Our Mission (last update: Aug 06)

Since forming in 2003, NACFA’s mission and objectives have changed little. Below is a recent concise version of our objectives that is being used in conjunction with the NACFA Concept to rally concerned citizens around a common message.  The public planning processes which will decide the fate of the North Ada County Foothills are in full swing and critical decisions by Ada County, the City of Eagle, and ACHD are imminent. Thus, more than ever, we need to speak with one voice, offering suggestions and guidelines, rather than simply sitting back and commenting on what others propose. This “nutshell” statement of objectives is followed by our “legacy” Mission and Objectives statement, originally authored in 2003 and guiding our activities and positions as the public planning process(s) got underway in late 2005.

NACFA Objectives:
 

• Protect our groundwater supply
• Protect our neighborhoods

–We are not dumping grounds for foothills traffic

–We demand compatible development adjacent to us

• Conserve major open space & habitat resources; Provide continuing “back country” recreation

–Especially non-motorized trail network (protecting equestrian uses)

–Available to the region (not just residents of new developments)

• Do these things in a way that:

–Recognizes landowner rights (we are not anti-development)

–Is realistic and pragmatic (we accept that growth is a reality)

–Requires that developers pay their way

Original NACFA Mission & Objectives Statement

Why We Have Come Together 

The mission of the North Ada County Foothills Association is to actively work with Ada County officials, involved landowners, and other interested citizens to create a comprehensive, specific, and sustainable vision for the foothills area of North Ada County…a vision which respects landowners rights within the limits of resource and service carrying capacity, minimizes impact on current residents and users of the area, and recognizes the significance of this open space and recreational resource in the broad context of a growing region.

Area of Concern

The North Ada County Foothills Area is defined by this Association as that portion of Ada County lying west of State Highway 55, north of Homer Road, east of State Highway 16, and south of the Ada/Gem County line. It is an area of approximately 31,400 acres of rolling to steep hills north of the City of Eagle’s Urban Growth and Impact Area.

Need for Action

Interest by landowners/developers in converting lands in this Area from grazing, farming, general recreation, habitat and open space uses to residential and other types of development is intensifying. The current Ada County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance do not [1] provide a vision or appropriate standards to guide such development, [2] establish how much development the area can or should sustain, or [3] address such concerns as water supply, vehicular access and circulation, public recreational uses, natural resource management, standards for public services (e.g. fire protection), and avoiding impacts to existing residents. Further, the current planning and regulatory framework results in proposed developments being considered by the County on a case-by-case basis without adequate review of how they are combining to influence the character and resources of the area overall.  Thus, seemingly small increments of impact on water supply, roads, public services, natural resources, or recreational uses could inadvertently build into significant impacts on the area or its surroundings.

Key Issues & Concerns

Given the increasing development activity in the North Foothills Area and the relative absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework to guide such development, the most immediate concerns of this Association are summarized below. The Association believes that these concerns warrant caution by the County in approving any new development in the Area until adequate comprehensive planning, resource carrying capacity studies, and definition of development standards are accomplished.  In fact, the Association has petitioned the County Commission to defer decisions on development proposals in the Area until this planning process is completed.  It is only through such a comprehensive and integrated planning process that the interests of all concerned parties can be addressed, including existing residents in and near the Area, involved landowners, and users of the Area from within the broader region.

