News Coverage Archive

Nov. 28, 2007
M3 scales down development plans (JPG 150kb)

Nov. 21, 2007
Eagle Council approves new comprehensive plan for Foothills (PDF 33kb)

Nov. 20, 2007
Statesman readers weigh in on M3 Eagle and growth issues (JPG 302kb)

Nov. 16, 2007
Eagle City Council ponders changes to comprehensive plan (JPG 205kb)

November 8, 2007
Anti-growth candidates may be too late (JPG 3MB)
Q&A on the future of Eagle’s Foothills in the Idaho Statesman

November 7, 2007
Voters express mixed views about growth in Eagle (PDF 38 KB)

Irresponsible growth will affect everyone in Valley (PDF 40 KB)
Developers vs. environmentalists? That’s not really the point. It is not solely an environmental issue. Testimony at the recent Planning & Zoning Commission hearing for proposed Eagle Foothills development provided the following facts.

June 27, 2007
Foothills plan ok’d without density data (PDF 34 KB)
Members of Eagle’s planning and zoning commission expressed concern Monday night about the density of planned communities proposed for the Foothills, voting to recommend denial of applications for comprehensive plan map amendments from developers SunCor and M3

June 27, 2007
Parents make the effort to get kids outside (PDF 118 KB)
Are the outdoors just so pre-Wii? A not so great runner up to everything else vying for a kid’s time, especially during a long, carefree summer?

June 27, 2007
Opinion- Eagle Foothills (PDF 65 KB)
Having attended the hearings regarding Eagle’s plan for the North Ada-County foothills, listening to the testimony from citizens as well as representatives from the Joint School District #2, Ada County Highway District, Idaho Transportation Department and Ada County, I can only conclude approving this plan would be highly irresponsible.

June 26, 2007
Eagle growth could cause tax hike (PDF 54 KB)
Eagle residents are raising a big red flag about plans for future growth in Eagle Foothills.

June 23, 2007
Experts pitch new alliance to oversee Ada road plans (PDF 102 KB)
A countywide highway district is a good system, but unless the Ada County Highway District, Ada County and its six cities all work together, the highway district cannot do its job well.

June 22, 2007
Agency blasts Treasure Valley communities inability to stick to growth plans (PDF 176 KB)
Brought into to study the effectiveness of the Ada County Highway District, the Urban Land Institute says the real problems are cities and Ada County’s inability to stick to growth and land use plans.

June 18, 2007
Letter to the Editor (PDF 37 KB)
As an Eagle resident, I do not feel I am being selfish or unfair when I say I object to the massive development planned for the Eagle foothills

June 17, 2007
Ada residents to have say on ACHD (PDF 106 KB)
Ada County residents this week will have a couple of opportunities to voice their opinions about Ada County Highway District, consolidated government and regionalism.

June 15, 2007
What is the most important local issue now and why? (PDF 109 KB)
Growth. Getting local, regional and state planners to communicate with each other to ensure sustainability of our quality of life while fostering economic development.

June 15, 2007
A good idea to wait on Eagle Foothills plan (PDF 33 KB)
Nice call by the Planning and Zoning Commission to hold off on making a decision about Eagle Foothills development. There’s too much at stake and too much emotion to rush the draft plan for 20,000 new homes on 49,000 acres in the Foothills north of Eagle.

June 15, 2007
Builders, environmentalists must get along (PDF 122 KB)
Developer is not a four-letter word. Yes, developers are in the land buying business to make money, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be good land stewards.

May 17, 2007
Eagle’s Foothills plan envisions 20,000 new homes (PDF 60 KB)
Janet O’Donnell has closely followed Eagle’s plans for the Foothills north of the city. O’Donnell was one of more than 50 people, agencies and groups who sent comments on the draft plan. The public will have another chance to weigh in on the Eagle plan at a meeting at 6 tonight at City Hall.
City of Eagle Foothills Plans
Ada County Foothills Plans

April 29, 2007
Plan for Foothills development under scrutiny (PDF 2.6 MB)
Thousands of homes proposed by developers for the Foothills north of Eagle could directly impact the city and region in multiple ways.

