Council approves 66‑unit Rivergate townhome rezone and plat after neighbors raise traffic, parking and irrigation concerns

Boise City Council voted to approve a rezone from R2 to MX‑1 and a preliminary plat for the Rivergate townhome subdivision at 3099 West Moore Street, authorizing up to 66 for‑sale townhome lots after a lengthy hearing that drew neighborhood objections about density, parking and irrigation access.

City planning staff told council the site is adjacent to existing higher‑density zoning to the west and recommended approval, noting changed conditions including recent planning efforts, transit access and the nearby College of Western Idaho campus. Staff said the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval and identified conditions to protect perimeter landscaping and require coordination with the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) on roadway improvements.

Jeff Wardle, who identified himself as counsel and a representative of the applicant, Gardner Company, said the MX‑1 request reflects site‑specific constraints (a Boise City sewer easement on the northern boundary) and that MX‑1 would allow a feasible for‑sale product that meets the city's design standards. Wardle said the project team will provide a pedestrian and bicycle easement connecting Moore Street to Whitewater Park Boulevard, add landscaping and work with ACHD on frontage improvements; he told council the developer is "amenable" to providing a public pedestrian/bicycle easement across the darker‑blue route shown in the plan materials.

Neighbors and the neighborhood association pressed multiple concerns. Speakers said 66 units on roughly 3 acres amounts to a density that is out of scale with nearby homes; Susan Crandle Meyer said MX‑1 could allow 22 units per acre and warned of added vehicle trips, limited guest parking and safety hazards at a nearby five‑way intersection. Multiple residents also asked how existing open irrigation ditches would be protected; one neighbor asked whether relocation would require irrigation‑district approval. Neighbors proposed alternatives including reduced unit counts, more open space or a permanent park on the parcel owned by the Boise City‑Ada County Housing Authority.

The council asked staff and the applicant to coordinate with ACHD on off‑site traffic and speed mitigation and to confirm irrigation‑district approvals if lines need relocation. Council members who supported approval cited the property's proximity to transit, parks and CWI and noted that the developer had revised the design to orient front doors toward Moore Street and to add connectivity. The motions to approve the rezone (CAR 25‑25) and the preliminary plat (SBE 25‑92) passed by recorded vote of members present.