The Cliffs' Blog

The Information Age is causing a massive decentralization of industry. It is possible for many companies to relocate where their workers can afford a single-family home and enjoy parks, recreation, safety and cultural attractions.

The Treasure Valley has an aubundance of the above, which is why it has ranked high on yet another quality of life/great place to live index. As a lifelong resident of this area, I’m proud to see Boise recently made the Money magazine list of best places to live.

Boise ranked eighth on the 2006 Best Places to Live list for small cities and has ranked in the top ten several times. The magazine explained how a low unemployment, a go-go economy and 2,700 acres of trails, parks and recreational areas boosted our score. Similar reasons were behind Inc. magazine, which in 2005 put Boise No. 2 on its annual list of the "Best Cities to Do Business in America.”

Money credited other things for the ranking, including job growth of 12 percent since 2000 and a median housing price of $183,000, compared with an average of nearly $257,000 for 90 other top-rated cities. The Treasure Valley’s housing appreciated at 14.8 percent for 2004-05, compared with a 9.40 percent average.

However, Money also noticed some threats to continued prosperity. Climbing property taxes are reducing the affordability of housing, one of the main things that makes the area attractive for so many. Joel Kotkin, who researched and wrote the 2005 Forbes story listing Boise first among Best Places for Business and Careers, noted a modern city’s success is tied to attainable housing. Kotkin found that between 1999 and 2004, San Jose, San Francisco, Austin and Portland lost jobs, while cities such as Boise and Reno gained jobs.

We’ve said this before but it bears repeating: The Cliffs will provide a high-quality supply of attainable workforce housing, just a few miles from Ada County’s core business center (Micron, downtown and Federal Way industries, etc.). The Cliffs will also reduce the exclusivity of Foothills living, introducing classical neighborhood development in this beautiful setting that both conserves open space and allows more people to enjoy this amazing way of life. Long a part of our design, we will also extend regional public recreation trails and improve wildlife habitat and result.

Like the folks at Money magazine, we recognize what’s special about the greater-Boise area. As a developer, we know it’s our obligation to protect and enhance what makes this place so special.