A trucking terminal controversy will be sorted out in mediation. We have been following this story closely for you, and the residents of a Boise mobile home park and the owners of a trucking company have been at odds over the construction of a new trucking terminal.
Blue Valley Manufactured Home Community holds about 200 mobile and manufactured homes around a small lake, located off of Eisenman and Gowan Roads. There are more than 500 people living there, a diverse mix of seniors, families, and fixed income residents. The community represents a Boise demographic that is currently bearing what is referred to as an affordable housing crisis.
R&L Carriers had made plans to expand the business, but the city blocked them after hearing concerns from the Blue Valley Homeowners Association. The area is zoned for industrial use, and the city of Boise has bought 300 acres, added a new highway interchange, and is using the area to fast track the new Gateway East Urban Renewal District. There are also plans for a third airport runway, industrial rail line, and road widening to accommodate industrial development in that area.
Blue Valley residents supported the creation of the Gateway East Urban Renewal District if there was a substantial landscaped buffer of at least 200 feet between the existing neighborhood and any industrial development that may occur near it. City council members agreed that a buffer was essential and moved to include language that would prioritize the creation of a substantial landscaped buffer to protect the neighborhood as industrial development occurred.
There was no public hearing at the city council meeting Tuesday night. The Boise City Council agreed to allow the parties to try to come together in mediation, before the city makes a final decision. The council meeting wrapped up at about 6:30 p.m.
