How We’re Developing Ourselves Out of House and Home

The mild winter has been a great benefit to our friends in the real estate and development business. Every town in the Treasure Valley has new buildings, homes, and shops under construction. I believe someone forgot to tell our politicians that their lack of commitment to infrastructure will decrease the outstanding quality of life that attracts people to the Gem State.

Most politicians say that it's impossible to keep up with the amount of development in our area. Instead of trying to slow it down, they continue to let the development community run wild and free. Do we need another subdivision? Another supermarket? Housing community? Apparently, we do, and if you're a fan of the Ada County Fair Grounds, the change could be on the way if a new report is to be adopted by the Ada County Commissioners for development.

The Idaho Statesman says The Expo Idaho Citizens Advisory Committee has returned its report on the Expo Idaho site's future. Surprise surprise, the committee suggests the site be transformed into sports, recreational, and retail hub. Forget the Western Idaho Fair, the Boise Music Festival; it's time for sports and shopping. The jargon echos the most prominent wishes of the development class. A multi-use sports stadium for minor league baseball and soccer. The promoters, errr committee members, say that sports and retail will bring more money to the area.

I believe they used that same failed argument when trying to build a similar stadium complex in downtown Boise. A group of common sense citizens ended that effort. We can only hope this 'commission's report has the same result.

A sports/shopping/recreational/residential complex on the current fairgrounds site will only add to the area's congestion. Where will they move the location of the Western Idaho State Fair? What about the number of trade shows that use the fairgrounds every year? It's troubling that the 'selected community' members whose job was to look after the community have sold it out to the developer class. Let's hope that common sense and not corporate cronyism prevails.