‘We’re overwhelmed’: New proposal, annexation could add thousands of homes to SW Boise
The Murgoitio name is once again causing a stir in Southwest Boise.
The Murgoitio family is seeking to have annexed 383.6 acres of land for a planned community in what is now unincorporated Ada County. The land owners are requesting permits to build up to 3,452 homes on the site. Documents filed last week through the Land Group, a land development firm, are requesting the city of Boise annex and rezone the area.
The site of the proposed community, called Murio Farms, is north of the New York Canal, south of Lake Hazel Road, and between Cole and Maple Grove roads.
According to records filed with the city, Murio Farms consists of nine parcels, eight of which are owned by members of the Murgoitio family. The ninth parcel is owned by local developer Don Hubble, who owns Hubble Homes. City filings show up to nine houses could go on each acre, for a total of 3,452 homes. An online plan proposes a variety of home types for Murio Farms, including single family, townhouses and apartments.
However, a presentation given to Southwest neighborhoods suggests developers are not planning to build homes on all 383 acres. Instead, “potential projects” on Murio Farms include a new West Ada elementary school, a community park, cultural experiences, a variety of housing options, a neighborhood town center with restaurants and retail, community paths, wildlife observation points and two neighborhood commercial areas.
Kathy Corless, president of the South Cole Neighborhood Association, said surrounding neighborhoods have not responded positively to Murio Farms’ proposal. In April, the Murgoitio family gave an informational presentation to Southwest neighborhoods.
“I think we need housing, and everybody supports housing,” Corless said. “But it all can’t be shoved to Southwest Boise.”
Her biggest concern is the lack of infrastructure, saying it’s “too soon” for the area to be able to handle that much growth.
“It’s so overwhelming in Southwest Boise right now,” Corless said. “People tell me they can’t get out of their driveways. It’s shocking to see so much of this development hit Southwest Boise at the same time. They’re turning Murgoitio Park into a big potential subdivision with lots of houses. Locale, I think they’re 1,200 houses. And another 3,000 houses? We’re overwhelmed.”
Members of the Murgoitio (pronounced Mer-GERT-ee-o) family once owned what is now known as the Murgoitio parcel, where the city promised to build a 160-acre park. The site came under recent attention when the city began considering a land swap that would give the land to a housing developer. Despite the name, the Murgoitios have not owned the land since 1992.
“For almost a century, the Murgoitio Family has been farming in Southwest Boise, contributing to the Boise community and being stewards of the land,” the Land Group’s website states. “As they transition their family homestead to fit into the evolving Southwest Boise landscape, they are requesting feedback from you, their neighbors, to help them create a planned community that celebrates the agricultural heritage of the site, the regional landscape, and the pioneering spirit of their Basque heritage within the framework of Boise’s comprehensive plan.”
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This story was originally published July 3, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
