Will Boise’s new zoning laws affect your home? Type in your address to find out
Can you raise bees downtown? (Yes! But not wasps, sorry.) How far must a sexually oriented business be from a church? (1,000 feet.) How many goats can you have on an acre of land? (Eight.) What color can the mulch in front of a library be? (Natural colors only. Creative patterns are especially forbidden, so put away your cheetah print mulch now.)
The zoning code governs nearly everything you see around you in Boise. But it’s about to change — drastically. We’re talking 200 additional pages of changes.
The most significant changes will decide how and where growth happens — whether developers can build 100 new homes in your neighborhood or just 10.
As the first substantial zoning code rewrite in nearly 60 years, it will decide what the city looks like for decades to come. But before these new codes become the law of the land, city planners want to hear feedback from residents. It will be a chance for locals to have a say in how the city grows.
Wait, what’s going on?
The city created its current zoning code in 1966 and city planners say it is long overdue for an update.
Officials recently released the second of three parts of the proposed new code.
The first part, released in May 2021, addresses what can be built in different areas of the city. It creates new zones that tell developers where they can build single-family homes, apartments, offices, retail and more.
The second part regulates how something can be built. It outlines development standards, including size, design, density, parking requirements and incentives for developments that provide a community benefit.
The third part will focus on the procedural and administrative aspects of how the code will be enforced.
On top of large-scale changes, Boiseans should expect a new level of detail to zoning. For example, while Kentucky bluegrass on certain types of property is vaguely “discouraged” by the current code, it “shall not exceed 33%” of multifamily and nonresidential landscaping under the new one.
You can find more information on the process and proposed changes at CityOfBoise.org/zoning-code-rewrite.
What will these changes look like?
To illustrate how new design standards would work, city planners created images of imagined future developments in each neighborhood. For the Central Bench area, they showed residents a photograph of the northwest corner of North Orchard Hill Street and West Morris Hill Road where the Campos Market grocery store now stands. Under the new zoning code, developers would no longer be allowed to construct this type of building.
Planners created a rendering showing how Campos Market would look if it was someday rebuilt using the new zoning code. New requirements would include parking located in the back of the building instead of the front, an entrance closer to the street, sidewalks with landscaping that separates them from the road, additional windows to create visual interest for pedestrians, and awnings to create a sense of place.
When will the new zoning code take effect?
City officials intend to release the third part around April for public feedback.
Around September, public comments from all three parts will be used to create a new draft of the zoning code. City planners hope to present that draft to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a public hearing in November. After that, it will go to the City Council, where members will vote on whether to adopt it.
“We are hoping for a final adoption in July of 2023,” Andrea Tuning said in Monday’s Planning and Zoning meeting.
Will my home be affected by the new code?
A new interactive map allows residents to compare current zoning districts to proposed districts. Type in your address to see if your home will fall in a new zone. Find more information on the city’s website. The tool works best on a desktop device.
How can I get involved?
Community engagement meetings on the second part of the rewrite are taking place from now until April 6. They will give an overview of how the zoning code will affect specific neighborhoods and allow attendees to provide feedback. Everyone is welcome to any meeting. A survey asking for online feedback will come out Feb. 24. Upcoming meetings are:
▪ General Community — 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, on Zoom
▪ Southwest — 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March, 1 at West Junior High School library
▪ Foothills — 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at Hillside Junior High School library
▪ General Community — 11 am. Saturday, March 12, on Zoom
▪ Northwest — 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at Riverglen Junior High School library
▪ General Community — 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, on Zoom
▪ Southeast/Airport — 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at Les Bois Junior High School library
▪ North End/East End — 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at Boise High School library
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