February 27, 2007
Tim Breuer: We must protect the open spaces that draw people to the Valley (PDF 78 KB)
The Treasure Valley is blessed with unique landscapes and wild place that are an attraction to residents and visitors.

February 13, 2007
Eagle agency wants to polish downtown (PDF 1.6 MB)
The fast-growing city in West Ada County is a vibrant place where many new offices, eateries, shops and other businesses are opening.

February 2, 2007
Developments add to water worries for North Foothills residents (PDF 1.7 MB)
M3 Companies, which has proposed a planned community of about 12,000 homes on 6,000 acres in the Foothills, has been conducting extensive water studies during the past year. The company has also involved researchers at the University of Idaho and Boise State University in their work to study a 200-mile area.

January 25, 2007
Water problems may hold up Eagle developments (PDF 83 KB)
City officials may decide to not allow new projects until private water company resolves service issues.

January 18, 2007
Changing our behavior will improve air quality—Idaho Statesman (PDF 45 KB)
The Treasure Valley Air Quality Council—charged by lawmakers with creating a plan to improve air quality – has made recommendations that include a wise use of land planning that encourages mixed-use development and discourages sprawl.

January 1, 2007
Foothills are a priceless asset to community; let’s keep it that way – Idaho Statesman Editorial (PDF 47 KB)
The Foothills we all treasure are endangered by planned community development. Planned communities proposed for the Foothills would place a combined population equal to Meridian in that sensitive environment.

December 18, 2006
M3 discussion postponed – Idaho Business Review (PDF 376 KB)
The Eagle Planning & Zoning Commission tabled consideration of the M3 Eagle mixed-use community until February 12, 2007.

December 15, 2006
Eagle ordinance makes trees a priority – Idaho Statesman (PDF 3 MB)
Trees have a strong advocate in the City of Eagle – one of the few municipalities in the county that requires developers to replace what is cut down and/or pay the assessed value of the cut trees into the city’s tree fund.

December 13, 2006
M3 gives land for scenic corridor – Idaho Statesman (PDF 440 KB)
M3 Companies announced it will donate 80 acres in the Foothills north of Eagle for a scenic corridor along Willow Creek Road.

December 11, 2006
M3 proposes open-space increase – Idaho Business Review (PDF 74 KB)
Developers of the M3 Eagle master-planned community north of Eagle plan to increase the amount of open space in the development by 80 acres.

November 20, 2006
Economist says planned M3 Eagle will generate money to pay for services – Idaho Business Review (PDF 458 KB)
Economist John Church says taxes and impact fees from M3 Eagle would more than pay for government services required by the community.

November 18, 2006
Developer to donate 800 acres for park north of Eagle—Idaho Statesman (PDF 195 KB)
A developer proposing 12,000 houses in the Foothills north of Eagle announced it will donate 800 acres of their land—including some of the best wildlife habitat in the area – to be part of a 2,715-acre regional park.

November 15, 2006
Foothills bill is a win-win land swap (PDF 47 KB)
Preserving public land for future generations requires time and the vision to look past the politics of the moment.

November 14, 2006
M3 presents traffic costs for planned community (PDF 388 KB)
Building new roads, widening existing highways, and adding other traffic infrastructure to serve residents of the master-planned community proposed in the Foothills north of Eagle will cost $120 million over 20 years.

November 14, 2006
House unanimously ok's land swap in Boise foothills (PDF 1 MB)
Five thousand acres in the Boise Foothills are just a presidential pen stroke away from permanent protection.

October 30, 2006
M3 Eagle planning & zoning hearing delayed at city’s request (PDF 80 KB)
M3 Companies, the developers of the M3 Eagle master-planned community just north of Eagle Idaho, today rescheduled a planned hearing with the City of Eagle’s Planning and Zoning Commission in order to allow the city time to process other comprehensive plan amendments applications.

October 30, 2006
Advocates: make wildlife part of new development (PDF 82 KB)
Many Treasure Valley residents want to see wildlife and natural habitat in the Foothills protected from impacts of planned communities.

