BOISE, Idaho — As more people move to Boise, the need for housing is growing, and where I'm standing could be the location of a six-story residential building. I'm your neighborhood reporter, Jessica Davis, and a lot of neighbors in the area—especially those across the street—have a few concerns about the project.
"No one here ever expected a six-story building to be built basically in your front yard,” says Larry Kirk.
A six-story, 212-unit, multi-use residential building could be coming to Larry Kirk's neighborhood near El Dorado and McKinney streets.
He, along with other neighbors, found out about the project back in September after a meeting with the developer.
Eric Maggard says, "We stated all of our concerns, mainly the traffic, the amount of kids and stuff, and the lack of parking."
Eric Maggard lives down the road and says he sometimes has to cut through the Burlington parking lot to get to Cole Road. He's worried that more people will cause more traffic.
"The density and the amount of units isn't safe for here. The height of the building is way out of place. It's comparable to St. Al's, so you'll be able to see that building from several miles away, and the amount of people that it's putting into this area is too much," says Maggard.
The impact on the local environment is also a major concern, along with safety and decreasing property value, especially for the older neighbors who live in the Orchard at Fairview.
Kirk adds, "As they move on to a care facility, they need the value of the property, and like I said, we have heard from a professional real estate person that it would go down at least $75,000, if not more, along McKinney."
Next week, we’re speaking with the planning manager of the city about these concerns and the overall growth of the city, and if Boiseans should expect taller residential buildings in their neighborhood.
The design review public hearing for the proposed six-story building will be Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
