Karena Youtz loves her 14th Street neighborhood in the North End. It's quiet. It's close to friends. It's within walking distance of Downtown. In short, "It's a great place to live," she said.

The last thing Youtz wants to see in the historic residential neighborhood is a 100-year-old house torn down, especially if it's for a parking lot.

The house, owned by the nonprofit Treasure Valley Institute for Children's Arts, or TrICA, is adjacent to the former Immanuel Methodist Episcopal Church at 14th and Eastman streets. TrICA has plans to open a multidisciplinary children's arts conservatory in the church.

When Youtz, whose family lives across the street from the church, found out TrICA was considering demolishing the house for a parking lot, she started the Save 14th Street campaign.

Youtz has posted signs in front of the house opposing its demolition. She has started a Web site where neighbors can learn more about the campaign and voice their opinions.

But the fate of the house is far from a done deal.

"The truth is, we have not decided what we're going to do with that property yet, and we're not going to for a while," said founder and artistic director Jon Swarthout.

TrICA wants to get more input from neighbors before making a decision, Swarthout said. It plans to hold a neighborhood meeting to discuss the options and put them to a vote.

The meeting likely will take place sometime next year after TrICA has filled its open executive director position, Swarthout said.

"We really want to make sure that we do listen to everyone collectively," he said. "That way, we're getting a fair representation of what most people would like to see."

While Youtz applauded TrICA's efforts to restore the dilapidated church - once home to a methamphetamine lab - she said she cannot support the project if it involves tearing down the house.

She primarily is concerned that a parking lot would increase traffic on the street and open the neighborhood to commercial development.

"Our main goal is to maintain the residential quality of our neighborhood, and a parking lot is antithetical to that goal," Youtz said. "There's no way to preserve our neighborhood with something like that here."

But a parking lot is just one of several options being considered by TrICA, Swarthout said.

Other options include:

Restoring the house and using it for storage, office space or a residence.

Demolishing the house and constructing an office building against the street, with a small rear parking lot that is accessible by the alley.

Demolishing the house and constructing an outdoor performance space or community garden with a rear parking lot.

Swarthout said TrICA already has received plenty of positive feedback on the project.

"The vast majority of neighbors from day one have been nothing but thrilled that this is happening," he said. "Some neighbors say they want us to provide as much parking as possible so people are not parking on the street."

Both TrICA and Save 14th Street have addressed the North End Neighborhood Association, which has not taken a position on the issue, interim president Amy Cook said.

Whatever TrICA wants to do with the property must be approved by the city. Any proposal involving the demolition of the house would require "significant entitlements from the planning department," said Hal Simmons, Boise planning director.

Because the property is located in a residential zone, TrICA would need a special exception from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The house also is located in a historic area, and its demolition would require approval from the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

"It's not something they can just go out and do," Simmons said. "It will go through a fairly lengthy public review process."

After meeting informally with TrICA earlier this year, the city advised against submitting a proposal solely for a surface parking lot, Simmons said.

"If they want to do just a parking lot, the chances of that happening are pretty slim," he said.

Given the unlikelihood of the city approving a parking-lot-only plan, and the fact TrICA has not even submitted a proposal to the city - let alone made a decision on the property - why is Save 14th Street going to all this trouble?

Youtz considers it a pre-emptive strike.

"It's hugely important to me and some of the other neighbors, (and) we want to make sure we're in on the beginning of the process as it's being pieced together," she said. "I've been here long enough to see that if you don't tell people what you want, you definitely won't get it."

Chad Dryden: 672-6734