The latest news from "Opponents of Alamar Ranch"

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DECISION !!

Commissioners reach decision on Alamar Ranch CUP

Boise County Commissioners met on Monday March 10, 2008 to deliberate the Alamar Ranch CUP Appeal.  After several hours of discussion, a decision was reached to approve the CUP, but  with several important conditions.  Commissioners recognized several of the key concerns Opponents of Alamar Ranch have been making for over a year.   We were pleased to see these concerns addressed by the Commissioners.

 

Some of the key Conditions applied to the Alamar Ranch CUP:

1) Secondary Egress -  As noted below, secondary emergency egress has been an un-addressed  concern for some time.  Commissioners set a condition that Alamar Ranch build secondary egress.  The "Squirrels Nest" solution Alamar Ranch submitted was rejected outright since it did not provide a separate emergency route.  We view this condition as a very wise decision by Boise County Commissioners.

 

2) Hwy 21 Left Turn Lane - As noted below, shift traffic from Alamar Ranch has been another  legitimate concern.  Unfortunately, Alamar Ranch continued to dismiss this outright.  Commissioners set a condition that Alamar Ranch must build a left turn lane on Hwy 21 at the Grimes Creek exchange.  We view this condition as a very wise decision by Boise County Commissioners.

 

3) Youth capacity limit set - Alamar Ranch initially wanted to house 130 teenage youth on approximately 80 acres.  They later revised this to 72 youth on 130 acres.  The issue Opponents of Alamar Ranch saw with this high number of youth was safety (for the youth and the community) and lack of ability of emergency services to support such a large concentration of youth in one area.  Additionally, research has proven that overly-large RTC's, such as 72 or 130 youth, are not as effective in rehabilitating troubled teenage youth.  In fact, the Federal Government has stopped subsidizing such RTC's.  Commissioners recognized these facts and set a condition that Alamar Ranch can house no more than 24 youth at one time.  Opponents of Alamar Ranch had suggested a limit of 12 youth, however we view this condition as a very wise decision by Boise County Commissioners.

 

Other conditions were also applied to the CUP approval, however these are the primary conditions set.

 

Overall, Opponents of Alamar Ranch is satisfied with the Commissioners decision.   We would have preferred an outright denial of the CUP, but we understand the dilemma Boise County was facing, thanks to Alamar Ranch.   

 

Opponents of Alamar Ranch would like to thank Boise County Planning and Zoning and Boise County Commissioners for their diligence.  We know all to well how daunting a task this has been.  We would specifically like to thank Commissioner Terry Day who represented the best interest of ALL Boise County residents during deliberations.  We appreciate Commissioner Day's interest in protecting Quality of Life, while supporting reasonable growth.

 

Finally, we would like to thank the hundreds of people whom are direct or indirect members and supporters of Opponents of Alamar Ranch.  Our success is your success.  Sir Winston Churchill's encouraging words (top of page) continue to hold true.  We could not have challenged the "Big Money" overwhelming might that was Alamar Ranch without your financial, emotional, and intellectual support.   Opponents of Alamar Ranch supporters were both life long, multi-generational Boise County residents and  recent additions to Boise County - all with a common interest of protecting Boise Counties Quality of Life.  To each one of you, we say a heat felt thank you.

 

 

 

Boise County Commissioners will meet on Monday March 10, 2008 at 11:00 am at the Miners Exchange in Idaho City (Commissioners normal meeting location) to deliberate and potentially render a decision on the Alamar Ranch CUP.  The public is encouraged to attend, however further input will not be accepted.  Commissioners will discuss the input they have received and will render a decision or decide to continue deliberations by scheduling another deliberation meeting.  Opponents of Alamar Ranch will be present.  We will provide a summary of the meeting here at NoAlamarRanch.com .

Questions? Comments?  Suggestions?

Email us at: NoAlamarRanch@yahoo.com

 

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The Alamar Ranch Appeal Hearing was held last night as scheduled.  Once again, Boise County citizens packed the house to show their opposition to the Alamar Experiment.  We continue to be impressed with the caliber of people from Boise County that speak at Alamar Ranch meetings.  These folks are educated, caring, and have done their homework.  They represent the best of Boise County and we think it's wonderful that these folks expressed their thoughts as to why Boise County is worth protecting.  It's really insulting (and telling) that Alamar Ranch referred to these good folks as "table pounders" during the hearing.

