Commission approves neighborhood cafe at 1504 W. Lemp St.; grants sidewalk variance and parking reduction

The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission approved two related land-use requests for a neighborhood cafe at 1504 West Lemp Street: CUP 24-34, a conditional use permit for a reduced parking requirement, and CVA 24-24, a variance to maintain the existing 5-foot detached sidewalk rather than installing the city’s typical 10-foot detached sidewalk.

Planning staff summarized the proposal, saying the site is a 0.15-acre corner parcel in the R-1C residential traditional zone within a Historic Design Overlay. The applicant proposes to retain the existing early-20th-century single-family house on the lot and construct a new, single-story, 1,200-square-foot neighborhood cafe oriented to Fifteenth Street. Staff said the neighborhood-cafe use is allowed in R-1C with design standards, and that the conditional use permit before the commission covered the parking reduction only; the cafe’s building design is under administrative review for code compliance and will be subject to historic and design review.

The code would normally require two off-street spaces for the proposed use; the applicant requested a reduction to zero on-site parking. Staff recommended the commission approve the parking reduction because the site is adjacent to a Level 2 bikeway on Fifteenth Street, a Level 1 bikeway one block north on Heron, and a bus stop for Valley Regional Transit routes 10 and 16 near the corner. Staff recommended a condition obligating the applicant to post adjacent bus-route schedules and bike-route information on the property to encourage transit and bicycle access.

The applicant team — Christina and Brandon Turpin — described their 12-year neighborhood residency, the project goals to build a small community-oriented cafe, and the decision to preserve the existing 5-foot sidewalk to protect the North End’s historic streetscape and mature trees. Brandon Turpin said installing a new driveway to serve two on-site spaces would require a curb cut that would remove public on-street parking and could present safety issues near the school drop-off area.

Public testimony was mixed. Eric Hagen, president of the North End Neighborhood Association, said the association had concerns about approving projects that eliminate on-site parking entirely and referenced a prior approval that the neighborhood had been told would not set a precedent. Neighbor Krista Bridal urged the commission to decline the variance, saying on-street parking in the area is already “horrible” during school drop-off and pick-up times. Two nearby residents, Joe Perkins and Lars Lundberg, testified in support of the project, saying they expect many neighborhood customers will walk or bike and describing the Turpins as long-term, invested neighbors.

Commissioners debated the balance between preserving the historic streetscape and addressing neighborhood parking concerns. Several commissioners said the small scale of the cafe (1,200 square feet) and nearby transit and bikeways supported the parking reduction request. The commission also discussed long-term bicycle parking: the proposal locates long-term bike parking in an existing shed on the same parcel and a concrete path from the cafe to that shed; staff said the shed’s dimensions can accommodate the required long-term bicycle storage and that a gate or path would provide employee access.

Commissioner Torres moved to approve the conditional use permit and the variance as recommended in the staff report; Commissioner Schafer seconded. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote.

Conditions included posting bus-route schedules and bike-route information on the property and providing secure, long-term bicycle parking with access from the cafe to the on-site shed. The historic-design review required for the building’s appearance will proceed after the commission decision. The commission record notes the 10-day appeal window for parties who testified.