ACHD, Garden City put salt shed feud to rest. What agreement did they reach?
After a long dispute, the Ada County Highway District and Garden City have come to an agreement over the fate of a structure covering piles of salt and sand — keeping the matter out of court.
The shed is located at the Adams Maintenance Yard in Garden City, where it houses materials used to treat Ada County roads in the winter. The site sits in the Boise River floodplain, which has raised concerns among residents in recent years, according to city officials.
In 2020, the Garden City Council refused to OK an extension of ACHD’s permit for the shed, prompting the highway district to initiate legal action and even take the matter to the Legislature, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
A joint news release from ACHD and the city on Tuesday said the sides — led by ACHD Commission President Mary May and Vice President Alexis Pickering, and Garden City Mayor John Evans and Council President James Page — reached a compromise without having to rely on a court ruling.
“This resolution is a win for not only the two agencies involved, but for all of Ada County,” May said in the release.
The deal, which led the City Council to OK a permit extension, includes a timeline for phasing out the current structure and requires that ACHD “demonstrate compliance” with Department of Environmental Quality regulations for the Boise River floodplain, according to the release. ACHD also will have to seek a floodplain permit from Garden City each year.
The salt and sand storage at the Adams Maintenance Yard site is located just 6 inches above the 100-year floodplain, and Garden City now requires 3 feet of elevation for facilities situated in it, the Statesman previously reported.
ACHD will also “make its best efforts” to spruce up the current site along Adams Street by planting trees and installing sidewalks, and it will remove fencing after the site is phased out — a move that is scheduled for the 2026-27 budget year after a new facility off Federal Way in Boise is complete, according to the release.
“While both agencies have our own priorities, we all serve the constituents of Ada County. Finding a compromise that works for both agencies and ceasing further legal action is what is best for those constituents,” Evans said in the release.
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
