Nampa Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting - October 14, 2025
Nampa Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting - October 14, 2025
On October 14, 2025, the Nampa Planning & Zoning Commission held a regular public hearing, addressing five agenda items: a conditional use permit for Rocky Mountain Jet, a development agreement modification for the Sugar District, a continuation of a preliminary plat, and a large annexation and zoning request for the District 16 Master Plan Community. The meeting opened with a report on council actions (none) and an announcement that the city had received two American Planning Association awards for the Citizens Guide to Planning and the Downtown Implementation Plan.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda was moved and seconded, then approved by voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Rocky Mountain Jet CUP: One member of the public, Justin Buckholtz, spoke in favor, urging approval and criticizing bureaucratic hurdles.
- Sugar District DA Modification: No public testimony was offered; the hearing was closed quickly.
- District 16 Annexation & Zoning: Several residents from nearby subdivisions (Silver Star, Silver Spur Ranch) spoke against the plan. Key concerns included:
- Increased traffic on Star Road and surrounding roads, which are already congested.
- Overcrowding in the West Ada and Vallivue School Districts (e.g., Hawaii High School reportedly 500 students over capacity).
- Fear that an industrial park would lower property values and create noise and safety issues for children.
- Lack of adequate emergency services and infrastructure.
- Austin Alanis, a resident of the Toll Brothers community, questioned the lack of a specific plat and the vague nature of the master plan; he also noted the 15% open space requirement and expressed concerns about enforcement.
- Robert Nickel, a developer from Boise, urged the commission to defer zoning decisions until more public input could be gathered, and argued that 119 acres of industrial zoning was inappropriate for the area.
- Wanda McGuire, Julie Barnes, and others echoed traffic and school concerns.
Discussion Items
1. Rocky Mountain Jet Conditional Use Permit
- The applicant (William and Nia Gore) requested a CUP for new jet boat sales, parts, and accessories at 612 First Street South in the Downtown Village zone. They explained they had been approved for a similar CUP in 2024 but failed to meet conditions due to delays; the previous CUP expired.
- Staff (Terry Friend) presented: The property is zoned Downtown Village (DV). The primary use is as a “new vehicle sales” (compared to automobile dealerships) which is allowed with a CUP. However, site inspections and the applicant’s website revealed boat fabrication and repair activities, which are not permitted in DV. Staff found that CUP criteria #3 (public facilities) was met but criteria #1, #2, and #4 needed commission discussion.
- During deliberation, several commissioners noted the location borders industrial zones, that an auto-body shop exists nearby, and that the business is a unique, niche market. Commissioners expressed support for the entrepreneurial effort. Commissioner Morgan moved to approve the CUP for new vehicle sales, with boat repair and light manufacturing as accessory uses, with all recommended conditions. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (7-0) by roll call.
2. Sugar District Development Agreement Modification
- Jeff Wardle (Gardner Company) requested modifications to the 2022 development agreement for the Nampa Gateway Center (now Sugar District). Changes included: eliminating the 750,000 square foot cap on building area, updating lighting standards to current code, and clarifying permitted uses (removing auto sales). The concept plan was revised to retain ~100,000 square feet of retail space that had been slated for demolition.
- Staff confirmed the modifications are straightforward and in line with the original agreement. No public testimony was given. The commission voted to recommend approval to city council (roll call: 7-0).
3. Reflections Edge Subdivision Continuation
- Item 33, a preliminary plat for an amended portion of Reflections Edge, was continued at the applicant’s request to the November 25, 2025 meeting. The commission voted unanimously to continue.
4. District 16 Master Plan Community Annexation and Zoning
- Jeff Bower (representing multiple owners) presented a 405-acre mixed-use master plan along the State Highway 16 corridor. The plan includes single-family (RS4), multifamily (RMH), community business (BC), and industrial park (IP) zoning, plus a development agreement with design standards. The project aligns with the city’s 2023 Highway 16 Specific Area Plan.
- Staff (Damien Snodgrass) reviewed findings: annexation is contiguous, zoning matches the specific plan, and the project addresses the city’s housing shortage (currently 2,700 units short, projected 17,000 by 2040). Conditions include right-of-way dedications, a 20-foot easement along Ten Mile Creek, and a development agreement. Public comments raised traffic, schools, and industrial park concerns.
- Commissioners noted the extensive public process behind the specific plan, the mix of housing types, and the campus-style industrial park (not heavy industrial). They praised the alignment with the plan. A motion to recommend approval with conditions carried unanimously (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- Rocky Mountain Jet CUP: Approved (7-0). The CUP is effective 15 days after the written decision, subject to no appeals. Conditions include compliance with building occupancy classification (S-1), site improvements (parking, landscaping, curb/gutter), and adherence to accessory use limitations.
- Sugar District DA Modification: Recommended to city council (7-0). Conditions include correcting numbering errors in the agreement and addressing code compliance issues before final signing.
- Reflections Edge Continuation: Approved to move to the November 25, 2025 meeting (7-0).
