Planning commission recommends rezoning West Moore site for 66 townhomes despite neighborhood opposition

Boise — The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6–1 to recommend that City Council approve a rezoning from R2 to MX1 and a preliminary plat for a proposed 66‑unit townhome development at 3099 West Moore Street.

The commission’s recommendation includes the staff-recommended terms and an added condition asking the applicant and Ada County Highway District (ACD) to evaluate speed‑management and safety measures on More Street, 31st Street and 32nd Street before the project advances to council.

The project team said the rezoning is necessary to allow individually platted, fee‑simple townhome lots that prospective buyers can finance more easily than condominiums. Planning staff described the 3.45‑acre site as adjacent to Whitewater Park Boulevard and existing transit corridors, and said the preliminary plat provides 66 townhome lots, a private alley network with two parking spaces per unit (tandem or side‑by‑side), six guest spaces (one ADA accessible), and about 24,567 square feet (roughly 18%) of common open space.

Why it matters: Commissioners who supported the recommendation said the location — near transit, the greenbelt and recreation amenities — fits the city’s compact infill goals and will add housing supply to a constrained market. Opponents warned the product’s likely market price ($500,000–$800,000, per the applicant) will not address affordability and that the project’s scale, vehicle demand and design could degrade an established single‑family neighborhood.

Neighbors and nearby property owners delivered more than a dozen public comments during the hearing, raising repeated concerns about on‑street parking overflow, traffic safety on narrow local streets, potential loss of privacy from three‑story buildings (45‑foot height allowed in both R2 and MX1), and the effect of burying or relocating irrigation infrastructure. One adjacent property owner said he owns a small landlocked parcel referenced in the staff report and that no access agreement has been finalized; several speakers also asserted differing acreages in filings (applicant and staff references ranged between about 2.97 and 3.45 acres).

Applicant’s case: Counsel for the applicant said the Boise‑Ada Housing Authority has sold the parcel to allow housing development and that MX1 provides setback flexibility necessary given a northern sewer easement and the lot geometry. Counsel repeated the team’s commitment to provide an access easement if the landlocked parcel develops and to orient buildings and landscaping to minimize impacts on neighboring yards.

Key technical points discussed: Staff told commissioners that Boise code requires one parking space per unit but that the applicant proposes two per unit; by code, tandem spaces count as one for parking calculations. Staff and commissioners also agreed that 66 units do not trigger a traffic impact study under existing thresholds. Planning staff identified the need to coordinate with ACD, Public Works and Fire on access, frontage improvements and emergency access; the commission’s added condition directs further engagement on speed management.

Vote and next step: Commissioner Torres moved to recommend approval with staff conditions; a second carried and the commission adopted the amendment to require applicant‑ACD coordination on speed management tools. The clerk recorded six votes in favor and one opposed; the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action.

What remains unresolved: The final acreage to be included in the approved plat (neighbors allege earlier surveys overstated area), the specific terms of access to the landlocked parcel, detailed street frontage and sidewalk/curb improvements, and whether additional traffic calming measures will be implemented. City Council will consider the commission’s recommendation and the conditions when it takes up the item.