Planning commission recommends annexation, IL zoning for Elite Industrial at East Victory Road

The Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission voted April 28 to recommend annexation, a comprehensive-plan amendment and IL zoning for a proposed industrial subdivision on property addressed as 4300 East Victory Road.

Jeff Hatch of Hatch Design Architecture told the commission the 17.6-acre site, currently used primarily for open-air recreational-vehicle and boat storage, would be divided into an industrial subdivision with a small (2.6-acre) BC commercial island that keeps the existing storage use conforming rather than grandfathered.

"The subject property is just south of the airport on the northwest corner of Happy Valley Road and Victory Road," Hatch said, describing plans for an access road and roughly 31 industrial lots; he said some parcels could be combined for larger industrial buildings and that those future uses would be evaluated through conditional-use permits and building permits.

In its staff report, Associate Planner Candace Fry said the airport has raised multiple compatibility concerns tied to a 1975 aviation easement, and staff recommended conditions to address them. Those include limiting certain uses near the runway (staff flagged churches, daycares and schools as examples the airport suggested removing from allowable uses), adding a reference to the 7:1 building slope in the preliminary plat notes, updating landscaping to avoid bird-attracting species near the airport, and specifying full-cutoff LED exterior lighting to reduce glare.

"The Nampa Municipal Airport analysis is included in the staff report," Fry said, citing the 1975 easement and a staff list of recommended changes to the preliminary plat. She also noted the engineering division found the prelim plat omitted critical details (locations of proposed water, sewer, storm drain, pressure irrigation and topography) and recommended resubmittal to resolve those items before final plat approval.

Neighbor Cheryl Heath urged the commission to require that an access easement benefitting adjacent properties be fully replaced in the new plat. "Without that access road, the large equipment is unable currently to get to the property," Heath said, asking the city to keep a full replacement route in the design.

Hatch replied that he and the owner would work with staff and the neighbor to identify an access solution and could provide contact information to coordinate offline.

After closing the public hearing, the commission moved to recommend approval of the annexation, map amendment and zoning with the staff-recommended conditions. A roll-call vote was recorded and the motion carried.

Next steps: the commission's recommendation moves to the City Council for final action. The staff report and the preliminary plat will need revision to address the noted engineering omissions and the airport-related plat notes before final platting can proceed.