Boise Mayor Lauren McLean says she wants the Murgoitio parcel development to focus on affordable housing, but residents around the southwest area are still asking for a once-promised park.
Last week, the city pulled out of a deal to trade 160 acres in the unincorporated area for land in the foothills. Mayor McLean said in a council session last week that the city is exploring new land-use options with neighborhood alliance leaders.
"We’ll continue to have a conversation about the best ways to get at the thing that Boiseans need the most right now, and that’s affordable housing,” said McLean.
Marissa Keith, president of the SouthWest Ada County Alliance, wants to continue these conversations with the mayor. She wants to expand those lines of communication to people living in those neighborhoods.
“The community is very much focused on the park,” said Keith, “and the city is just looking at the land as far as what sort of housing and a park is very far in the future.”
As for a potential annexation of the area? Keith said although there are pros, she's concerned how residents would adjust to higher city taxes.
She said some people in these neighborhoods are already squeezed with low wages, and the added expense would make finances even tighter.
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