Episode 9: Discussion of Boise’s building zoning code changes with city planning director

With thousands of new residents moving to Boise every year, the housing market is struggling to keep up. Demand has outstripped supply in recent years, leading to escalating housing prices and a surge in apartment construction.

And paying for roads, sewer and water, and public services such as police and fire, is not penciling out with the medium-density sprawl and single-family subdivisions that are prevalent.

To tackle the issue, Boise city officials have been working for several years on a zoning code rewrite, which some call “upzoning,” to modernize the code and bring it into agreement with the city’s comprehensive plan. But they aren’t embraced by everyone, as several community groups are pushing back against the changes.

This week, as the city opens its public hearings on the building codes, we will talk with Boise City’s Planning and Development Services Director Timothy Keane, who helped draft the proposed code changes.

Keane has held similar positions the small town of Davidson, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta.

Join Scott McIntosh, Idaho Statesman opinion editor, and Bryan Clark, our opinion writer, for a dialogue about this important issue that affects how Boise will grow over the next decade.

This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 4:30 PM.