 

And of course, once again, Alamar Ranch brought in people from out of state to tell us how wonderful their untried and experimental program would be, if only Boise County would allow the experiment to progress...at our cost.

 

Commissioners allowed several hours of testimony from representatives of Alamar Ranch, Opponents of Alamar Ranch, and the Public.  Opponents of Alamar Ranch want to thank the Commissioners for attentively listening and considering all testimony - a daunting task.

 

Several of the conditions that Alamar Ranch agreed to at the August P&Z Hearings were not brought up or reaffirmed by Alamar Ranch.  Opponents of Alamar Ranch were prepared for this and reminded the Commissioners that Alamar Ranch previously committed to several critical conditions, including a commitment for appropriate secondary access, and that a review of the P&Z record might be in order.  

 

In preparation for the very unlikely event that Commissioners would decide to approve the Alamar Experiment, Opponents of Alamar Ranch submitted its own list of suggested conditions.  These conditions were accepted for consideration by Commissioners.  These conditions are available from us via email request.

 

One of the hot topics of the evening was secondary access.  We previously shared this issue with you here at NoAlamarRanch.com.  Alamar had previously agreed at the August P&Z Hearings to provide secondary egress which 1) does not use the existing (Klam Ranch Rd.) bridge over Grimes Creek,  2) allows two-way traffic at all times of the year, and 3) avoids a long and poorly maintained road to Route 21 or another major road that could easily become impassable during a fire or other emergency. 

 

Alamar submitted a secondary egress plan which does not fulfill the condition.  Their proposed secondary access uses the same bridge over Grimes Creek.   Opponents of Alamar Ranch shared it's concern for what would certainly be a disastrous bottleneck during an emergency.  Interestingly enough, Alamar Ranch had no response to this.  No plan "B".  No proposal to meet the condition which they agreed to previously.

 

Click here to see the "Squirrels Nest", "loop-the-loop" secondary egress as proposed by Alamar Ranch.

 

Results of Meeting

After everyone had a chance to speak, Commissioners closed the public input part of the meeting and briefly discussed the situation.  It was decided that additional deliberation was needed in order to make an informed and well thought out appeal decision.  The additional deliberation will be made in public at a future date - no private deliberations are to be had with anyone on the issue.  

 

Commissioners made and passed a motion to meet on Feb 11th to declare when and where the public deliberation will occur.  A request to have deliberations held in the evening hours so most people could attend was made.  Once deliberation is completed (could be more than one meeting, we don't know), a date will be set where the final appeal decision will be declared.   No specific time line of these events was shared.

 

We will post the date and time for the Commissioners Public Deliberation Meeting, here at NoAlamarRanch.com.  Check back often.

 

Opponents of Alamar Ranch would like to thank everyone in opposition whom attended the Appeal Hearing.  Again, we continue to be impressed with Boise County citizens and we remain confident that Boise County Commissioners heard your voices, and will uphold the P&Z Denial on the Alamar Ranch Conditional Use Permit.

 

Questions? Comments?  Suggestions?

Email us at: NoAlamarRanch@yahoo.com

 

Highway 21 Safety Issues Identified

Do you EVER drive through the Hwy 21 and Grimes Creek interchange? Are you aware that Alamar Ranch has yet to do an appropriate traffic study of the affects that Alamar Ranch's 164, 3-shift employee base would have upon the interchange?  Are you aware that Alamar Ranch submitted a traffic study from the previous GREEN RANCH location for the proposed Klam Ranch site!!??

We've done our own research using professionals experienced in this domain.   "Sight Distance" and "Traffic Stacking" issues would exist, yet ITD has yet to investigate the impact of a 164 person, 3-shift commercial operation on the interchange.  Why is this?  How can Boise County Commissioners even remotely consider overturning the P&Z denial when doing so would create a serious danger for all of us whom drive Hwy 21?

