Kuna council approves Newbury Place preliminary plat despite neighbors’ traffic and privacy concerns

The Kuna City Council voted to approve the Newbury Place preliminary plat, Case 2505‑S, after hearing presentations from city staff, the applicant and several residents who raised safety and privacy concerns.

Planner Marina Lundy told the council the application requests preliminary plat approval for roughly 18.6 acres already zoned R‑8, proposing 95 residential lots and 22 common lots near the intersection of South 10 Mile Road and West Lake Hazel Road. Lundy told the council staff reviewed the plat for compliance with Kuna city code, Idaho statutes and the Kuna comprehensive plan and recommended the conditions listed in the staff report.

Elwin Butler, a representative with Matrix Engineering, presented the applicant's plan and described design changes from a prior approval: the current proposal reduces the number of residential lots from 98 to 95 and common lots from 25 to 22, increases typical lot widths to 40 feet to allow detached homes, and reports an average lot size of roughly 4,133 square feet and 5.1 units per acre (zoning allows up to 8 units per acre). Butler said the plat provides a 25‑foot setback from the Harris Canal, includes planned relocation of a 30‑inch underground pipe within canal easements, and accommodates Ada County Highway District (ACHD) requests for additional right‑of‑way and future roundabout right‑of‑way at 10 Mile and Butterfly.

Neighbors raised several concerns during public comment. Rebecca Torres, who lives at 7015 S. 10 Mile Road and said her home is adjacent to the Harris Canal, told the council she is worried about driveway access and safety, saying "ACHD said that there's about to be 900 more cars per day from that subdivision," and that short driveway length and speeding on nearby roads have previously resulted in crashes near her property. Torres also asked whether new development could affect her private well and expressed privacy concerns about the proximity of new homes.

Butler responded to those neighbor concerns, saying ACHD is requiring the applicant to close the access nearest Torres’ home and to use Butterfly Lane for subdivision access; he said the plat should provide the same canal setbacks seen in nearby Memory Ranch, that the project will connect to city water and sewer (so he does not anticipate impacts to Torres' well), and that the developer will add permit protections for Boise Project Board rights on the final plat.

Tim Jensen of the Kuna School District said the district’s most recent study projects approximately 0.5 students per new household, down from historical estimates near 1.2, and noted enrollment impacts are distributed across grade levels.

Council members discussed cumulative traffic impacts along 10 Mile Road, noting several approved developments will funnel traffic onto that corridor. Some members urged ACHD to accelerate road improvements, while others noted the city’s limited authority over arterial roads and warned that denying an annexed project could invite legal challenges. City attorney Jake Jones advised denial could be challenged and any dispute would turn on the factual findings required by city code regarding public services and health and safety.

After deliberation, a council member moved to approve Case 2505‑S subject to the conditions listed in the staff packet; the motion carried with the council's recorded voice vote and no recorded opposition.

What’s next: The approval is preliminary and subject to the conditions in the staff report and required coordination with ACHD, the Boise Project Board of Control and the Bureau of Reclamation regarding canal easement work and right‑of‑way permit requirements.