We appreciate your patience. The last week found the Citadel swamped with overwhelming support and interest from across America and beyond! We've added many new applicants/reservations, accepted hundreds of email enquiries, and worked very hard to provide as many answers as possible. Even now we still have emails that remain unanswered, but we promise to get to each and every one for you.
We are working on a second FAQ to help answer the most common questions received over the last week. We also have several announcements coming over the next days regarding our corporate officers, near-future plans, and other developments. As you all know this project is in the very earliest stages and circumstances will impact our course.
One clarification for Media visiting this blog and our official website: The parcel of property currently owned in Benewah County Idaho is not the location of the Citadel, it was never intended to be the site of the Citadel, and obviously would be physically impossible to serve as the site of the Citadel. The Benewah County parcel of property is intended to serve as an administrative center for the project and for related businesses. Development of this site will begin during the Spring/Summer of 2013 after submitting the proper paperwork to the county for consideration.
Media Requests: Please see our media link on the navigation bar above. It remains too early in the development of this project to sit for proper interviews. Announcements and Press Releases will be issued here and at our official website: IIICitadel. Our Spokesmen will begin to sit with select media when appropriate, and until then Media are invited to use the information on our sites for background.
Applications/Reservations: For all of our supporters who have submitted applications/reservations in line for the Citadel, you will soon receive an email from one of our staff that includes an invitation to a private online forum where you can meet the many Patriots already involved in the project, discuss plans, help us evolve and refine the project, and receive confidential updates.
Our sincere thanks to everyone who has shown such outstanding support and patience. We all look forward to a brilliant and productive 2013.
Look for important announcements, soon!
The Citadel Staff
thanks for share.
ReplyDeletewhy isn't the citadel star-shaped, like the fortresses of the renaissance? the current concept art walls would've been out of date in the 1500s. i dont mean this to detract. think about it.
ReplyDeleteThe shape of the town and it's walls will ultimately be dictated by the terrain we are located in.
DeleteWhat about hunting around the grounds? Is this dictated by idaho fish and game rules like normal and if so, will the location accomodate adaquate hunting areas around the township?
DeleteWe will follow the laws that apply to us, just like any other resident. Most gun enthusiasts aren't hunters, so the impact should be fairly moderate.
DeleteVJ
The walls should be built with their main function always in mind. To keep people out, and to be defendable. Would the shape of a star provide any advantages other than aesthetics? Or might it provide a advantage to those trying to lay siege to the wall. I would not want to have to worry about my flank while on top of the wall.
ReplyDeleteThe walls should be built with their main purpose in mind. Aesthetics should only be considered when it provides a distinct advantage to the purpose of the walls. I know if I had to take a position on the wall to defend the town I would want to have total confidence in the design to provide me every advantage possible. An extreme outward protrusion of the wall, such as the tip of a star could provide an advantage, but it could put the defenders of it out far enough on the wall to be flanked in a way. I think how you plan on defending the wall would weigh heavily on some of its design features. Of course all these consideration would depend on the terrain that it is being built on.
ReplyDeleteCome on folks. Star shape isnt for aesthetics at all its purely for defensive purposes.
ReplyDeleteWith a straight wall how do you intend to engage people at the base of the wall? Are you going to stick your head and rifle over the side while a buddy holds your legs. Maybe poor boiling oil over the side?
With a sudo star type shape you have a straight line of fire to the outside wall without having to expose yourself with heroics
David, I took a better look at the artist's rendition of the town shape and walls. Looks like the straight section of walls would have wall towers placed so that the base of the wall would be easily defended. Two riflemen or riflewomen in each tower would have the responsibility of scanning base of wall towards opposing towers, looks well thought out.
DeleteI find myself in agreement with david. One of the staples of the star shaped fortification is the embankment, which would look like a ramp from the outside base of the wall to 1/3 - 2/3's of the way up, steep enough to prevent climbing, the embankment also makes the wall thicker, and the fact that it will be angled, could have a similar effect on ballistics as the sloped armor on tanks, provided that we could possibly reinforce the embankment of the wall with say 1/4 inch steel?. Other options include the much more affordable dirt covered embankment, however these can be climbed, and therefore I believe a smooth surface would be preferable. Another advantage of the star shape in general is the fact that it provides excellent crossfire positions resulting in devastating kill zones, in fact machinegun emplacements set up during WWI took note of this when developing strategies for the then new weapon, and almost always had them set in triangular positions to take advantage of the crossfire effect, this defensive tactic was brutally effective.
DeleteTerrain will always dictate design. Mother Nature provides and removes defenses throughout the cycle and, inevitably, The Citadel will have to change with her. Erosion, vegetation, storm damage and change of seasons will all create or magnify strengths and weaknesses in any fortress. It seems to me that acknowledging that no Fortress is impenetrable, identifying the deficiencies, and repeated training to defend against those deficiencies under various circumstances is the cool and level-headed thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThe design of the city walls is a fun topic. People love castles and forts. Just go to any of the old forts along the east coast and you'll see this. They are always popular attractions.
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about, the physical security provided by the wall may not actually be its main benefit to us. The wall is also important for its symbolism. It represents the idea of protection and gives us a unique identity as well. That's why it needs to look like a castle wall, not just a simple fence. This is important because one of the goals of the Citadel is to create a strong sense of community.
When your community is more than just a place to commute to work from, when your house is more than just a place to store your stuff, when you know your neighbors and have joined with them pledging to protect your homes, families and community, the civic culture that emerges creates a life that is entirely different from the places we live now. It creates the life that we want to live.
The design of the structures around us has a strong effect on our lives. Look at the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome and you'll see that this has been understood for thousands of years. Never underestimate the power of symbols.
VJ
Building it into a star shape would also increase the overall cost of building it even higher. It is going to be expensive as it is. Simply adding towers that extend past the outer edge of the wall will be more than adequate and far less expensive.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful project. I wish you the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteis it possible to gain access to the forum as a member of the media? i understand interviews are difficult to schedule this early in the process but I've read everything provided on both the blog and the website and would love to learn more about the planning phase.
ReplyDeleteThe short answer is no. We have already dcided which media we will work with.
DeleteThe longer answer would go into the nature of the media, in general. Liberal bias, being propaganda organs for big government and big corporations, things like that. Suffice it to say the forum is our private place to discuss our ideas and plans among those who have already commited to the Citadel project. There would be no benefit to us to include the media there.
VJ
Is there any chance for those of us that have shown great interest in this project to recieve monthly updates on the different phases? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've emailed multiple times in the past six months and haven't received any response... I'm saddened because I am very interested but need more straight forward answers to some of my questions and concerns. I hope to hear from someone soon...
ReplyDeleteRed and Tony,
ReplyDeleteThe blog and web site are the best sources for current public information. We are still so early in this project that other than a few basics, very little has been decided. As we have people move to Idaho this summer we will have more in the way of news and information.
VJ