UPDATE:  On Jan 8, 2008 County Engineer Trevor Howard submitted a Traffic Study Review to County Commissioners citing multiple issues with the Hwy 21 and Grimes Creek interchange.  Essentially, Mr. Howard has confirmed the issues Opponents of Alamar Ranch have been raising for some time, namely;

 

1) Traveling North on Hwy 21, there is insufficient sight distance at the Grimes Creek interchange to support Alamar Ranch traffic loads.  An operational Alamar Ranch would in fact be a hazard to anyone driving through this interchange, particularly at any of the three shift change times.

2) Grimes Creek Rd could require a left turn lane into Klam Ranch rd.  Alamar has yet to commit to this.

3) A northbound left turn lane off Hwy 21 onto Grimes Creek Rd could be required.  Alamar Ranch has yet to commit to this.

4) The slope leading to Falcon Dr should be cut back sufficiently to provide proper sight distance.  This will create the need for a retaining wall to support Falcon Dr.  Alamar Ranch has yet to commit to this.

 

A copy of Engineer Howard's Traffic Study is available.  Email us for a copy.

A formal ITD study has yet to be performed.   Alamar Ranch has conveniently decided to wait for an appeal approval before requiting ITD involvement.  A letter writing campaign has been initiated to persuade ITD to look into this matter immediately.  Email us to find out how you can send your own letter to ITD, urging them to take action.

Again, Boise County Commissioners cannot consider approving Alamar Ranch without ITD's analysis on traffic issues. 

Water Issues at Klam Ranch Property

Alamar Ranch stated in the August P&Z Hearing that they had a well on the Klam Ranch property that was flowing 50 Gallons Per Minute (gpm).  According to records at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), there are two wells on Klam Ranch;  

1) One well was drilled in 1978 and is DRY.  It has always been DRY. It is abandoned.  Click here for the IDEQ Well Report.

2) A second well was drilled in June of 2007 and flowed .5 (point five, or,  one half) gpm!  This is 49.5 gpm less than the 50 gpm well Alamar claimed at the August P&Z Hearing!  Click here for the IDEQ Well Report.

Clearly, Alamar Ranch has yet to show IDEQ that sufficient water exists on the Klam Ranch property to support 72 youth and an additional 160+ employees!

Further, IDEQ submitted a letter on August 3, 2007 stating that the Level 2 Nutrient Pathogen Study which Alamar Ranch submitted was FLAWED in multiple ways and that IDEQ "cannot approve the study as submitted".    Click here for IDEQ's report.

Sheriff Validates Security Issues with Alamar Ranch

On December 21, 2007 Boise County Sheriff Ben Roeber provided an analysis of security issues pertaining to Alamar Ranch.  Sheriff Roeber gathered data from multiple RTC's similar in nature and size to the proposed Alamar Ranch.  

We want to commend Sheriff Roeber for making the effort to provide an unbiased and data driven analysis of the Alamar Ranch threat.  This analysis is LONG overdue from the Sheriffs office.  Opponents of Alamar Ranch made multiple requests to those in the Sheriff's office prior to Sheriff Roeber, yet we never received a response nor any action.  We thank Sheriff Roeber for stepping up to provide this analysis.

Here are some Sheriff Roeber's findings:

"Virtually all residential juvenile treatment facilities studied generated calls for service. The most common event requiring a law enforcement response was runaways. In general, those treatment facilities examined appear to experience approximately one runaway per month."

 

"On a per bed basis, these facilities averaged approximately .5 calls per bed per year. If Alamar Ranch builds a 72 bed facility, this may translate to the possibility of approximately 36 additional calls for service per year. It is not possible to accurately predict how closely Alamar Ranch will mirror these findings, but in general it is the prediction of the Boise County Sheriff’s Office, based on this data, that Alamar Ranch will, in all likelihood, create an increase in calls for service, runaways in Boise County, and major emergency responses."

The Sheriffs prediction is that Alamar Ranch will have 36 additional calls for police services and that the most common type of call will be RUNNERS.  This equates to an average of 3 runners per month!  You can't get any clearer data than that folks. 

 Alamar's 36 runners WILL in fact degrade the Quality of Life and WILL present a hazardous condition for anyone living within a few miles of the Klam Ranch site (Wilderness Ranch, Osprey, Clear Creek, etc.)  The act of running also endangers the troubled youth as well.  This simply cannot be tolerated in Boise County, period.

