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Papers of Tom Trusky Relating to the Activities
of
the North End Neighborhood
Association
MSS 99b
This collection
consists of papers written and collected by Tom Trusky, professor of English at
Boise State University and an active member of the North End Neighborhood
Association (NENA) in Boise, Idaho. He donated them to the library in
1991. The papers relate to NENA and its activities. Much of the material deals
with the controversies regarding the building of the Albertsons Marketplace
Shopping Center on State Street in Boise, as well as various planning and zoning
activities. Copies of the newspaper entitled the North End News dated
from December 1976 thru October 1982 were removed from the collection and
cataloged separately. These are now located in the periodical collection of the
Special Collections Department.
--Lancy Mortensen Rudd
Inclusive dates: 1976-1982
Collection size: ca. 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes)
Processed by : Lancy Mortensen Rudd, 1996
SERIES I: ALBERTSONS MARKETPLACE
This series
provides information regarding a two-year controversy between Albertsons Inc.
and North End residents over the development of four blocks of the North End and
two proposed street closures. The Ada County Highway District (ACHD) voted to
allow closing of portions of 17th and Washington Streets on August
11, 1978, to accommodate a planned four-block Albertsons shopping center.
Albertsons agreed to pay $300,000 if the streets were closed. NENA opposed the
ACHD vote. The Planning and Zoning Commission granted preliminary approval of
the plan. The Boise City Council denied the request for approval until a traffic
study was completed.
On January
11, 1979, ACHD commissioners decided not to reopen hearings on the street
closures, and, unless North End residents sued, 17th and Washington
Streets were to be abandoned to make way for an Albertsons shopping center. Nine
Boise residents filed an appeal in February 1979 against the ACHD decision. Bill
Mauk, attorney, represented North End residents Tom Trusky, Tara Burt, Clay
Wilcox, David and Liz Hardesty, Wally and Fran Koloski, and David and Lyndy
High. These residents believed the closures would bring increased traffic to
adjacent streets. They sued because they thought the ACHD agreed to the plan
because of benefits from the project, rather than the need for a traffic change.
“For all practical purposes, Albertsons bought two streets for $300,000 that
they intend to use for parking spaces,” Bill Mauk stated. He continued, “No
corporation, no matter how big or small, can buy a city street to benefit their
own private interests. In essence, that’s what we think has happened.” (See Statesman
article February 7, 1979). The legal brief cited six reasons as grounds for
the appeal. NENA supported the suit as “friends of the court.”
Judge
Durtschi reversed the order of the Highway District in March 1980. The two-year
controversy ended when the Boise City Council approved a rezoning request on
September 29, 1980. North End residents endorsed the revised plan, which was
smaller than the original plan and kept 17th Street open.
Box 1: Albertsons Marketplace
Folder 1
Correspondence Relating to Albertsons and NENA 1976-1978
2 Request for Conceptual Approval for an Albertsons
Shopping Center 1978
3 Correspondence Relating to Conceptual Approval of an
Albertsons Shopping Center 1978-1979
4
Traffic Analysis of the North End and Response 1978
5
Albertsons’ Request to Construct a Supermarket 1979
6
Order Vacating Street and Request for Reconsideration of Street Closure
1978-1979
7
Preparation for ACHD Appeal 1979
8
ACHD Correspondence from Attorney William Mauk 1979-1980
9
ACHD Appeal 1979
10
Judge’s Decision on ACHD Appeal 1980
11
Reaction to Judge’s Decision on ACHD Appeal 1980
12
Trusky Notes and Miscellaneous
13
Statesman articles, 1978
14
Statesman articles, 1979
15
Statesman articles, 1980
16
“Press-Out” Shopping Center ND
SERIES II:
REZONE
Tom Trusky,
chairman of NENA’s Rezone committee, contributed to the successful efforts of
this citizens group to rezone their neighborhood. The Boise City Council voted
on October 10, 1978, to rezone two hundred city blocks on the North End to lower
density designations at the request of the North End Neighborhood Association.
NENA said the zone changes would keep the neighborhood predominately in
single-family houses. These requests were consistent with Boise Metroplan
policies. For more information see: North End News April 1978, July 1978,
August 1978, September 1978 and October 1978.
Box 1: Rezone
Folder 17
Documents Relating to Rezone Application 1978
18 Legal Documents 1978
19 Preparation
for Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting 1978
20 Preparation
for Boise City Council Meeting 1978
21 Slides
and Script for Boise City Council Meeting 1978
22 “A
Policy Plan for the Boise Metropolitan Area” and Maps 1978
23 Trusky
Notes and Miscellaneous 1977-1978
24 “Rezone,”
a Story by Tom Trusky ND
25 Statesman
Articles Relating to Rezoning Areas in the North End 1978
SERIES III: RESSEGUIE SEWER PROJECT 1977
These
files consist primarily of correspondence relating to a disagreement with the
Department of Housing and Urban Development over the filing of an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Resseguie Sewer Project.
Also, guidelines stated that money from HUD was meant for low-income
neighborhoods and some cities (Boise) were proposing to spend it instead on
high-income neighborhoods, such as the proposed Thunderhills development in the
Boise foothills.
For more information, see: North End News December
1976
Box 1:
Sewer project
Folder 26
Resseguie Sewer Project: Correspondence 1977
Folder 27
Resseguie Sewer Project: Miscellaneous 1977
SERIES IV: ARTICLES FOR NORTH END NEWS 1977-1978
The files in this series contain articles written by Tom Trusky for the North
End News, as well as the research notes collected for the articles.
Box 2: Articles
Folder
28 Schedule of Stories for the North End News, Letter
from Trusky and Notes n.d.
29
Two Profiles and “Rehab Hot Lines” 1977, 1979
30
“The North End Firebug,” Research and Notes 1977
31
“North End Profile: Hyde Park,” Research and Notes 1977
32
“A Commission that Controls Your Life,” Research and Notes 1979
33
Reaction to “A Commission that Controls Your Life” 1979
SERIES V: THE NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
The formation of the North End
Neighborhood Association during the summer of 1976 came about from concern over
the following issues: Richard B. Smith and his Highlands Mall, and the
Thunderhills and Claremont developments in the Boise foothills. Soon, member of
NENA (including Tom Trusky) had established themselves as an active citizens
group willing to support various causes. The association published the North
End News.
Box 2: NENA
Folder 34
Directory of the North End Neighborhood Association and the Original
Layout 1976-1977
35
NENA Charter and Goals for NENA 1980
36
Publication: “North End Snapshot 1977 to 1980”
37
North End Demographic Survey 1978
38
North End Transportation Study and Plan 1980
39
Statesman article, Richard B. Smith’s “Dream” 1976
40
Miscellaneous
OVERSIZE
Two items: a
copy of an ink sketch of a North End home used to advertise the Harrison
Boulevard Home Tour, in the September 1977 edition of the North End News,
and a "Home Sweet North End Home" sign. Located in oversize drawers.
AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES
Three
audio cassette tapes; one concerning Albertsons Marketplace and two tapes from a
Boise City Council Land Planning Meeting (See Rezone Series). Located in
Box 2.
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