BOISE, Idaho — For about 30 years, community members like Keith Derow have used a path between two houses on N Plantation River Drive in Garden City to get onto the Greenbelt.
"I always come down here and get on the Greenbelt," Derow said. "I go downtown and go to Garden City or Fred Meyer or wherever I have to go to do my business."
However, people outside the nearby neighborhood associations will no longer be able to use the path after Dec. 1. Historically, anyone could use the path even though it is private property.
Investors Plantation on the River HOA owns the lot the path sits on. President Peter Snowden said they decided to close the path to the public mainly because of increased traffic and irresponsible behavior.
"We've got 20 homeowners," he said. "We pay for this. If there's a big accident here, you know, it's our insurance; it's going to go through the roof."
There are other ways to get on the Greenbelt close by. Snowden encourages people to go to the access points on N. Lake Harbor Ln, N. Marigold St., or E. Remington St.
But Clancy Anderson, Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance board member, thinks those options are unsafe because cyclists will have to navigate State Street.
"This is the most direct, safe way for a lot of people," he said, "whether you're in Northwest Boise trying to get downtown or you're in Garden City, even getting over to George's Cycles or Blue Sky Bagels."
Derow agrees.
"You got all the rush hour, and trying to get across State Street is really dangerous and a nightmare," he said.
Anderson said the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance sent a survey earlier this week asking for input about how the upcoming closure will affect people. They received more than 600 responses.
Despite the pushback, Snowden said the HOA will not change its mind about closing the path to the public. They plan on putting up a gate to restrict access.
He said that only people within neighboring HOAs will have the code to get through.
"We pay insurance on it," Snowden said. "We pay for the maintenance of it. It's ours under our HOA documents. We can do whatever we want with it."
Click here for more information about the closure.
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