Boise council to dig into 2,000-home Syringa Valley project

The Boise City Council is scheduled to conduct the first of what could be many work sessions on Syringa Valley, a proposed development west of the Boise Airport that would include more than 2,000 homes, schools, a city park and some commercial space on 600 acres southwest of the Boise Airport.

If approved, development of Syringa Valley could take 20 years to unfold.

The council briefly discussed Syringa Valley at a meeting in late March, but its members and Mayor David Bieter backed off after they decided their first look at the project raised more questions than answers.

In February, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the overall plan, but denial of the first phase of development. That phase, known as the Kirsten Subdivision, would entail building more than 450 homes on 101 acres northeast of the corner of Lake Hazel and Cole roads.

Ten years ago, the city acquired 10 acres in the development for use as a park whenever the project gets going. Right now, the Parks and Recreation Department’s land is located on Cole Road just north of Lake Hazel.

But Boise’s agreement with the developer, CBH Homes, anticipates the city will ultimately build the park south of Lake Hazel somewhere close to the middle of Syringa Valley, said Todd Tucker, the Boise planner who’s handling this project.

Neighbors in the area are alarmed at some of the development's implications. Traffic is a major concern for them. Also worrisome is the new development's potential to reduce water flows in existing wells.

Work sessions are less formal than standard council meetings and give the council and mayor a chance to thoroughly understand a project's details.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Boise council to dig into 2,000-home Syringa Valley project."