- District 16 Annexation and Zoning: Recommended to city council (7-0). Conditions include weed abatement, right-of-way dedications (50 ft on Star Road, Cherry Lane, Hawaii Storm), a 20-foot easement along Ten Mile Creek, and approval of the development agreement by the city attorney.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, we're gonna go ahead and call the meeting to order. Want to extend a warm welcome to all of you for coming tonight to our regularly scheduled public hearing for the planning and zoning commission. We'll go ahead and start with a report, or let's go ahead and do a roll call, Madam Clerk. Garner. Turner. Keyhoe. Here. Morgan. Your Kirkman. Salman. Here. Copeland. One absent. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um Rodney, how about report on council actions? If you feel like it. I will that looks familiar. Yeah. Um Mr. Chair and Commissioners, we actually don't have any items to report on from council this past uh week. Last week, and we just didn't have any planning and zoning related public hearings. Um that was, of course, the um the Idaho Center um decision about going to uh CWI, and that, as you probably all know, um, that was approved to transfer that ownership. So that really doesn't have anything to do with with us, but I did want to report on um the AICP or the excuse me, the APA American Planning Association's conference that we had. Several of you attended that training. Hope it was really helpful. Um, I really appreciated you attending and just showing your your support for that and uh interest in learning more about uh planning. approved to transfer that ownership so that really doesn't have anything to do with with us but I did want to report on the AICP or the excuse me the APA American Planning Association's conference that we had several of you attended that training hope it was really helpful I really appreciated you attending and and just showing your your support for that and uh interest in in learning more about uh planning um and then at that conference we were awarded two uh two pre-significant awards uh the gym award um and and the other one was the public um participation award so that that was for our citizens guide to planning um and that was best in show is what they called it and uh and then uh the other one was our downtown implementation plan um that you've already you've already seen and recommended on to city council um so that one um is just basically we took a whole bunch of different planning efforts and different locations where people were having to go um to find out how to develop in the downtown or or how to um you know work on their facade or whatever and we combined it into one document so that's one source for people to go to for information about the downtown and then we created a process outline to help people know okay where do you start who who has what information for you at the city and um and then we outlined some tasks or high priority tasks for uh the city to address to start really focusing on revitalizing downtown you've seen some of those already the form based code was uh one of those um strategies that were identified in the uh in the plan and then the second uh one was the um the feasibility study that uh ndc nampa development corporation took on and is is working on um doing a significant project in the downtown and improving some infrastructure in our downtown uh to make it possible to really start redeveloping in the downtown so um just wanted to highlight my team they did an amazing job and um i think it was well deserved um we've got some good team members who worked really hard on it and others uh came up to me at the conference and just said hey we're using your citizens guide to to planning um to help communicate to our our citizens what what planning means and and why we do the things that we do and so I was glad to hear that that that's really the goal is to just help the citizens of NAMP and really the state of Idaho understand planning better so again just a great shout out to my my team who worked really hard on those two awards how frequently does do would we get the opportunity to host that conference something to come to we have never hosted it before not ever that's awesome so yeah well done all right well commissioners uh motion for the uh consent agenda moved second okay we got a motion by Kiho and a second by gap or all those in favor aye aye okay so before we move into our first uh public hearing just wanted to to let you all kind of know how it goes um because the meeting is being recorded um we need to be cognizant of the the noise that's in the room and so if you could please help us and and keep the chatter down to a minimum we will have the times where you're have the opportunity to speak and so if we can just kind of keep it um to a minimum that way that the recording is clear when they go to use it in the future to take down the minutes and and things like that so when the the way that the meeting will go each applicant who has a uh an item being considered tonight will have seven minutes unless it's otherwise agreed that they have more to present their project then staff will get an opportunity to present um they don't have a time limit because they're staff and then at the conclusion of staff's remarks we'll open the public hearing and anybody who's here who you could have previously signed up if you haven't then we'll ask at the end you'll have the opportunity to speak for three minutes each but please um make your make notes as the hearing begins because if there's other people that have said the same thing that you wanted to say you can just reference that you don't have to to reiterate unless you want to and then if you ask a specific question we'll try and make notes of that and then we will ask the applicant when they come back up for their final time for a rebuttal and then once the applicant has had a chance to rebut then we'll close that public hearing and then we will deliberate before we either make a decision or a recommendation depending on whether we decide or whether we recommend to the city council and so that's kind of how it goes and so we'll go ahead and get meeting started now our first applicant are you here okay come on up we already did it yeah yeah uh you you moved it um go ahead and give us your name and uh address for the record please uh I'm Nia Gore this is William Gore 612 first Street South NAMPA thank you And so that's kind of how it goes. And so we'll go ahead and get meeting started now. Our first applicant, are you here? Okay, come on up. We already did it. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead and give us your name and address for the record, please. I'm Nia Gore. This is William Gore, 612 First Street South. Thank you. So we're Rocky Mountain Jet. We sell new vessels as well as parts and accessories for the vessels. With the mini jet boat industry being so new, there are not many places in the valley that sell products for these boats. The most common way to purchase boat products is online. We are hoping to provide a physical location that will allow customers to come in and view the products before making their purchase. We also understand how important water and boat safety are. Therefore, we hope to be a place where customers can learn the ins and outs of their watercraft to ensure they keep themselves and others safe on the water. In our experience with customer service, we have found it extremely reassuring to find someone who understands the mechanics of, for example, the car we drive. Whether it be how to use something or what part may be necessary to fix it. It is our goal to provide the kind of customer service to others that we always hope to receive in our own daily encounters. Rocky Mountain Jet is also an authorized vendor for Idaho Parks and Recreation.
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