Garden City planners continue public hearing on riverfront specific area plan, schedule work session

The Garden City Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday continued the public hearing on SAPFY2026-0001 — a proposed Specific Area Plan and rezoning for properties between Heron Park and the Waterfront District — to a date certain of July 15 and instructed staff to schedule a work session and request targeted comment from the Ada County Highway District (ACHD).

City planner Jenna Thornborough summarized the application as a combined zoning ordinance and master plan intended to guide redevelopment of large parcels (including land vacated by ACHD). Thornborough told the commission the city received 63 survey responses showing strong public preference for open space, river access and small‑scale retail, and described two draft approaches: Option A, a prescriptive code with subdistricts and objective standards, and Option B, a regulatory master plan that would rely on a future developer‑led plan. Staff said design consultants suggested a hybrid Option C to balance predictability and flexibility.

The debate centered on three recurring issues: height limits adjacent to existing homes, the character and protection of the Greenbelt and riverfront, and whether the Adams Street connection should permit general vehicular traffic. Neighbors and residents urged caution. David Twiver, who lives across the fence from the Perrin Commons development, said the draft’s north‑side allowance of up to four stories (about 52 feet, as he read it) would block views and called for a two‑story cap adjacent to single‑ and two‑story homes. "I vote for two stories," Twiver said. Nancy Baskin asked the commission to "slow down" and prioritize protecting the Greenbelt: "Once this property is developed to the very edge of the Greenbelt, it's too late," she said.

Ken Pyle, a Waterfront District neighbor participating by Zoom, praised staff engagement but urged planners to account for long‑term changes in mobility and delivery technology and to imagine larger pieces of civic infrastructure that could relieve Greenbelt congestion. Louis Landry described the project as a "legacy" decision and asked commissioners to use topographic visuals and broader context when deciding on heights and setbacks.

Thornborough told the commission emergency access should not be optional in the ordinance and outlined design measures (bollards, narrowed or meandering alignments) to discourage cut‑through traffic while preserving emergency and bicycle/pedestrian access. She also emphasized that ACHD must approve public road connections and that ACHD comments on the Adams connection had not been received; staff said they would request a narrowly focused response from ACHD ahead of the work session. Staff noted the city is proposing the SAP proactively rather than waiting for a private purchaser to propose development.

Commissioners debated whether to recommend Option A, B, C or a hybrid to City Council or to hold a joint or separate work session with counsel first. Several commissioners said they favored producing a single refined option for public review and recommended at least one work session to vet details; others urged waiting for ACHD’s input on the road connection before finalizing a recommendation.

On a motion by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Brown, the commission voted to continue the public hearing to July 15, keep the hearing open, and direct staff to schedule an intervening work session and seek ACHD input on the Adams Street connection. The motion passed with no recorded opposition.

Next steps: staff will seek ACHD’s focused input on whether the Adams connection can be limited and will arrange a work session to refine an option (or hybrid) for public review before the July 15 continued hearing.