Development could creep closer to Idaho wildlife refuge. Nampa opponents ‘flabbergasted’
Visitors to Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge can find signs of vibrancy year-round — great horned owls in the spring and bald eagles in the summer; ducks and geese in the fall and winter.
Mule deer, coyotes, great blue herons, California quail and red-tailed hawks fill the refuge around Lake Lowell west of Nampa all year. The duck population alone surpasses the city’s 114,000 residents in mid-December — reaching as high as 150,000, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
But a new type of vibrancy seems to be on the horizon near the only federal wildlife refuge in Southwest Idaho: homes, businesses and the sounds of construction.
For years, development has crept south from Caldwell and southwest from Nampa closer to the refuge and Lake Lowell. This trend could continue now that the Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of the Deer Flat Ranch subdivision, which would put 189 homes, space for businesses, an improved event area and community space next to the refuge.
The Nampa City Council has final say on approval.
The plan would transform nearly 260 acres of mostly farmland owned by Nampa’s well-known Kido family on the eastern edge of Lake Lowell and Deer Flat, wedged between the Kingfisher Trail and Midland Boulevard.
The Kido family says they planned the development to protect wildlife, but residents have rallied against the project. They say that it would harm the countless number of species that live in and migrate through the area, and that the infrastructure and roads are not in place to support the development.
“Something needs to be done,” said nearby resident Cindy Campbell in a phone interview. “It’ll impact everything.”
Campbell, who has lived about 3 miles from the refuge for the past seven years, said her concerns are more focused on the animals than the transportation impacts.
Light from new houses, exhaust fumes, and noises from cars and more people could affect the wildlife that call the refuge home, Campbell said.
“This is a national flyway,” she said. “I’m just flabbergasted that they’re doing this.”
In addition to the housing, the plan calls for finding a new use for the 70-acre Bowman Gravel Pit and a new pathway along Midland Boulevard, according to a staff summary. It could bring around 500 new residents to the area.
Scott Kido, who is a former Nampa School Board member, said during the meeting that plans also call for an ecosystem to be built around the lake to protect wildlife — which was one of his highest priorities when the family bought the land.
“I also am a bird watcher,” he said. “I’m an ornithologist. I love wildlife.”
Scott Kido and Lori Lovelace have run Lovelace & Kido Dental Group since 1982 and are working with Nampa’s Triple Crown Investments on the development.
What could southwest Nampa look like?
According to Charlie Kido, the family has been working on the concept for the better part of eight years.
“I truly believe this is one of the most beautiful sites in the Treasure Valley and our goal here is to keep the majority of it open and available for the community to enjoy,” he said.
The family would leave 76 acres as agricultural land, and 12 acres of commercial property would surround the already-built event center and current residents, he said.
“Our vision for the farm is to build an (agriculture)-centric mixed-use operation that will act as a transitional buffer for the wildlife refuge, while providing desirable commercial amenities and act as a community and cultural hub for the city of Nampa and the surrounding area,” he said.
The family’s conceptual plans call for a Japanese botanical garden, 5-acre pond, pumpkin patch, corn maze, vineyard and an expansion of their lavender fields — where they’ve hosted the Lakeside Lavender Festival for the past four years.
Charlie Kido said they hoped that other community events could follow, such as cherry blossom and fall festivals, and a Christmas light show.
“We’re hoping to transform these fields into a place that we can host a variety of family-friendly community events that highlight the beauty of the wildlife refuge, while promoting nature conservation and honoring our agrarian heritage,” Charlie Kido said.
The businesses they’re looking for in the commercial area include restaurants, retail, a floral shop and a winery, among other things, he said.
“We’re hoping to build a home for other local small businesses that share the same passion for the area as we do,” Charlie Kido said.
Could the development affect Nampa wildlife?
The Kidos said the project would highlight and protect wildlife, as well as the agricultural history of the area. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which runs the refuge, expressed some concerns.
Eddie Owens, the director of the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge, submitted a letter to the city saying the service had identified issues with the development.
While the refuge “typically refrains from commenting on projects outside its boundaries, we have identified multiple issues of significance due to this project’s proximity to the refuge,” Owens wrote. “We do not oppose new construction in the area, but we cannot support any plans that may adversely affect wildlife or their habitats.”
The development next to the refuge, Owens said, could lead to detrimental effects on the ecosystem and wildlife. Noise and light, as well as pollutants from water runoff, could stress wildlife, leading to changes in behavior and displacement for animals.
“These pressures can result in the decline of native species and the disruption of the ecological process,” Owens said.
Scott Kido said he spoke to Owens and the director had no problems with the plan. However, Owens said in his letter that there had been no formal discussions.
The Kidos’ plan includes access to Lake Lowell, but Owens said there has been no approval for such an access point, which would need to undergo the proper Fish & Wildlife processes, including a public comment period. The service, he said, would support an access point only if it is fully open to the public and includes enough parking spaces.
According to Megan Nagel, a spokesperson for Fish and Wildlife, a portion of the development could bisect the Kingfisher Trail and affect public access.
“The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is looking (at) possibilities for a land exchange with the landowner to ensure folks will still have access to their public lands and water,” Nagel said via email.
A stormwater pond in the plans also could affect wildlife, Owens said. He recommended against building one so close to the refuge.
“Research indicates that stormwater runoff can introduce harmful pollutants into sensitive environments, with studies showing that many stormwater ponds exceed toxicity thresholds for trace metals and other pollutants, posing risks to aquatic species,” Owens said. “Runoff can alter wetland hydrology and impair the reproductive success of amphibians and waterfowl.”
Concerns over transportation, gravel pit
Some residents who spoke during a public hearing said they would support the project — if only the roads and public infrastructure were in place to support it first.
“I’m not necessarily against the development of south Nampa,” said resident Bart McKnight. “I would love to have a couple of nice restaurants closer. But the infrastructure must catch up and be prepared for growth; otherwise it’s like pushing a gallon of milk through a straw.
“At some point, the pressure will be overwhelming to the point of catastroph(e), and I beg the city leaders to focus on infrastructure first.”
The Kidos still need to finalize many details for the development, such as what they would do with the 70-acre Bowman Gravel Pit.
Charlie Kido said development is difficult for the old mining land, but ideas include a park, sports complex, school research facility or an arboretum. Some of their ideas for it, such as an amphitheater, received negative feedback, so they said they were happy to jettison those.
Planning and Zoning Commissioner Steve Kehoe said that there were several lingering questions about the development and that he didn’t feel comfortable voting on it until getting some of them answered.
“To be honest, I feel like this application is not complete,” Kehoe said.
But after attaching a long list of conditions, including a revised traffic study, prohibiting turning the pit into an amphitheater or self-storage site, capping the density and banning fencing along the refuge, Kehoe voted in favor of the project — helping it pass unanimously.