In addition, Alamar Ranch refuses to commit to immediately notifying the Sheriff's Office when a run occurs.  This means the call to the Sheriff will come from local residents to report a stolen car or ATV, or worse, to report a break in.  Residents will be forced to deal with frightened and potentially dangerous troubled teenage young men.  Are Boise County citizens willing to accept this situation?  From what we've heard of you, the answer is clearly NO!

Secondary Fire Access Remains An Issue

During the August P&Z Hearings Alamar Ranch agreed and committed to finding (and building) a secondary emergency exit road.  This route was to NOT to share the same Klam Ranch Rd bridge over Grimes Creek, nor was it to use any of the existing Klam Ranch roadway.  It was to be a totally separate and secondary exit route to ensure the safe and efficient evacuation of Alamar Ranch's Staff and Residents, and to allow for two possible paths for emergency equipment to reach a fire scene.

Alamar Ranch decided not to keep the commitment they made at the August Hearing.  Alamar Ranch and Wilderness Ranch Fire Protection District Chief John MCarthy have designed a secondary access route that uses the SAME BRIDGE as the primary entrance.   If this single bridge is out for any reason (fire, flood, etc.), no one gets out unless they swim Grimes Creek and certainly no emergency equipment could reach a fire scene.

We ask a few simple questions; 

1) Why did WRFPD approve an inadequate and less than acceptable exit route that does not meet the commitment made at the August P&Z Hearing?  

2) Why didn't WRFPD work with our County Commissioners to design the secondary emergency exit?

3) What the heck is WRFPD thinking?

The secondary emergency exit issue remains a serious safety issue for both the would be residents of Alamar Ranch, and those living near the Klam Ranch property.  Fire spreads quickly and those living near Klam Ranch need to know that fire apparatus will be able to reach fires started at Alamar Ranch.  We cordially request WRFPD Chief John MCarthy to approach County Commissioners to design the secondary emergency exit as Alamar Ranch previously committed.

Click here to see the inadequate secondary access plan as designed by WRFPD and Alamar Ranch.

Note that both exit roads use the same bridge over Grimes Creek.

Date:    Monday, January 28, 2008

Where: Basin High School Cafeteria

When:  6:00 pm (arrive EARLY for a seat!)

Why should I be there?

Your presence is important!  The outcome of this hearing directly affects YOU.  Your County Commissioners are elected officials.  They should represent the interests of BOISE COUNTY citizens first and foremost.  They should NOT be representing the interests of Big Money developers from Boise whom rely upon fast talking "experts" from California, or who knows where!  Remember, we'll be re-electing or replacing Commissioner Lawson in 2008!   Remember the South Fork Landing issue and how two Commissioners lost their positions over that fiasco? (Alamar Ranch is from the same Developer by the way - Oaas Laney). Commissioners need to see and hear from citizens whom oppose Alamar.

 What do I have to do at the Hearing?

• The process is very easy.  You just show up!

• You can sign up to speak if you’d like to, but you don’t have to.  

• If you want to speak, you can talk about your concerns or simply state that you oppose the project.   You can also simply state that you agree and support the opinions expressed by the Members and Council of Opponents of Alamar Ranch.

• Your Boise County Commissioners are citizens like you.  Please be respectful during the hearing.

• Just being there sends a strong message.

• You will not need to vote on anything.

As with the August P&Z Meetings, WE NEED to PACK the house to show our disgust with the plans Alamar Ranch has to build and overly huge, FOR-PROFIT RTC in Boise County!

As expected, Alamar Ranch has filed an appeal with Boise County Commissioners asking them to overturn the P&Z Denial decision on the Alamar Ranch II Conditional Use Permit.  All legal briefs have now been presented to Boise County Commissioners and are part of the public record.

 

All documents referenced below are available from Opponents of Alamar Ranch.  Please send an email to request a document ===>  NoAlamarRanch@yahoo.com

List of Appeal Events

• Oaas Laney/Alamar Ranch requested an Appeal in attempts to overturn the P&Z Denial decision.

• Nov 19, 2007:  Per pre-described process, Oaas Laney/Alamar Ranch files Appeal Brief.

• Dec 10, 2007:  Per pre-described process, Opponents of Alamar Ranch files response to Alamar Ranch's Nov 19 Appeal Brief.  Also, several Boise County residents file individual letters of response to Alamar Ranch's Appeal Brief.

