Senator Len B. Jordan
Commitee on Finance
Washington D. C.
Dear Senator Jordan:
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;~;?.Ci~ :2, :r;72
Boise Ida:Co \
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Thank you for your letter of Harch 3, in which you say that a spokesn:an for 2. u. D.
in Portland called you and said that "ar, informal a:;>plication ;·;as filed for the
N.D.P. by the Boise Hodel Cities Agency ~:arch I." 'I'hey also say "an infernal
application has no legal effect,and no action can be taken until a formal
application is recieved by the Federal Agency."
Your letter goes on "according to the i:UD spo:tesman your best chances to be heard
on this matter would be at the public hearing."
Perhaps the spokesman who called you does not KX0\'1 how tr.ings work here in Boise.
Wehave attended ALL the hearings regarding tr.is matter. We attended the hearing
when the city rezoned our property 2 yrs. ago. No property owner or anyone alse
was asking for the rezone. The mayor said they had NO developers who war.tec to bu:C::.c
anything because the land was too expensive but "If we zone it to R-3 oaybe sooe
one will come in here and build something."
The whole history of this matter is contained in the 4 page letterof protest
that we filed with t~ city council. We have enclosed a copy for you to read.
We attended the hearing April IO, I972.7he room nas full and people in t:~c hall.
The people OVERWHELNINGLY were AGAINST the l'l.:U.P. and in favor of letting che
area develop by free enterprise, as it has rapidly been doing the last few years.
(;•;e already have two Urban Renewal projects downtown right now that have :m
committed tenants to occupy anything in those areas)
The hearing was to consider plans for the area from the Redevelopment Agency.
Several: councilmen pointed out that Redeveloprr.ent Agency had presentee XO PLAl\S
AT ALL, just an idea that a street might ~e extended, but NO PLANS for even THAT.
I>O plans for housing,NO plans for relocation or Ai'iYTHING ELSE. r·ir. Hughes of the
B.R.A. said "We'll come up with something."
I
Reproduced from the manuscript collections at Boise State University Library
Len Jordan Collection MSS 006, Box 190, Folder 17.
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
One councilman, Hr. Kopke said "We have not complieci with the Idaho Co<ie 50-2008
section C and D and he called for a vote to ilalt ti1e ii.D.P_ ~·hey took a vote on
stopping tm N.D.P •• That failed, Then tiley took a vote to pass tl:.e ;;,::;,?. It
passed 4 to 2. This was ABSOLUTELY ILLEGAL, and the City Council KNEW it,
Enclosed is a copy of the Idaho Code that was ~OT complied with,
Robert Ennis, legal advisor· to Boise Redevelopment Agency,made a false statement.
"Whosoever make a false statement or entry general,in (any) application for federal
assistance, of any agency of goverr£<ent ... " ~ ...
The proper charges have been filed with the Idaho Bar Association to the above
paragraph.
We have not been allowed to "participate" at all,
Our protests have repeatedly been ignored,(in violation of h~D policy)
We have had our constitutional rights taken from us.
They force their vdll on the people of the River Street area,to take their propErty
from them by EMINE!'IT Domain, against the wishes of 98% of the property owners,
VIe request that the funds that are being asked for be DENIED and a co~lplete
investigation be made • We don't think that i-lUD would condone the misrepreser.tatior.
that has been sent to them, or the tactics used by our city officials to obtain
more federal funds.
Please do what you can to stop this N.D.P. for all the above reasons.
Thank you again for your interest in our problem.
R.S.V.P. Association is 98% of the
property owners in our area.
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SincerelyY, n1-"t:,, Lr l· /{ ,- /d........-.1~ .. ~_. v
Hax GooclL{i"lie'r (HSVP Vice Pres)
1-:id City Auto Body
530 So 12th
Boise Idaho
Reproduced from the manuscript collections at Boise State University Library
Len Jordan Collection MSS 006, Box 190, Folder 17.
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
Senator Jordan, here is a copy for you. April 5, ;.972
. Boise Idaho
Dear Nayor and City Council members
We wish to make kno1m to you our objection to the :feighborhood Develop:::e:~t Project
for the River Street area.
All the River St. area has been zoned commercial for over 30 years.
In Jan. I970,the city rezoned part of this area from 1-:-I to R-3.
At that time,let us point out, it was planned to zo:~e the \'IF.OLE area to R-3,an6.
some people owning property from Grand Ave to the railroad tracks oO.jecteO.
