After lawsuits and public outcry, this ambitious development could be coming soon to Eagle
After years of obstacles, including two lawsuits and dozens of hours of public testimony, downtown Eagle’s long-awaited, 26.4-acre development, with over 300 homes, six commercial lots and three private streets, is on the move.
The development, called Molinari Park, would bring 200 apartments, 91 townhouses, 16 condos and 5,000 square feet of commercial space to the south side of East Plaza Drive, near the intersection of South 2nd Street and East Plaza Drive — the heart of downtown Eagle.
The project would bring apartments and town homes to a city made up of mostly single-family homes. Outcry from residents and city leaders led to years of delays in the project. Now, following the resolution of the lawsuit and the outcome of work between the city and developer, Molinari Park could be in its final approval steps.
Disagreements prompt lawsuits
When Molinari Park was approved in 2019, many Eagle residents opposed the development, filing a petition for judicial review for the City Council to reconsider the project.
The Idaho Statesman reported at the time that frustrated community members at public hearings over the development called the project “low-income housing” and said the city was “overbuilding” its downtown. But the petition was filed days after its deadline and a judge dismissed it.
That wasn’t the end of the saga. Molinari Park developer Eagle 26 LLC, headed by Greg McVay, sued the Eagle City Council in July 2020 and said council members took steps to stop and delay the construction of the project. The lawsuit said McVay tried to schedule necessary meetings that followed the initial approval, like a final plat approval and approval for a new road, but the council declined to put the projects on their agendas, the Statesman reported.
That lawsuit was dismissed, according to the City of Eagle’s website. It never went to trial and the parties reached an agreement to dismiss the case.
What’s happening now with Molinari Park?
The Eagle City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Molinari Park in January, when they’re expected to decide on changes to Eagle 26 LLC’s development agreement layout.
William Vaughn, planning and zoning administrator for the city, told the Statesman by phone that the council opposed the first draft of layout changes and asked the developers and architects to go back to the drawing table.
Vaughn said Eagle 26’s new proposal changed the building configuration and style, and the council disagreed with the layout and wanted carports more integrated into the buildings.
“They wanted to see a building layout that was maybe more commensurate with the original approval,” he said.
After another meeting with the planning staff, Eagle 26 said they needed more time for their architect to make the needed changes, according to Vaughn.
The development would include 17 three-story town home lots. It would also include three five-story apartment buildings and multiple live-work apartments with housing on the upper floors and commercial on the ground floor. It would also have four-story commercial buildings.
Molinari Park could be the only apartments Eagle gets for a while. The City Council approved a zoning amendment that would allow apartments only in the city’s downtown central business district and areas zoned for mixed use.
The Eagle City Council is scheduled to hear the proposal at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 10, at City Hall.
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
