Boise City Planning Collection

Boise City Planning Collection, 1957-2002

Overview of the Collection

Title: Boise City Planning Collection
Dates: 1957-2002 (inclusive)
19572002
Quantity: 2 linear feet, (5 boxes)
Collection Number: MSS 244
Summary: The Boise City Planning Collection contains studies, reports, policy statements, and plans, issued chiefly by governmental bodies in Ada County and Boise, Idaho, relating to city planning in Boise, with major emphasis on the redevelopment of Boise's downtown retail core, development in the Boise Foothills, and other planning and zoning concerns, 1957-2002; together with memoranda, minutes, reports, clippings, and other papers, from Charles Hummel's work as consultant to the Mayor's Select Committee on Downtown Development, 1982.
Repository: Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
1910 University Drive
Boise ID
83725
Telephone: 2084263990
archives@boisestate.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is available for research.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Charles Frederick Hummel was born in Boise in 1925 to a family of distinguished architects. His grandfather's firm designed the Idaho State Capitol; his father designed Boise's Egyptian Theatre. Hummel attended Boise Junior College, received a bachelor's degree from Catholic University and a masters from Columbia University, and spent his career in Boise in partnership with his father and uncle Frank and then with Chet Shawver in the firm now known as Hummel Architects. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving with the U.S. Army in France during World War II and with the Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean conflict. The many buildings he has designed include the federal courthouse in Boise and the original library building for Boise Junior College (1964). In addition to his work as an architect, Hummel has been an active participant in the civic affairs of his home town. He was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Governor's Awards in the Arts program in 2006.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The bulk of the Planning Boise Collection consists of 49 published studies, plans, and reports documenting the City of Boise's efforts to plan for growth and development in the latter half of the twentieth century. Most of the publications were issued by local governmental bodies, and most address the issues of downtown redevelopment and revitalization, proposals to build a regional mall outside of the city center, and residential expansion into the Boise Foothills. The collection also contains several folders of papers relating to Charles Hummel's work as a consultant for the Mayor's Select Committee on Downtown Redevelopment in 1982. That committee attempted to reformulate a strategy that would save the downtown commercial center from eclipse by suburban shopping opportunities.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[item description], Boise City Planning Collection, Box [number] Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Boise City Planning Collection is divided into two series: 1. List of plans, studies and reports, and 2. Mayor's Select Committee on Downtown Development.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Charles Frederick Hummel, 2005 and 2007.

Separated Materials

Many published materials donated with this collection have been moved to either the Albertson Library open stacks, Special Collection/Archive books (closed stack) or, in cases of duplicates, one to each area. Call numbers listed below refer specifically to Albertsons Library:

Atkinson Associates and Boise City Planning Commission. Comprehensive General Plan, Boise City, Idaho, 1985, 1963 (3 volumes) NA9127.B58 A2 1963; Spec. Coll. NA9127.B58 A2 1963

Ada Council of Governments. The Urban Form: An Analysis of the Social, Economic, and Environmental Implications of Urban Expansion in the Boise Area, 1973 Spec. Coll. HT168.B66 A33 1973

Ada Council of Governments. Ada County Ecology, 1973 McCain F752.A3 A32; Spec Coll F752.A3 A32

Ada Council of Governments. Land -- Nature's Design for the Future: A Background Report for Consideration of Regional Land Use Alternatives, 1975 Spec. Coll. HD211.I2 A33

City of Boise. A Policy Plan for the Boise Metropolitan Area, 1978 NA9127.B58 A52 1978; Spec. Coll. NA9127.B58 A52 1978

City of Boise. Boise City Comprehensive Plan, 1997 Spec. Coll. F754.B65; B616 1997

Boise Future Foundation. Greater Boise Carrying Capacity Quality of Life Survey, 1988 Archives HN79.I22 B64 1988

Boise Future Foundation. The City of the Future--A Survey of Greater Boise's Preferences for the Future, 1991 Archives F754.B65 C58 1991

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for Boise City Urban Design Committee. Proposed Boise Urban Design Plan, 1979 Spec. Coll. NA9127.B58 P76 1979

Hollenbaugh, Kenneth M., for Ada Council of Governments. The Evaluation of Geologic Processes in the Boise Foothills That May Be Hazardous to Urban Development, 1973 QE104.A3 H6; Archives QE104.A3 H6

