Alex Jones
Can someone please explain why the city of Boise signed a 45 year lease in 2011 on the property right across 8th St and River St? The library expansion has been on the books since the early 2000s so why did the city give away 1.3 acres to such a long lease? Having this land incorporated into the new library design would alleviate the shoehorn effect and allow space for parking, preservation of the Cabin and the important riparian habitat along the Boise River. This whole library plan needs to go back to the drawing board, because, in spite of the current political climate, use of public funds requires public input and approval. That means open discussion, cost analyses and a public vote on the project. CCDC is not the entity that gets to make up the rules as it goes along anymore.

Diane Plastino Graves
The election for Mayor, and for McLean, Clegg, and Ludwig is 11/5/19. Recuit and support candidates with another viewpoint. That is the only resolution to all these issues.

M. Thomas
$11,185,236 Let that number sink in. $11,185,236 that was buried in a consent item of a nearly 2000 page agenda packet. $11,185,236 is the amount that Boise City Council just approved for Safdie to continue with architectural services on the proposed $103 million library campus. We are reeling in an affordable housing crisis. We are not flush with cash. We do not have the funding for this project just sitting around. Consider this in another perspective. The City is currently contemplating setting up a Land Trust with $20 million - $10 million from City resources, $10 million from philanthropy. While they think about moves like this to address affordable housing, they move full steam ahead on an amenity project by approving an $11.1 million expenditure for architectural plans. Oh, plus a minimum $650,000 to move a historically registered building (The Cabin) to a new site to make way for river views. Shame on you, City of Boise. Shame on you, Mayor Dave Bieter. Shame, shame on you, Council members Lisa E. Sánchez, Lauren McLean, TJ Thomson, Elaine M Clegg, Holli Woodings, Scott Ludwig.

M. Thomas
It is alarming that we have not been presented with at minimum a 5-year forecast of the increase to maintenance & operation and personnel costs that this proposal would cause.

Colby Spath
I'm concerned about the design incorporating the Greenbelt. 8th St is a vital access point and transit corridor for cyclists and pedestrians going from the North End to Downtown then accessing either the Greenbelt or crossing the Boise River to go to Lusk/BSU/Bench. The current design seems to obscure this connection rather than enhance it. Certain aspects even seem to make it seem like there's a dangerous blind corner being built right there. I'm also concerned about access to the Greenbelt and train bridge during construction. Local recent history has shown us that detours for pedestrians and cyclists is often a poor afterthought during Downtown or Greenbelt construction. I hope these concerns are contemplated and addressed. Thanks!

bonnie zimmerman
How many of the in favor of boise spending millions of dollars to highlight boise downtown will ever go to the new library. I live downtown boise. I will go to the library a couple of times a month. My friends and family do not like to come downtown and pay for parking. People from out of town may visit once. We have a library, a history museum, an art gallery, and many locations for conferences. Boise is already a beautiful place, we don’t need someone else’s idea of what we need and what they think is glamorous.we definitely don’t need multiple years of construction ruining the best part of boise, the green belt. What will it look like in a couple of years when we run out of money. It is already too expensive to live in boise,

Lynette Daudt
I do go now, often, precisely because I can pull into the parking lot, run in, and leave all without crossing a street.

Gwynne McElhinney
I agree with the other comments re: access & safety that have been made. Even with an elevated walkway, I'm concerned that a parking garage across River Street will create gridlock between Capitol Blvd. & 9th Street. You'll have to put in a traffic light on 8th which will mean very few cars can turn west on River in any one cycle without backing up traffic on Capitol. This will be especially true when special events are held at BSU (concerts/games) or in Julia Davis Park (e.g., Art in the Park). Cars entering & exiting the garage (whether on 8th or River) will further congest an already busy intersection. The new library, as proposed, creates so many challenges to our community. I hope it's not too late to re-evaluate what the architect has offered. Can't we go back to the drawing board and design a building that better meets the need of Boiseans now and in the future?

Mary Wallace Dragone
Another cost issue is that the cabin was just brought up to ADA standards to the tune of many thousands of tax dollars.....why destroy or move it? I am for historic preservation....I can't believe we are not just updating or adding on to the current library.....

Mary Wallace Dragone
It is just too big....it seems cost prohibitive to maintain....how much will maintenance cost on a building that size? I read the original study from 2014 and the original cost was 45 million....now it is 85mil....how high will it go? We have performance space in Boise ...there are already public meeting rooms in the library and I am probably not going to be thrilled to use the automated retrieval system, aesthetically unpleasing to me, but I am a book person.....

Interesting article relating to the potential new library from Don Day. Raises some real concerns over the selection process along with questions regarding appropriateness for Boise. Please see https://boisedev.com/news/2018/10/03/boise-library-moshie-safdie-associates/.

(1) I really would like to see a design that focuses on being a library and not everything else. For example we have a history museum that was recently remodeled and may be a good choice for a center for arts and history. Also JUMP and Anne Frank could be better utilized for teaching and event space. (2) A modular, fiscally responsible, design and construction plan that allows a more phased build out over time. This could allow the plan to react to changes in the community overtime as well. (3) This library project should not take away from the mission to bring materials to all locations of the valley with branch libraries, etc. This project seems to overpower and take away from the core mission and value of libraries within the overall community.

I really like the expanded space for stacks and the automated retrieval. I really look forward to the library having a greater collection of materials for review and checkout.

No

I think it is a bit overwhelming for the river and greenbelt. Also there needs to be a bit more separation and coordination with the Anne Frank monument. It is strange that Anne Frank was just redesigned to include event space and teaching areas, and then we build a new library right next to it with additional event and program space. Seems to have a lack of coordination.

Mostly books, periodicals, and media (CDs, Videos, etc).

I would like to see a more modular design and consturction approach that allows build out over a longer period of time, and one that focuses on the core of what a library provides (books, periodicals, etc). I don't believe a center for arts and history is a part of a library and should not be burdened on the library. Planners should make sure that existing spaces such as History Museum, JUMP and BSU are utilized appropriately before building additional functionality into a new Library. I would also like to see a bit greater separation between the redesigned Anne Frank memorial and the new library. Parking is also an issue. It was odd that the representatives of this project would not share at the Friday open house where the parking is being considered. I think having to cross roads is not a good design.

No

Greater space for library book stacks and automated retrieval system