October 18, 2006
ADHD asks Eagle to wait on foothills development (PDF 795 KB)
Ada County Highway District asked the Eagle Planning and Zoning Commission Monday to hold off on acting on any proposed developments in the Foothills north of Eagle until a transportation plan for the area is adopted.

October 17, 2006
Worries about gridlock (PDF 605 KB)
Eagle residents worry about gridlock if M3 development goes forward; some hope that the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission will table M3’s plan until transportaion and area development plans for the Foothills are done.

October 11, 2006
Beyond subdivisions (PDF 37 KB)
Developers, homebuyers are bringing Western trend of planned mini-cities to wide-open spaces of rural Ada County.
Map (PDF 2.1 MB)

October 6, 2006
Eagle stakes out a role in foothills development (PDF 918 KB)
City tries to ensure that large planned communities, which may be annexed, will fit with its vision for Eagle.

October 4, 2006
Can sprawl be beneficial? (PDF 195 KB)
Manhattan Municipal Art Society panelists discuss whether or not urban sprawl is beneficial. One panelist—author Robert Bruegmann—says that the desire to flee the city is the natural order of human existence throughout history.

September 24, 2006
A nation in full (PDF 47 KB)
Sitting between the Rocky Mountain foothills to the northeast and the Great Basin desert to the south, between big sky and dusty desert, Boise has always been a pioneer town. In the early 1800s, legend has it, French-Canadian fur trappers came upon a clump of trees and exclaimed "Les Bois!"- the woods. And so Boise grew up a mining, logging, and farming hub, the capital city of one of the most rural states in America.

September, 2006
Boise or bust! (PDF 4.9 MB)
Welcome to Boise, Idaho, the last great place in the American West – where housing remains affordable, Western culture still thrives and access to the nation’s wildest state begins within city limits (By Dan Koeppel)

July 02, 2006
Eagle developing its own plan for north foothills (PDF 34 KB)
Two plans for guiding development in the Foothills north of Eagle will be released before year's end - one plan from Ada County and one from the City of Eagle. (By Katy Moeller, Idaho Statesman)

June 08, 2006
Eagle plan for foothills is visionary (PDF 638 KB)
As plans to develop the Foothills shift westward, the focus on preserving open space must include the western Foothills. (Editorial Staff, Idaho Statesman)

June 07, 2006
Eagle begins effort to acquire 2,000 acres in foothills (PDF 34 KB)
It's a big proposition for a small city that doesn't yet have a parks and recreation department. But the City of Eagle has begun trying to acquire and protect for public recreation roughly 2,000 acres of BLM land in the Foothills north of the city. (By Katy Moeller, Idaho Statesman)

June 02, 2006
Eagle aims to put more parks in city’s future (PDF 1.8 MB)
A velodrome, numerous ball fields and equestrian trails may one day offer recreational opportunities. (By Kate Moeller, Idaho Statesman)

May 31, 2006
Valley needs a smart, specific growth plan (PDF 751 KB)
They didn’t throw food, though they did throw a few barbs. Boise Mayor Dave Bieter, Eagle Mayor Nancy Merrill and Ada County Commissioner Judy Peavey-Derr stayed civil during a Boise City Club luncheon Tuesday. (Editorial Staff, Idaho Statesman)

April 28, 2006
M3 Submits application for housing development in eagle (PDF 118 KB)
An Arizona developer submitted an application Monday to the City of Eagle to build what could be Ada County’s largest development. (Idaho Statesman)

April 25, 2006 (VIDEO)
M3 Companies makes application with City of Eagle for master-planned community (WMV 1.9 MB)
Ask any Eagle resident why developers would want to turn this land into a planned community and they’ll tell you…(Thanh Tan, KBCI Channel 2)

April 18, 2006
Planned community in Eagle area includes proposal for land swap (PDF 648 KB)
Nearly 200 people turned out Monday evening to learn more about a proposal to build an 8,775-acre planned community adjacent to a planned 2,235-acre regional public park in the Foothills north of Eagle. (By Cynthia Sewell, Idaho Statesman)