Commission approves new house at 805 E. Jefferson with conditions on drainage and materials

The Boise City Historic Preservation Commission approved application DRH25-00349 for a new single-family residence with an accessory dwelling unit above the garage at 805 East Jefferson Street, adding a condition for permeable paving where practical to address neighborhood runoff concerns.

Staff presented the proposal and noted the lot coverage would be 42%, above the guideline of 35%, but said adjacent properties include higher lot coverage (including parcels at 41% and 47%) and that staff evaluated context and precedent when making a recommendation. Staff recommended approval with conditions on materials and tree mitigation; late correspondence clarified an arborist report and corrected a staff report wording error.

Applicant Noel Martinez, designer with Studio Boise, said the team had updated the site plan after an arborist recommended removal of a black locust tree and that the project team was willing to implement drainage mitigation. East End Neighborhood Association member Cindy Harmon testified that the neighborhood lacks stormwater infrastructure in some areas and described recent flooding during light storms; she urged careful drainage planning.

Commissioners debated lot coverage and precedent. Commissioner Owens moved to approve DRH25-00349 and added a condition that permeable paving be used where possible to reduce runoff; Commissioner Moore seconded. The motion passed 4–2 (Malloy and Sales opposed).

Conditions and next steps: the approval includes staff conditions on materials and tree mitigation and the applicant agreed to pursue permeable paving and on-site drainage measures. The applicant also noted intent to retain significant front trees and use high-quality exterior materials; permits and any required zoning checks remain part of the implementation.