Ada Council of Governments. The Foothills: Background for the Issues in Consideration of a Plan for the Foothills District of Ada County McCain F752.A3 A33 1976

Boise Mayor's Select Committee on Downtown Development. Report of the Mayor's Select Committee on Downtown Development, 1982 Spec. Coll. F754.B65 B635

American Institute of Architects, Idaho Chapter, for City of Boise. Capitol Boulevard Plan and Action Program, 1989 HE356.5.B66 C36 1989; Spec. Coll. HE356.5.B66 C36 1989

Capitol City Development Corporation. River Street - Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan, 1994 E356.5.B66 R58 1994; Spec. Coll. HE356.5.B66 R58 1994

Foothills Steering Committee and Boise Planning and Development Department. Foothills Plan Report, 1994 (Draft) Spec. Coll. HT168.B66 F66 1995b

Foothills Steering Committee and Boise Planning and Development Department. Foothills Plan Background Report, 1994 (Draft) Spec. Coll. HT177.B66 F66 1994

Related Materials

Hummel, Hummel, and Jones Collection

Oral history interviews with Charles F. Hummel, General Oral Histories

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1: List of plans, reports and studiesReturn to Top

This series is arranged into three subseries: General plans, Downtown Boise, and Foothills. The titles of the works are in italics, following the name of the corporate author or issuing authority.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		General plans
Box	Folder
1	14	Boise Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Planning Committee. Recommendations of the Streets and Roads Subcommittee.	1957
1	15	Boise Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Planning Committee. Report of Zoning Committee	1957
1	16	Boise City Park Department. A Study of Neighborhood Park and Recreation Centers	1959
1	17	Boise Metropolitan Transportation Study. Metropolitan Boise & the Interstate Highway	1960
2		City of Boise, Department of Public Works. Annual Report 1958-1959	1959
2		State of Idaho, Department of Highways. Origin-Destination Study, Boise, Idaho	1959
2		Ada County Zoning Commission. Major Thoroughfare Plan, Part I, Boise Metropolitan Area	1961
2		Ada Council of Governments, Citizens Advisory Committee. Concept Plan: Goals and Objectives for Long Range Regional Planning	1974
2		Ada Council of Governments. Waste Water Sources and Water Use	1974
2		City of Boise. A Policy Plan for the Boise Metropolitan Area	1978
2		Boise City Planning & Zoning Department. Boise City Landscape Manual	1979
2		Boise City Historic Preservation Commission. Boise City Historic Preservation Plan	1979
2		City of Boise. A Policy Plan for the Boise Metropolitan Area	1985
2		Ada County Highway District. Capital Improvements Plan Update	1993
2		Treasure Valley Futures Project. Barriers Forum Report: Overcoming Barriers to Building Better Communities	2000
2		Treasure Valley Futures Project. Seeing the Treasure Valley - How We Shape Our Region	2000
2		Treasure Valley Future Project. Treasure Valley Growth Scenario Analysis: Final Report	2002
5		Atkinson Associates and Boise City Planning Commission. Comprehensive General Plan, Boise City, Idaho, 1985 3 volumes, volume 1 only	1963
5		Ada Council of Governments. Land -- Nature's Design for the Future: A Background Report for Consideration of Regional Land Use Alternatives	1975
		Downtown Boise
Box
3		Boise Redevelopment Agency and Boise Cascade Urban Development. Boise Central: The Now and Future	circa 1971
3		Wilbur Smith and Associates for Boise Redevelopment Agency. Boise City Center Parking Needs	1974
3		Ada Planning Association, City Center Steering Committee. City Center Report, Boise, Idaho	1976
3		Boise Redevelopment Agency. Urban Conservation and Adaptive Reuse Analysis	1978
3		Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for Boise City Urban Design Committee. Proposed Boise Urban Design Plan	1979
3		Boise Redevelopment Agency. The B.R.A. Years - a 1982, Dateline History, 1964-1982	1982 1983
3		American Institute of Architects, Idaho Chapter, Central Section. Boise R/UDAT	1985
3		Barton-Aschman Associates for Boise Redevelopment Agency. Boise Downtown Redevelopment Project Parking Analysis	1986
3		Boise Redevelopment Agency. Boise Downtown Utilities Master Plan	1986
3		Boise City Community Planning and Development Department. Downtown Boise Plan	1993
3		Capitol City Development Corporation. River Street - Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan	1994
5		American Institute of Architects, Idaho Chapter, for City of Boise. Capitol Boulevard Plan and Action Program	1989
		Foothills
Box
4		Ada Council of Governments, Foothills Committee. Regulations for Hillside Development	1972
4		Hollenbaugh, Kenneth M., for Ada Council of Governments. The Evaluation of GeologicProcesses in the Boise Foothills That May Be Hazardous to Urban Development	1973
4		Ada Council of Governments. The Foothills: Background for the Issues in Consideration of a Plan for the Foothills District of Ada County	1973
4		Ada Planning Association. Traffic Analysis for Foothills Density Policy, North River Planning Area	1978
4		Foothills Steering Committee and Boise Planning and Development Department. The Boise Front Foothills Plan (Draft)	1992
4		Ada Planning Association. Foothills Transportation Study: Development and Transportation Alternatives	1992
4		Foothills Steering Committee and Boise Planning and Development Department. Foothills Plan Report (Draft)	1994
4		Foothills Steering Committee and Boise Planning and Development Department. Foothills Plan Background Report (Draft)	1994
4		Ada Planning Association. Foothills Plan Transportation Analysis	1994
4		Boise City Planning and Development Department. The Foothills Plan	1994
4		City of Boise. Boise City Foothills Policy Plan: An Amendment to the Boise City Comprehensive Plan	1997