AS DID VIE, so a new line was drawn on the map-,EXCLUDING that area, leaVing only
our ( refering to all the rezoned area) which was rezoned.
We attended a public hearing on the rezone of the property - 2 years ago.
We protested the rezone, and NOBODY at the hearing was asldng for the rezoz:.e, <Wd
the Hayer said they had NO developers who wanted to build anything ttere, but he
said "The land is so expensive that we can't get anyone to build here, but if we
change the zone to R-3, maybe someone will come in and build something."
Then the council voted 4 to 2 to rezon.e.our area disregarding the wished of the
property owners •
We then presented the council with a petition signed by 98% of the property
owners, showing them that it was not just a few, but 98% ,that were asking that
the property which belongs to them be returned to commercial zone. This request
was also ignored.
Then last year in Aug.I97I the Hodel Cities What (a Model Cities publication)
carried an article about some tenants forming the River Street Tenant's Union,
stating it's purpose being to "-fo:rae the landlords to upgrade their· houses."
But soon it was obvious that they didn't really"want those old houses fixed up."
Vihat they really wanted ·was for" the government t_o build them a BRAND i:\EVJ house
pay half their rent·, and FORCE the owners to give up their property so that oa_new
house ccould _be built right .here in the middle of town within walking distance of
wherever they might want to go~"
vlna:tt:,;lieof, really formed the Tenant's Union for was to push for the N.D.P. . .
Reproduced from the manuscript collections at Boise State University Library
Len Jordan Collection MSS 006, Box 190, Folder 17.
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
2
Last Oct. I97I Hodel Cities held a meetinG to explain the Neit;l•oorhood :Jevolopment
Program. and seek "citizen participation"to hear from. the residents of the area.
It soon became obvious that the 'l'ENANTS were ti1e only ones that Xodel Cities was
giving any consideration to, no doubt oecause the TENANTS were t.he ones that
l':odel Citie could '.USE to push for the N.D.P.
Newspaper reports said that this holl;sing project was planned "in response to the
tenant's union." for the tenants who want to stay in the area.
The Mayor said"Some of the people want ';to stay in the area. They have always
lived there, and they like it there." He is right on 2 counts. Some of the people
are old people, living in the houses that they own and have been living there for
many many years .,IT'S H0!1E TO THEM, and they are on a limited income. If they had
to give up their homes ,it would mean they would J:.ave to pay rent somewhere else
and it is cheaper for them to remain where they are, and they prefer it that way.
Why should they be forced to leave their own home to make land available for the
~ousing. :-. for"'fhe poor", who in most cases are no "poorer" than these home o•::ners
themsel ves!Now ,on the ·.ana count .-Ther.e are the others who"want to stay in the area"
the TENANTS.But these want NEW houses and half the rent paid by the-T~xpayers~d
in welfare cases, they'll even get the other half paid by Taxpayers.
Should not those peopla living in. their- own homes have FIRST CONSIDERATION ?
In as much as that Tenant's Union was not formed until Aug. I 97I, and they do not
really "want those old houses fixed up", a."ld in as much as it was Model Cities
who ASKED for the rezone in the first place, it makes one v1onder - "Did the Tenants
Union seek help from Model Cities to "g~ the housing" or DID MODEL CITIES SEEK
HELP FROM THE TENANT'S UNION,TO "QUALIFY FOR MORE FEDERAL FUNDS" ??
Jan.· 3I,I972, the council had on the agenda a resolution to make an Urban Renewal
area of the entire River st. area. It was mentioned that the lawsuit against the
city (because of the rezone) was still .pending, and that the city had a deadline
for their application, so the Mayor and Mr. Long had asked :--:r. Dawson,Director of
the Portland office for H.U.D. for a week extension. Mr. Long said "If we lose~the
lawsuit,we'll be right back where we started from."
The next day, the judge ruled in favor of the city, but let us inform you here -
The case is STILL' pending. We have filed for a new hearing, and will go on to
the Idaho Supreme Court, if necessary.·
Reproduced from the manuscript collections at Boise State University Library
Len Jordan Collection MSS 006, Box 190, Folder 17.
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
~
Feb. 7, we attended a public hearing con.cerrlin~ t::.c Urbaz-j. :icnewal project for the
River St. area The room was FULL of people ,and people in the hall.
We objected, as we had before, and the crowd of people OVERWHZLl"'IXGLY were arainst
the Urban Renewal project, in as much as we now have TWO projects downtov:n, with
NO committed tenants to come into those projects. Vlith those two "ur..successf'cll11
projects, VIe don't need More of the Same. especially since that River;street area
is as big as BOTH of the downtown projects PUT TOGETHER.