• Dec 27, 2007:  Per pre-described process, Alamar Ranch files response to OAR's Dec 10 response.

• Jan 28, 2008: Commissioners Meeting to Rule on Appeal - Boise County Commissioners Day, Lawson, and Zimmer will hold a special Commissioners Meeting on January 28, 2008 at 6:00 pm at the Boise County Courthouse, 419 Main St, Idaho City Basin High School Cafeteria, Idaho City.  Alamar Ranch, Opponents of Alamar Ranch, and the Public will all have an opportunity to speak at the Jan 28 meeting.   The Commissioners may reach a final decision on Jan 28, or they may call for an additional meeting as P&Z did, in order to assimilate all the information completely.

As with the August P&Z Meetings, WE NEED to PACK the house to show our disgust with the plans Alamar Ranch has to build and overly huge, FOR-PROFIT RTC in Boise County.

Plan to attend the Jan 28, 2008 meeting!

If you haven't written Commissioners Day, Lawson, or Zimmer yet...NOW IS THE TIME.  PLEASE copy us with your letter so we may reference it in our briefing.

Ask your commissioners to uphold the P&Z Board denial decision.

Write, Call, Fax, VISIT your Boise County Commissioners TODAY!

(visit the Take Action page for address/phone number)

Remember, regardless of the lawyers and RTC Industry spokespeople from Ada County (and California) that Oaas Laney has hired to make their case, 99.9% of BOISE COUNTY CITIZENS do NOT want a HUGE, FOR-PROFIT RTC such as Alamar Ranch in our county.  It's simply not appropriate and the county is not prepared to provide adequate services, nor is it the right thing for the kids.

NEVER before has a P&Z decision been overturned.  Now is NOT the time to break precedence.  Our P&Z Commissioners did their job and reached the correct decision - DENIAL.  We know our County Commissioners will respect the hard work P&Z did and will uphold their DENIAL DECISION.

Opponents of Alamar Ranch continue to request YOUR financial assistance.  If you haven't donated to our legal fund, PLEASE do so today.  The time to act is now...before it's too late.

Washington, Oct 10, 2007:  A federal investigator and parents whose children died at youth boot camps urged other families Wednesday to avoid enrolling teens in such programs until there is more oversight of them.

 

"Buyer beware," said Greg Kutz, who led a congressional investigation into the camps. "You really don't know what you're getting."

The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found thousands of allegations of abuse, some of which involved death, at boot camps, also referred to as residential treatment programs, since the early 1990s.

Kutz, who led the investigation, said the GAO closely examined 10 closed cases where a teenager died while enrolled in one of these programs.

"Ineffective program management played a key role in most of these deaths," Kutz testified before the House Education and Labor Committee.

Kutz said in only one of the 10 cases studied closely was anyone found criminally liable and sentenced to serve prison time.

Residential treatment programs are slickly marketed to parents who are at a loss as to how to help an emotionally troubled teen, Kutz said. In the cases he studied, "The parents were pretty much told what they wanted to hear," Kutz said.

Bob Bacon, of Phoenix, Ariz., whose son Aaron died while enrolled in a wilderness program in Utah, said he was fooled by the owners of that facility into believing his son would be well cared for.  When Aaron complained of severe stomach pains and asked for a doctor, his pleas were ignored even though he had dramatically lost weight and suffered from other serious symptoms, his father testified. Aaron died of an acute infection related to a perforated ulcer.

"We were conned by their fraudulent claims and will go to our graves regretting our gullibility," he said.

These residential programs can be privately run or state-led programs and sometimes include an educational or school-like component.

They are loosely regulated by states. There are no federal laws that define and regulate them. [OAR Note: Idaho has NO definition or regulation of RTC's.  Alamar was originally propagandized as a "Boarding School" for this reason.]

Republicans and Democrats in Congress said Wednesday that federal legislation may now be necessary to better ensure the safety of children enrolled in such programs.

Jan Moss, executive director of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, a trade group, said..."Clearly we still have a very long way to go."   

 [OAR Note:  Alamar Ranch is hanging their hat on the "credentials" of  the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).  Visit Alamar's web site to verify this yourself.  Keep that in mind when you hear them speak of a "Quality" FOR-PROFIT program.]