Activists worried demolitions cost Boise key parts of history. Here’s how that’s changing
The city of Boise is beginning to change its demolition standards, altering a policy that some have said costs the city historic or otherwise unique buildings.
Before, there was no review period for demolitions that took place outside of the city’s historic districts. People could get a demolition permit in a few days under normal circumstances, Josh Wilson, design review planning manager for the city, told the City Council during its meeting Tuesday.
“We realize that the continued growth and infill in the city does require the loss of some structures, but with some proper planning and foresight, we feel the impacts on the neighbors can be mitigated,” he said.
Demolition without input from neighbors can lead to what happened last year, when the owners of a 1937 Art Deco building in Boise’s West Downtown neighborhood wanted to tear it down. The building was not in a historic district, but neighbors considered it a landmark and residents loved the relatively inexpensive housing it provided.
Boise preservationists wanted to protect the building, but once the demolition permit was issued, the most neighbors could do was hope for an emergency ordinance — like one granted by the Boise City Council in 2018 that protected a huge, historic house and neighboring buildings — or argue against the plans for the condos set to take the building’s place.
Now, an amended ordinance, approved by the council Tuesday night, changes that in some parts of the city. Under the new requirements, demolition on land zoned for design review overlay districts would require a review process and an administrative application. That process, which takes about 15 days and has a 10-day appeal period, would apply to everything but uninhabited structures, Wilson said.
That doesn’t cover all of Boise — much of northwest Boise, for instance, is outside design review overlay zoning — but it often will create a chance for neighbors to weigh in.
“It can create a slight pause, where conversations around alternatives to demolition or alternative streams for waste created from the demolition can take place while not ultimately prohibiting demolition,” Wilson said.
Under the new ordinance, neighborhood associations and anyone living within 300 feet of a project would be notified of the potential demolition as part of the design review process. Wilson said that would provide an opportunity for neighbors to share concerns.
Council President Elaine Clegg said that the ordinance amendment was not the full demolition review ordinance the city plans to bring forward, but she confirmed with Wilson that it was a valid first step.
Those who testified were in favor of the ordinance amendment. Marisa Keith, president of the Southwest Ada County Alliance, said she hoped to see the ordinance expanded beyond just design review areas. Richard Llewellyn, president of the North West Neighborhood Association, said he wanted to find a way for demolitions to happen with minimal environmental impact.
Greg Olson, a Northwest Boise resident, said he hoped the larger ordinance would provide incentives for a better way to handle materials from demolished structures.
“We can slow down on tear-down of materials and repurpose those materials,” Olson, who said he owns a small renewable energy business, told the council. “It’s a greater good all the way around without substantially increasing the cost.”
The council passed the ordinance amendment unanimously.
“I agree this is a good start,” Clegg said.
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 9:45 PM.
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