Boise’s new zoning code could impact housing, growth for decades. What to know

Boise residents are taking to City Hall this week to testify on major changes to the rules that govern development — an overhaul that the city hasn’t seen in more than five decades.

The proposal would dictate the types of buildings that can be built in different parts of the city, and many advocates think a reboot is urgently needed to pave the way for less sprawl and keep up with Idaho’s rapidly growing population. The proposed changes are years in the making and resulted in a 600-page document released in February, called the Modern Zoning Code.

The council is expected to vote on the changes Thursday. Here’s what you need to know.

What would Boise zoning code changes do?

If passed, the code would allow small apartment buildings to be built in residential areas more easily, and would target transit corridors for mixed-use development. Some density increases in residential neighborhoods would be tied to affordability and sustainability criteria, which Mayor Lauren McLean’s administration has said is part of an effort to build more affordable housing.

The code would also streamline the development process by removing public hearings for some applications and not notifying nearby residents about all projects. Those changes are intended to make building denser housing easier, city officials have said.

To identify what kinds of growth the city should see, city staff members have pointed to Blueprint Boise, the comprehensive planning document written more than a decade ago that emphasizes sustainability, pedestrian and transit-oriented development, a mix of housing types, and neighborhood character.

Since April, when the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the council approve the code, the city’s Planning Department has recommended small changes. Those include modifications to manufactured home requirements and leaving out specific minimum widths and other rules surrounding sidewalk cafes, because they are regulated elsewhere in city law, Planning Director Tim Keane said Monday.

What has public testimony looked like so far?

Several neighborhood associations gave input about the rewrite Monday, and close to 100 residents testified Tuesday.

A number of neighborhood representatives said they opposed reducing the amount of time neighborhood associations are allowed to testify at hearings in response to development applications. The current proposal would limit them to a minimum of five minutes, whereas current rules often give them more time. Other residents said they opposed having developments proceed without public hearings.

Keane has said the city aims to encourage the types of development — denser, more urban and mixed-use projects — leaders want to see by making the process more predictable for builders. Having public hearings introduces uncertainty, Keane said Monday, which can make it more difficult for smaller developers to propose projects.

Richard Llewellyn, a Northwest Boise resident, called the hearing changes an “attack on the public process.”

Other residents said they like the hearing changes because affordable development would get built more quickly.

Kate Simonds, a downtown resident, said she likes the proposed zoning code because she wants to see changes that would help the city become more urban and grow up rather than out.

“Allowing this deliberate attempt to antiquate Boise is not only fiscally irresponsible, it is the theft of future residents getting to enjoy the greatness that I got as a kid,” she said. “Density is good.”

During testimony from neighborhood associations, some representatives said they were concerned about when and how requirements get implemented.

Jeff Fereday, representing the Boise Heights Neighborhood Association, said a developer has not built a required trail in a subdivision dating from the 1990s. The requirement was part of a conditional use permit, and Fereday said he wants city leaders to make sure the conditions they impose on developments in the future come to fruition.

Some residents said they have concerns that the new code won’t lead to more affordable housing because developers won’t use the incentive structure.

“When the zoning regulations allow for more intensive development, the land becomes more valuable and property values rise,” said Estee Lafrenz, president of the South Cole Neighborhood Association. “Developers are in business to make money.”

But others disagreed, including Bud Compher, CEO of NeighborWorks Boise, a nonprofit affordable housing developer. He said he thought developers would take advantage of the incentives, which would then require a portion of units in rentals in residential areas to be rented to people with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income.

“Development is just a matter of, how many homes can you fit on the property, how do you divide those costs,” Compher said. “So I can’t see how being able to put more homes on that property would not make things more affordable.”

Some residents don’t like how the plans could change neighborhoods by allowing taller buildings close to residential areas.

“It’s simply too intense,” Veterans Park resident Gary Zimmerman said.

A number of locals also say they want the council to wait until next year to take up the code, when a new council is elected.

What are council members debating?

Already, council members are mulling over a number of the code’s provisions.

Council Member Patrick Bageant in a meeting Monday said he worries neighborhood associations are not always representative of an actual neighborhood. Other council members — like Jimmy Hallyburton and Colin Nash — have been asking people whether certain types of projects would be most important to include resident input.

More public testimony is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.