Foes of Highlands Cove prepare next level of opposition

Opponents of a plan to build 60 homes in the Boise Foothills will soon ask the City Council to reconsider its approval of the development, said Philippe Masser, who’s helping organize the opposition.

The request for consideration is the next step in trying to stop the Highlands Cove project, which developers Chris Conner and Dave Yorgason hope to build on a 54-acre piece of land that wraps around the east side of the Crane Creek Golf Course.

Traffic is the main concern for people who oppose the project, especially people who live in the existing homes near the golf course. The roads there are too narrow and present a series of blind curves and other problems that endanger pedestrians, including children walking to school, the neighbors say.

Conner and Yorgason would build roads that don’t have those problems, but adding another 60 homes and several hundred car trips every day in the neighborhood would exacerbate the existing conditions, the neighbors say.

The developers’ representatives characterize opposition to Highlands Cove as an attempt by people to keep private land near their homes undeveloped.

If the council doesn’t change its position in response to the request for reconsideration, opponents of Highlands Cove can take their case to court and ask a judge to overturn the city’s approval of the project.

The plan’s critics have spent tens of thousands of dollars fighting it, Masser said. An email he sent to neighbors predicted further opposition will cost an additional $40,000 to $50,000.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Foes of Highlands Cove prepare next level of opposition."