*Menu
Search
Submit
Mountain Home News

Businesses won't look at city until it grows

Thursday, December 9, 2010
by Brian S. Orban

"Why can't we get another big name restaurant?"

"Why don't we have a large shoe store here?"

They're arguments that Paula Riggs hears all too often. As the head of Mountain Home's economic development office, she knows the answer to these and similar questions.

It all comes down to the numbers. In terms of population, Mountain Home and Elmore County are simply too small to meet those firm's criteria.

To bring in a nationally recognized restaurant chain, the city needs at least 20,000 people or an equal amount of vehicle traffic. To encourage a big-name shoe store to come here, that population figure jumps to 100,000 people within a five-mile radius of the store's intended location.

According to one head count, the county only has 30,000 people with 11,000 of them living in Mountain Home.

It's not even close.

For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.

Comments
View 10 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

  • Respectfully, I must disagree (in part). Although, at times, I do wish for more shopping options than WalMart, I also do not want Mountain Home to become a "metropolis" of sorts. Without Mountain Home Air Force Base, and the fine people that come with it, Mountain Home would just be another rural spot on the map. I will drive to Boise if I need to find the things that are not available here. I may not always be happy about it, but I am very thankful that I am driving to a "big" city to take care of business and can return to the small town to live. Usually, one day in the traffic and crowds is enough for me.

    -- Posted by CuriousParents on Thu, Dec 9, 2010, at 8:02 AM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • Are you kidding me...that's the latest excuse that the 'shifty-fifty is giving for blocking future business from coming to Mountain Home?

    What message is that sending to potential employers, especially the youth of this community...un-real!

    New name for Mountain Home...welcome to Mountain Home, Idaho...retired community!

    -- Posted by DUMBFOUNDED IN IDAHO on Thu, Dec 9, 2010, at 4:20 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • Once MH gets to big for you then Prairie is not that much further...

    -- Posted by jdvann on Fri, Dec 10, 2010, at 12:51 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • Agree, leave mountain home alone! Though I don't agee on closing Mountain Home AFB, I definitely agree on keeping things small. If you want a "good" restaurant, go to Boise or take a trip to Twin Falls. In my many travels (recently), you can believe most small towns have a "shifty fifty", it keeps big businesses out and keeps the city "folk" moving. I definitely appreciate it more now that I've left. By the way, Martin's ROCKS!

    -- Posted by pursuitofhappy on Mon, Dec 13, 2010, at 12:02 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • WELL we have got it going on here........ I GOT HERE IN 1972 i hated this place thought i would be here about 18 months (airplane person) AT THE END OF 18 MONTHS I LOVED THE SMALL TOWN. THE SIGN WHEN I GOT HERE WAS POP;7,400 there were more people on base than in town. there were 65,000 in boise and 4,00 in nampa the place to go was karcher mall...personally it would not bother me if the growth kept growing in the other direction.I know that we will grow it just a matter of how fast.Small town have good points and bad,big towns have good and bad......you dont like were you are MOVE.YES WE CAN IMPROVE SOME THINGS HOW FAST I DONT KNOW BUT WE WILL.

    I do not want to see the BASE close and it more than likely wont for some very good reasons.REASONS that are of and operational nature to the AIR FORCE,PLUS THIS BASE COULD ACCOMADATE A LOT MORE THAN WHAT IS HERE AND THE FUTURE IS WHAT THE PLANNING IS ABOUT.THE powers to be think they are doing the right thing problem is they dont ask anyone else,.........translation.... they are selfishly motivated.I DONT like driving to boise but you know what i play a lot of music there but I DONT WANT TO LIVE THERE.I AM FROM A BIG CITY NEW YORK

    AND EMPAHSISE FROM.GREAT PLACE TO VISIT, DONT WANT TO EVER LIVE IN A CITY AGAIN........MY CHOICE

    -- Posted by lamont on Mon, Dec 13, 2010, at 8:43 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • I have a friend who got her tax bill a few weeks back and it is up more than $1,000. She lives in the county and pays (or will pay) $3,100 in taxes for her older, modest home. FOR WHAT?!?!?!?!?

    -- Posted by OpinionMissy on Mon, Dec 13, 2010, at 10:45 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • I forgot to mention we have had good restaurants,they had little duos and trios playing music on the weekends.served great steaks and chops,quite,intimate,clean and you got to talk to friends and aquaintenaces,you met people...WE DIDNT SUPPORT THEM...When i got here there were 5 working bands in this town....from country to R&B,WE HAD JAMM SESSIONS IN CARL MILLER PARK.

    You want things,you have to support them,and you can do that without breaking the bank,

    EXAMPLE;.....THE BLUES FESTIVAL........local people trying to do a local thing for the benifite of scholorships....NOT SUPPORTED.. what a line up foR $20.00 AND ALL DAY EVENT,we wont go there but we will go to boise for $40.00 for 2.5 hr event doesnt make sense...SMALL TOWNS HAVE THESE EVENTS AND THERE PEOPLE GET BEHIND THEM....i play them all the time.......JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT........SEE YA

    -- Posted by lamont on Tue, Dec 14, 2010, at 12:41 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • I agree wholeheartedly with BAZOOKAMAN, I came here from McChord in 1985 and I miss the small town feel of our town and the view I used to have of our surrounding Mtns. "Times they are a changin" Merry Christmas everyone, enjoy your families and what you have now!

    -- Posted by Moanah on Tue, Dec 14, 2010, at 8:46 PM
    ! Report comment to editor
  • *

    Okay but what would be nice is a Panda Express, and a Carl's JR, and maybe some type of pet store would be nice. I never want to see a Starbucks here though i would puke if that happened.

    -- Posted by shockwave on Wed, Dec 15, 2010, at 2:21 PM
    ! Report comment to editor

  • i like the way buisness places are being turned into a church parking lot... i can see a lot more old buildings turning into parking lots. keep up the good works . must be good for the tax base.. and good for the service stations so we can buy more gas to head for boise

    -- Posted by goodllama2 on Wed, Dec 15, 2010, at 2:36 PM
    ! Report comment to editor
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: