Council upholds approval for 26-unit building at 1508 W. Boise Ave., denies neighborhood appeal

The Boise City Council on April 22 denied an appeal of the Design Review Commission’s approval for a 26‑unit apartment building at 1508 West Boise Avenue, upholding the commission and staff findings after about three hours of testimony and questions from council members.

The appeal was filed by neighborhood residents who argued the project violates the city’s comprehensive-plan guidance (Blueprint Boise) and multiple provisions of the city’s development code, and that the building’s design, setbacks and alley/drive access are incompatible with the surrounding one‑ and two‑story homes. The council voted 4–1 to deny the appeal; one councilmember recorded a “no” vote.

Rachel Farrell, design review planner for the City of Boise, told the council the project — a four‑story, 26‑unit building with a partially subterranean two‑level parking structure — meets the dimensional and design standards in the R‑2 zone and that the Design Review Commission’s denial of the appeal should be sustained. Farrell said the project provides 30 parking spaces (exceeding the requirement of 27), detached…