whitewater Way or Rose Parkway.

The City Council will then use those survey results to pick the name of the street, which will have four lanes of traffic, two bike lanes, and sidewalks on each side.

From KTVB.com by Jordan Gray of Idaho’s NewsChannel 7