Today, we see on the front page of the Idaho Press Tribune, St. Luke's will now be expanding in the city of Nampa at Midland and Cherry near the Costco complex. Also noteworthy is not a dime of the expansion tax dollars will go to dilute anyone's property taxes. This parcel is in the Nampa Urban Renewal District so all the cash generated will do directly to Nampa Development Corporation for all the non-voter approved goodies NDC has on their list.
What is particularly troubling is the reports to THE GUARDIAN is city of Caldwell officials stated they would work very hard to keep St. Luke's out of Caldwell. The source of this statement is a good one but does not wish to come forward with his identity. Once again Caldwell has missed a golden opportunity for clean growth and good jobs for the residents of our city.
The story in the paper today makes the Guardian ask if the members of the West Valley board who are also city officials and members of the local political establishment have helped or hindered St. Luke's in their quest to located in Caldwell?
So going back to the last post, first paragraph, WE TRULY ARE SCREWED. I can't even think of any relevant "potty humor" to pull us through this one.
ReplyDeleteIcobod Nancolas Crane has made another deposit outside of the "litter box". How about that Bullroar.
ReplyDeleteAustin Texas has a program called "HELP KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD". Maybe Caldwell could consult with the people behind the Austin program and introduce it here.
ReplyDeleteI like music and it looks like this is just one more opportunity for Caldwell to play 2nd fiddle to Nampa. I can hear it now from Mayor Nancolas...I had no idea St. Luke's was trying to come to Caldwell, much less Nampa. Perhaps if our Mayor spent a little more time in town he might have a clue to what is going on in Caldwell.
ReplyDeleteThe fundamental problem with downtown is the age of the buildings and current code requirements. Owner's are way over-taxed on these buildings and everyone knows it but they think they have valuable property based on tax assessments.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is the buildings are worthless for the most part, the city bungled urban renewal money (they used it for everything but "renewal" efforts). City Government got into the real estate business and didn't take care of what they had downtown. They put it all-in on Indian Creeek and TVCC and rolled the dice and it came up snake-eyes. They should have used all that money on a buy-vacate-demolish effort in downtown. This would have at least removed old buildings and created space for new development by private enterprise.
Urban Renewal, in it's purist form, was essentially designed to do just that. Acquire the blithe of a community, demolish, and resell the ground as a discounted rate to private enterprise.
ReplyDeleteCEUR, however, felt they were perfectly capable of handling the Private sector role of the equation in house. Maybe the pill was too tough to swallow for them to think that spending UR funds to clear the existing improvements would decrease the property values, thus reducing thier take on the taxes.
Ironically, by not stepping out of the way to let the process occur, by CEUR and the City owning the properties has done more damage because the properties are exempt from property taxes.
I don't think anybody who owns buildings downtown is turning down offers because they think they're worth more. Nobody is making offers. The tax assessments are not a gauge of value, but more of one of debt. My assessed value went down 26%, but my taxes went up 6%.
If I could pencil out investing in a property I own in Caldwell, I would do it. I just don't see it. There is no foot traffic, no sense of safety, and no secondary businesses thats clientele would walk by my business. The mayor touts businesses coming in to town, but fails to mention the 3 that closed.
Caldwell's most recent victim-Kickin Cups, who could not compete with the in-house, CEUR/city owned coffee shop at TVCC. Brilliant.
Anybody else notice that even the "BIG BOYS" who came to town to save the day (Oppenheimer Group) is long gone too?
Front page of the paper today has a articile about widening Franklin Road between Aviation and Smeed Parkway. I wonder what kind of cost benefit analysis went into this decision? We have Karcher Road where hardly a month goes by that somebody ('s plural) doesn't get killed on that stretch of pavement.
ReplyDeleteOur Mayor and his brain trust (Mr. Waite) have now deemed 20/26 for a very short stretch the most pressing street issue in Caldwell. Mayor Nancolas is calling it an improvement to relieve congestion... God help us with this kind of hyperbole from our Mayor. I have yet to encounter congestion on this stretch of pavement. Not my words but just another example of the "FIELD OF DREAMS" thinking from Nancolas... if we build it they will come. No plan just some SWAG thinking with another million or so of our tax dollars. Can someone plese tell me how we hold these people accountable?
Two Points: One regarding an above comment.
ReplyDelete1) There is no doubt that Karcher Road (aka Hwy 55)needs the road work more than what I read in the paper today (Franklin Road between Aviation and Smeed Parkway). However, even when the facts are clear, the "leaders" will not allow themselves to admit the obvious mistake. Who loses? Caldwell.
2) St. Luke's not coming to Caldwell is a situation that could have been overcome by commonsense leadership. Something we currently do not have in our city.