Parking near this proposed development is ‘a disaster.’ Why Boise approved fewer spaces
A 6,700-square-foot building is approved to move forward at Bown Crossing, filling in a long-empty lot in the popular shopping area.
The development located at 3047 S. Bown Way, proposes bringing a multitenant building with retail space and a restaurant with outdoor seating. But the proposal for the land, owned by Boyd Yee and the Yick Yee Family Company, isn’t the first introduced for that spot. And even the final proposal, heard Tuesday by the Boise City Council, wasn’t universally loved.
According to documents, the developer attempted to build on the land in early 2018, when he requested a 2,700-square-foot restaurant and 3,200 square feet of retail space. That would have required 38 parking spaces under city code, but the developer proposed 14. The project was denied by the Planning and Zoning Commission before the Boise City Council ordered the developer to go to mediation with nearby property owners.
The mediation ultimately failed, and the council denied the original request. At the time, the council recommended the developer modify the project “to reduce required parking to minimize impacts on adjacent properties,” according to documents.
That’s where the newest version comes in. After a redesign, the proposed development had less seating and square footage in the restaurant The developer requested fewer parking spaces than required by code, requesting 14 instead of the 23 required as well as a rezone from C-1D (neighborhood commercial with design review) to PCD/DA (pedestrian commercial with design review and a development agreement).
In January, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the development to have less parking and recommended approval of the rezone to the City Council. But Richard Lomas, a neighbor, appealed arguing that when combined with the surrounding buildings, some of which people say already do not have enough parking, a reduction in parking is wrong and makes things harder for nearby property owners.
During a public hearing, Robert Schneider, who lives in California and owns one of the neighboring buildings at 3042 S. Bown Way, said he has been unable to lease his building out.
“We have had many people come and look at it, many people interested,” Schneider said. “It’s a beautiful site, it’s a beautiful building. We have had not one taker of so many people looking at it. The reason we don’t have people who want the building is because there’s no parking.”
Schneider said his building has 24 spaces but that they’re always occupied, so he “about flipped” when hearing another potential building owner wanted only 14 spaces.
William Schilling, an optometrist who owns Barber Town Eye Care located near the proposed building, testified that parking in the area is “a disaster.” Ross Caulum, regional real estate director for Saint Alphonsus Health System, which has a health plaza nearby, said many of the patients who visit that location need parking right next to the health plaza and that another building with limited parking would have a “significant adverse impact on our parking availability.”
A few people testified in favor of the limited parking. Patrick Spoutz, a Boise resident, said large parking lots “are hostile to pedestrians,” arguing instead that the space is largely accessible for walking and biking.
Ultimately, no argument convinced the City Council of any error in the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission. For the council to uphold an appeal, an error must be found.
When the City Council voted on the project, members began by unanimously approving the less-controversial rezone. Most people of the more than a dozen who testified agreed the rezone was appropriate, as it matched the surrounding buildings.
“It’s true that many people drive to Bown Crossing, but it’s also true that almost 10,000 people live within walking and biking distance of Bown Crossing,” Council President Elaine Clegg said. “For those reasons, I think that the PCD zone is absolutely appropriate for this site.”
They then turned to the parking reduction.
Council Member Holli Woodings said that she was unable to find an error. Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton said that while he had concerns about affordable housing in the area for people who work at the proposed stores and those around it, he couldn’t find error either.
The council voted unanimously to deny the appeal.
“It’s my belief that you get what you build,” Clegg said. “If we build more parking, you’ll get more cars. And if we build a place where people are expected to arrive another way, they’ll figure out how to arrive another way.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 1:39 AM.
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