The vote was 3 to 3, with the mayor breru~ing the tie,(as he said in the paper
that he would, should there be a t~e vote).
Feb~ 9, the newspaper said "Federal officials are expected in town today to begin
the application which will get federal financing for the project. Gary Hughes,
director of the agency said he expected his staff:. in conjunction with city
planners,building departments,Model Cities and a private consultant from Portland,
will "have something put together by Harch I •", deadline for the prelil:linary.
appli.cation."(no time wasted here in gettip.g on with.±tc,regar.dles·s· of .whethe·r.-the
people want it or notl)
Feb, 29, three weeks later, the. plan was approved by the redevelopment agency,
to become part of the application for $544 thousand in federal fun~s.
March 6,the council approved of the plan, but this time the vote was 5 to I.So,
2 of the council members who voted NOT in favor of the Urban Renewal project
just a month ago,were NOW in favor of the planl
The Mayor said "We zoned i-t to R-3, and nothing happened,so I don."t see any other
way to get; anything going here except with Urban Renewal." The fact IS that
River Street did not even go thru from I2th to 9th until I965 or I966.
Since then TWO things have been happening in the area, Namely, the houses are
being torn down one by one, and businesses have been coming in, (except of course
inthe rezoned area). In that area only ONE thing has been happening for the past
two years -·a lot of houses have been torn down.)
The fact IS the zoning PREVENTED"anytr..ing fron happening" there.
The fact IS there was already TOO MUCH happer..ing in the River Street area.There
was 26 new businesses came into the area since the street went thru
(Except in the rezoned area, of course)
The city saysnow that the land was zoned from H-I to R-3 "to~ the land use"
The truth IS that the land was zoned to R-3 to STOP the land use.
The truth IS "The land was rapidly developing to fit the M"'-I use" It was C.eveloping
slow until the street went thru, but NOW it was developing fast and m~ be stouned.
Reproduced from the manuscript collections at Boise State University Library
Len Jordan Collection MSS 006, Box 190, Folder 17.
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
The truth IS that this River Street area IS developing, and -~y 2RIVJ.'JCE .s:;7)~Li??.Is;,;.
'.L'he 1-layor was wrong when he said "The only way to get anythinr; here is with iiroan
Renewal." This is particularly interesting since v1e fir.cl out now,2 yrs. later
that it was Model Cities who asked to have our area rezoned 2 yrs. ar;o.
Nr. Ray Long (recently resigned director of Xodel Cities) said in tho paper
"1'/i th all the money that has been spent downtown on Urban Renewal, we can 1 t have
commercial development next to it."
The tenants in the River St area (the ones who have been demanding this low cost
housing) were told at the council meeting Feb. 7 that there were several housine
projects being built now in Boise, and that they would be able to get housing in
some other area.in about 3 months.
This certainly proves that there is really NO NEED to build housing in this rezoned
r:.·:;; area (which is surrounded by commercial development, with River St on one side
with traffic count as much as I200 cars an hour, and with the "Xy. tle St Freeway"
planned;·· for Grand Ave. on the other side and the housing in the midcile)
The Model Cities area in the 23rd-27th st area would be much better suited for
housing,and as for the "delapidated housing"- which seems to be the FI:t<ST
requirement t~ get federal money for a N.D.?.- There are MORE OLD HOUSE in TEAT
area than there are in the River St. area.
We have been treated unfairly ALL the way.The rezone has reduced the price of our
property and has prevented commercial development for 2 years now, while 26 new
busin.esses have come in ALL AROU1'D the rezoned area.
The tactics used by our city officials in trying to obtain more federal funds
seem endless and zoning our property from M-I to R-3 anci then using Ei•:nm.NT DOZAIN
to f~ us to give up our property constitutes nothing less than ATTE!-~TED L~~D
SWINDLE,and smells of CONSPIRACY, conceived by city officials, to be financed by
Federal Funds.
I And ALL but ONE of you. condone and participate in causing all these tr~ngs to
happen, and all because Federal Funds are·available to our city.
For all these reasons ~e object to the N.D.P. for the River Street area.
Sincere~!
!JTJ,af ~v-r7/rJAr · , , .
/.)- ./ ,r /,{"') /)(' ::P~,;r #r- .J<}' V' (C'. vV....V
Reproduced from the manuscript collections at Boise State University Library
Len Jordan Collection MSS 006, Box 190, Folder 17.
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
