Boise council approves Adler Industrial annexation with $633,000 fire-fee prepayment and future fire-station land commitment

Boise City Council approved a package of land-use changes and a development-agreement modification for a large Adler Industrial project near Orchard Street, contingent on an upfront payment of $633,000 toward estimated fire impact fees and an agreement to dedicate land for a future fire station.

The council voted to approve CPA 22-3 and CAR 22-48, which convert about 26 acres from industrial to commercial and annex approximately 41 acres with zoning designations that include C-2 DDA for roughly 26 acres and M-1 DDA for about 14.7 acres. The action also rezones roughly 19.6 acres from C-1 DDA to M-1 DDA and modifies an existing development agreement. The annexation ordinance will not be advanced to first reading until the $633,000 prepayment has been submitted.

Planning staff told the council the applicant’s traffic impact study was accepted by the Ada County Highway District and the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval in 2023 with conditions. The city’s Department of Finance and Administration provided a memo indicating the annexation could be financially supported by projected tax revenue from the proposed development.

Will Gooda, vice president of development for Adler Industrial, described the company’s local portfolio and said Adler has invested millions in infrastructure elsewhere in the valley. He told council the annexed property had been used for illegal dumping and that Adler has coordinated cleanup with state agencies. Gooda said the project will include significant public infrastructure—City staff estimated total private infrastructure investment in the broader area could exceed $30 million—and that Adler is willing to dedicate land for a future fire station.

Council President Nash moved the item and included a condition requiring the $633,000 prepayment. Council discussion clarified how the prepayment will be treated: the sum is a prepayment of estimated fire impact fees that will be trued up as development occurs. Staff said credits will be tracked parcel-by-parcel and applied only to parcels that are contiguous to the annexed site and owned by the applicant at the time of annexation; credits will not be applied to parcels acquired later by the applicant or to noncontiguous parcels.

City staff and the applicant also discussed the size and location of the donated fire-station parcel. Staff said the Boise Fire Department estimated an approximate need of four acres but that exact siting and parcel size will be determined through the subdivision process and refined in the DA. The council directed staff to work with the applicant to add more specific DA language on the fire-station contribution.

Finance staff said the $633,000 estimate was prepared assuming a development mix that is principally industrial (about 90% industrial in the financial assumptions). Staff emphasized that state law prevents the city from waiving impact fees and that any reconciliation of the prepayment will be completed only after build-out of the subject parcels, with reimbursements or credits issued as required by the reconciliation process.

The council passed the motion unanimously among members voting that evening. Next steps are completion of the prepayment, finalization of DA language between staff and the applicant, and scheduling of annexation ordinance readings once the condition is met.

The approval authorizes changes intended to create an industrial park supported by adjacent commercial uses and to reserve land and funding mechanisms for a future fire station to serve the expanding area.

City staff will return with final DA language that clarifies the fire-station parcel size and the mechanics of impact-fee credits before the annexation ordinance is introduced for first reading.