Boise Council adds protections for historic homes. Here’s what homeowners should know
Owners of Boise’s more historic properties will face greater punishments for making alterations to their property without prior approval.
The Boise City Council unanimously approved an ordinance amendment on Tuesday to curb instances of illegal demolitions and alterations to properties in Boise’s 10 historic districts, with increased consequences for those who break city requirements.
The new ordinance allows the city planning director to delay construction on a new project for six months, until a report of violations is created and presented to the Historic Preservation Council, which can approve or deny the report. The director can waive the need for a report if the changes are deemed minor.
The Historic Preservation Council can also recommend rehabilitative measures, if necessary.
Planning Manager Josh Wilson told the council that demands for stricter punishment came after multiple trees were removed and some buildings demolished in some historic districts.
“We really don’t have a strong deterrent to these actions in the zoning ordinance,” Wilson said.
The ordinance will also allow the planning director, property owner and the neighborhood association an opportunity to negotiate how the property can be restored to its original condition if needed.
City code requires that those seeking to make changes — such as changing a fence or tearing down a tree — to their historic properties must first obtain a “certificate of appropriateness” from the Historic Preservation Council before work on the work can begin.
Those who make alterations without a certificate could be guilty of a misdemeanor and forced to pay a $1,000 fine.
Multiple council members had asked that the issue be brought before the City Council. Councilwoman Holli Woodings said it’s an issue she’s been concerned about since serving as president of the North End Neighborhood Association, which serves one of the city’s historic districts.
“It felt at the time very frustrating … because there was no real remedy to that violation,” she said.
Councilman Patrick Bageant said a $1,000 fine often isn’t a large enough deterrent and can give some the opportunity to “buy out” of compliance with the rules. He said a delay in construction could be more effective.
“It imposes essentially a stop-work order, which slows and delays the development, can cause all kinds of problems and is really cumbersome for everyone in an equal way,” he said.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
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