2: Mayor's Select Committee for Downtown DevelopmentReturn to Top

In 1982 the City of Boise faced a turning point in its quest to revitalize its downtown. The long-sought goal of its urban renewal program was to build a regional shopping mall downtown. Both the city plan and its zoning regulations prohibited the building of such a mall elsewhere within the city limits. The contracted developer's plans included the closing and enclosure of downtown streets, building large department stores on cleared lots, and utilizing both above-ground and underground parking garages. Major retailers, however, would not commit to a downtown mall, so at a time when there were large regional shopping centers in most American cities, Boise had none. Developers were actively exploring the possibilities of buildings malls outside the city limits. So in September 1982 Mayor Richard Eardly appointed a blue-ribbon committee to examine the problem. In the charge to the committee, he wrote: "We ask you to recommend to us what is the best alternative for development of downtown Boise that will provide a vibrant, active, successful City Center. Specifically, what concept should be followed for development that keeps in mind the tradeoffs that must be made with or without a major retail center as part of the mix?"

Charles Hummel was hired to be consultant, or technical advisor to the committee, performing much of the staff work that an executive director would do for a citizens' commission. This collection contains his papers relating to that service, including meeting minutes, memoranda, his work diaries, and the committee's final report, which reiterated the city's previous policy. "No suburban regional center should go forward until substantial retailing is established in the downtown" was one of the committee's major conclusions. Within a year, however, both economic and political pressures, as well as the fear that a mall would be built outside of Boise, caused the city to change course. The city's metropolitan plan was amended, zoning changes were approved, and construction of a mall near the Interstate, several miles from the city center but still within the city limits, was begun.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	Charge to committee	1982
1	2	Clippings	1982
1	3	Consultant contract and work diary	1982
1	4	Agendas and agenda planning	1982
1	5	Journals (Minutes)	1982
1	6	Questions and Topics of discussion	1982
1	7	Basic input data	1982
1	8	Internal business	1982-1983
1	9	Final Report of the Mayor's Select Committee on Downtown Development	1982
1	10	Boise Redevelopment Agency / Winmar contract termination	1982-1985
1	11	Winmar plans and designs(drawings)
1	12	Westpark proposal / Metro plan amendment
1	13	Regional mall proposals: Clippings
1	18	Retail Space in Boise Metro Area	1982 September 13
1	19	Documents presented to committee	1982 September 30
1	20	Documents presented to committee	1982 October 15
1	21	Regional Shopping Center at Cloverdale Road	1982 October 22
1	22	East End traffic circulation (one page)	1982 November 15
1	23	Regional Shopping Center at Cole and Franklin Roads	1982 November 19
1	24	Winmar Response to Final Report	1983 January 20
1	25	Boise Redevelopment Agency Response to Final Report	1983 January 19

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