• Water Supply: All existing residents in the Area obtain water from wells. All new development in the Area must also obtain water supply from this source.  The capacity of the underlying aquifer to sustain additional development without adversely effecting existing residents’ wells is unknown. However, several existing wells in and adjacent to the Area have recently failed or are failing presently, and concern is increasing about the sustainability of existing groundwater uses. Given these conditions, additional development of domestic or irrigation wells in this area should not be permitted unless and until studies demonstrate that these wells will not adversely impact existing users. 
• Traffic & Road Access:   The only paved road access into the Area is Willow Creek Road, the northerly extension of Eagle Road (i.e. the busiest road in Idaho).  Locally, north of Beacon Light Road and extending through existing rural residential areas, Willow Creek is a narrow, winding rural road with a 25 MPH speed limit and some curves posted at a 15 MPH limit; it is “multi-use”, serving residential, recreational & farm vehicles, hikers, joggers, equestrians, and bicyclists.  There are currently no plans to provide alternative access, and all current residents, recreational users and any new development in the area must use this road. This raises concerns both locally and regionally.  At the local level, concerns include: [1] With no alternative access to the Area, any major blockage of Willow Creek Road can hinder or prevent access by emergency vehicles (e.g. fire fighting equipment); as more development and use occurs, this concern will increase; [2] During development, construction-related traffic causes safety concerns and imposes noise impacts on existing residents, especially since posted speed limits are routinely not honored; and [3] Continuing development will permanently increase traffic safety and noise impacts on current residents.  In the larger context, Eagle Road, onto which Willow Creek feeds, is already “under siege” from rapid development in Eagle and Meridian, and is well over capacity in several areas.  This condition can only be made worse by continuing to assume that development in the North Foothills will use Willow Creek/Eagle Road.
• Fire Protection: Existing fire protection service to the area is rated 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being best and 10 being worst.  One major factor in this poor rating is response time.  New developments are being approved by the County with no requirement for improved or augmented service capacity at the same time as these new developments are increasing the probabilities of residential and wildland fires.
• Public Access: Many people throughout the region, as well as local residents, use the Area for recreational pursuits, including extensive equestrian activities, as well as hiking, mountain bike riding, hunting, wildlife viewing, and simply as open space.  Some of the Area is in public (BLM) ownership, but most is in private ownership. As such, it is recognized that much of the current recreational activity occurs at the discretion and due to the kindness of private landowners; and these landowners’ rights must be respected in planning for the future. Nevertheless, continuing public access for recreation, especially to/from public lands, can and should be part of the vision for the Area’s future.  Currently, however, developments are being approved with no consideration for recreational access.
• Habitat/Natural Resources: The Area hosts significant wildlife and vegetation resources and represents highly valued open space in an increasingly urbanized region.   While recognizing the Area is largely in private ownership, any vision of the future should include provision for viable habitat areas, connecting with the public land component (i.e. BLM lands).  However, as with recreation/public access, developments are being approved without comprehensive view toward natural resource conservation, preservation or enhancement.

Goal & Objectives

Based on the above-noted mission statement and description of concerns, the following goal and associated objectives will guide the efforts of this Association.

Goal:

Through active participation with Ada County, effected landowners and other interested parties, create and faithfully implement a Sub-Area Master Plan for the North Ada County Foothills, to be adopted as part of the Ada County Comprehensive Plan; a plan which portrays a comprehensive and sustainable vision for future use of this Area.

Objectives:

• Respect the rights and concerns of all landowners in the Area within the limits of long term resource and service carrying capacity.
• Establish maximum levels of residential or other development which may be permitted in the Area, subject to resource carrying capacity limitations, and based on the desire to maintain a rural environment and achieve the full set of objectives set forth herein.
• Minimize and mitigate adverse impacts from new development on existing residents of the Area.
• Ensure that water supply systems developed to serve new development do not adversely effect the water supplies of existing residents in and near the area.
• Plan for adequate new vehicular access to serve development and recreational uses. As a priority, establish alternative routes to Highways 55 and 16 north of existing neighborhoods, and require that these new routes be built hand in hand with development.  Avoid routing of traffic from new development on local, neighborhood roads north of Beacon Light, such as Willow Creek/Eagle, and thus onto the increasingly congested road system of Eagle and southward.
• Require compatible development character and density adjacent to existing neighborhoods
• Provide adequate fire protection, law enforcement, and emergency services, with emphasis on maintaining acceptable response times as a key criterion in evaluating new development proposals.
• Recognize the regional importance of the Area as a recreational and open space resource, and provide continuing public access for open space-oriented recreation, including equestrian activities, hiking, bicycling, hunting, and nature appreciation.
• Discourage highly developed and resource intensive forms of recreation which are incompatible with the rural, arid, rangeland character of the area.
• Hand-in-hand with planning for allowable development, circulation systems, recreation uses, etc., prepare a natural resources management overlay which provides for retention of viable wildlife habitat and preserves the visual quality of the Area.

North Ada County Foothills Association

One Voice, One Plan