Officials want to ban 10,000-square-foot mansions near McCall. This is why

A ban on homes larger than 10,000 square feet around McCall has been adopted by Valley County commissioners.

The move comes as the McCall City Council is considering banning the large homes inside the city limits.

Commissioners on Dec. 21 reluctantly adopted the ban in what is known as the McCall Area of Impact, which takes in land around Payette Lake and stretches west to the Adams County line and south to beyond Elo Road.

McCall Community and Economic Development Director Michelle Groenevelt told commissioners the square footage cap would help with a housing shortage in the city.

Many homes larger than 10,000 square feet are built as vacation homes, which drive up building costs, Groenevelt said.

Upkeep of the homes by gardeners, cleaning crews and other workers in turn drive demand for more affordable housing, she said.

“These (10,000 square foot) homes have their own little economies that come with them, and so they just further create challenges with our housing situation,” she said.

Limiting mansion size could hurt tax revenue, commissioner says

The McCall Area Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the square footage cap and other building code updates on Nov. 3.

The McCall City Council held a public hearing on the changes last Thursday but took no action. More public testimony will be accepted at the council’s next meeting on Jan. 14.

Commissioners expressed doubts about the square footage cap, but noted that land use in the impact area is based on McCall’s vision for growth as foreseen in city planning documents.

“It does impact the county in a large way, but I also believe the city has the right to say what they want to become, and that’s their vision for that area,” commissioner Sherry Maupin said.

Commission Chair Elt Hasbrouck worried restricting home size could hurt city and county property tax collections, which help fund public services like police and fire protection.

“I’m not comfortable with it in the impact area, because say you build a $10 million or $15 million home, that’s some great value to add to your tax base,” Hasbrouck said.

Hasbrouck also worried that banning large homes in McCall could result in the homes being built outside the city without access to sewers, resulting in more septic tanks.

4 McCall mansions top 10,000 square feet

McCall currently has four homes larger than 10,000 square feet, according to billing records for the Payette Lakes Recreational Water and Sewer district, which charges based on square footage.

One of the homes, a nearly 12,000 square foot home in the Whitetail Club, has averaged about $29,000 per year in property taxes since 2016, according to Valley County property records.

The city’s impact area is subject to city land use rules under an agreement with the county, but any changes in the rules must be approved by county commissioners.

This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 2:04 PM.