Commission approves attached garage and rear addition at 1215 E. Warm Springs with 2-foot offset condition

The Boise City Historic Preservation Commission voted to approve application DRH25-00007, a certificate of appropriateness for 1215 East Warm Springs Avenue, with a condition requiring a two-foot offset of the proposed attached garage from the kitchen plane. The commission's action followed discussion about the Warm Springs district policy preference for detached accessory structures and unique site constraints that the applicants said limit detached options.

Staff recommended denial, pointing to the district policy that accessory garages should be detached and secondary in appearance. Staff noted that, historically, Warm Springs properties typically had detached carriage houses and that the design guidelines encourage avoiding attached garages where possible.

Applicants and their architect, Amy Allgaier, told the commission the house was moved to the site in the 1980s and has had an attached parking structure for decades. Allgaier and the owners argued the lot has no rear alley, limiting where a detached garage could be placed; detaching the garage would either face Warm Springs with multiple garage doors or force a narrow, constrained condition between house and garage that would reduce access and maintenance space and could negatively affect the nearby historic stone carriage house. The applicant also cited accessibility needs for a family member: the main house floor sits roughly 49 inches above grade, and providing a compliant ramp would require a roughly 64-foot ramp, while the current plan includes a platform lift adjacent to the garage for wheelchair access.

Neighbors and contractors testified in favor of the project. Two nearby residents spoke in support, and a contractor noted the existing carport is a nonconforming structure; one neighbor said the new enclosed garage and addition would improve the appearance and usability of the property.

After discussion, the commission approved the application with the condition that the proposed attached garage face be offset two feet from the kitchen plane to improve differentiation between old and new massing. The roll call vote recorded all commissioners present voting in favor.

The approval includes standard staff conditions to ensure materials and detailing for the carriage house and addition are consistent with guidelines and to protect the historic features of the carriage house. The applicant and staff also discussed potential minor adjustments to siting to increase the setback from the carriage house to protect foundations and tree health.

Votes at a glance for DRH25-00007: approved with condition (2-foot offset), mover: not specified in transcript, second: not specified in transcript; tally — unanimous approval by commissioners present.