CBH could put thousands of homes near Micron. Boise wants a say
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- CBH Homes might build thousands of homes near Micron’s Southeast Boise campus.
- Boise leaders seek influence over development beyond city limits near Micron.
- Annexation or impact area inclusion needed for Boise to direct use.
Corey Barton Homes, better known as CBH Homes, could potentially put thousands of homes near Micron, according to Boise Council President Colin Nash. And some council members want to have a say in how any potential development looks.
Micron’s existing campus lies along Federal Way in Southeast Boise. The company has been building a $15 billion fab (which is industry shorthand for semiconductor-fabrication factory) and announced plans in June for a second plant. Nearby Interstate 84 abuts some businesses, but the surrounding land is largely undeveloped.
Representatives of CBH Homes, Idaho’s largest homebuilder, met with city officials for informal conversations this spring, Nash said in an interview with the Statesman. A CBH spokesperson, Tara Kristensen, declined to comment.
“I don’t know if it’s right for the city,” Nash said during the council’s Aug. 12 meeting. “But I would like the city to take a crack at it.”
Whether the city gets to influence the development has to do with areas of impact, which are places beyond city limits where growth is expected. A state law requires cities to identify areas of impact beyond their boundaries for potential annexation as populations grow.
The parcels CBH Homes is interested in aren’t within Boise’s area of impact and are under Ada County’s jurisdiction, Nash said.
If those parcels were in Boise’s area of impact, the city would be able to comment on the development application, spokesperson Maria Ortega said by email. But unless the area were actually annexed by Boise, Ada County would still get the final say.
However, property owners can come to the city and ask to be annexed as long as their property touches city limits, Ortega said. The parcels abut the city limits and city-owned property, Nash said.
There are big differences between the county and city when it comes to infrastructure, Nash said, since Boise has a “monopoly on sewer.” The land near Micron would need to be annexed by Boise to connect to its sewer system.
The county and city also have different development priorities, according to Council Members Jordan Morales and Meredith Stead, both of whom said they met with representatives from CBH Homes. If Ada County takes the lead, the development could end up more rural, Morales said by phone, which wouldn’t make sense because of the area’s proximity to downtown Boise.
Stead said she’d rather seen infill development in Boise, to create more density where services and infrastructure already exist.
“When we’re building a full new neighborhood out in the desert from scratch, that’s more expensive than when you’re adding homes to an existing neighborhood,” Stead said.
But she said it’s also a potential option to build homes near where people will work. Micron is one of the state’s largest employers.
“People are going to need housing, and they’re going to want to have the option to live close to where they work. There’s lots of land and opportunity out that way,” Council Member Luci Willits said by phone. “If the city is not in a leadership role, the county will take the lead, and I want the city to take the lead. It is a natural place to grow.”
County Commissioner Ryan Davidson said by phone that he’d met in the last two months with Corey Barton and other CBH representatives for a “casual” conversation about the future of the county.
“Any government agency is going to want to maintain as much of their decision-making ability for anything under their purview as they can,” Davidson said. “I mean, people who move to the county, generally, are looking for a little more space, but we consider every proposal individually.”
Even if Boise City Council had a say, that doesn’t mean that any proposed development would get the green light. For example, the Boise Airport influence areas’ restrictions on density could complicate any plan, as could what the current landowners want to do.
Ideally, Nash said, CBH Homes or another developer would ask for the parcels to be added to Boise’s area of impact. Many council members want the land added, but Mayor Lauren McLean has asked for a slower process with more staff input, Nash said.
“We’ve always expected growth out there,” Morales said during the city’s Aug. 26 council meeting. “Getting our thumbprint on these areas close to one of our largest employers, close to a lot of amenities and services is going to be very important.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
