Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - November 13, 2025
Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - November 13, 2025
The Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission met on November 13, 2025, to consider four major agenda items: a downtown form-based code overhaul, an annexation and zoning for a 12-lot subdivision, and two conditional use permits for home-based daycares. The meeting began with a staff report on the comprehensive plan update and approval of the consent calendar.
Consent Calendar
- Approved consent agenda (motion by Garner, second by Selman, unanimous).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Shadow Creek at Lake Lowell (Item 2): Several neighbors spoke in opposition, citing concerns about increased traffic, street parking, density incompatibility with the surrounding RS6 and RA zoning, and the project's similarity to a previous denial by City Council. One speaker spoke in favor, emphasizing the need for affordable starter homes. Letters from the public included one in support and one in opposition.
- Home Occupation Daycare at 11540 West Sami Street (Item 4): Five letters of opposition were received, raising concerns about traffic, noise, neighborhood character, safety, and precedence for commercial use in a residential area. No public speakers signed up.
Discussion Items
- Staff Report Update: Rodney Ashby, Planning and Zoning Director, reported that the comprehensive plan survey is closing Monday with over 800 responses. He also noted that City Council approved three previous recommendations: the Lakeview subdivision preliminary plat, the Zion Lutheran School variance, and the annexation at 1224 East Iowa Avenue.
- Item 1: Downtown Form-Based Code Amendments: Senior Planner Brianna Howe and Principal Planner Christy Watkins presented a comprehensive plan text amendment, zoning text amendment, and zoning map amendment to adopt form-based code for downtown Nampa. The new code replaces the DH (Downtown Historic) zone with a CN (Central Nampa) zone containing five form districts, intended to provide clearer development standards and streamline review. No public testimony was offered. The Commission approved the item unanimously.
- Item 2: Shadow Creek Annexation and Zoning to RS4: Applicant Matt Hufffield proposed annexing a 1.7-acre infill parcel and zoning it RS4 for 12 single-family homes. The property was previously denied by City Council in December 2024. The applicant argued that the density is necessary for affordability and that lot sizes were increased from the prior proposal. Staff noted the project meets the comprehensive plan's medium density designation. Commissioners debated the need for infill housing versus compatibility concerns. The motion to approve included a development agreement requiring that the number of lots not exceed 12 and that minimum lot sizes match the concept plan.
- Item 3: Home Occupation Daycare - Chickadees Preschool: Applicant Catherine Self requested a conditional use permit to operate a preschool for up to 12 children, though she intends to care for only seven at a time. Staff noted no public comments were received. The Commission approved the permit with a condition that it is valid while the applicant resides at the property.
- Item 4: Home Occupation Daycare - 11540 West Sami Street: Applicant Mukalai Patient Wembo requested a permit to operate a daycare for up to 12 children. Despite five letters of opposition, the Commission found the use compatible with residential character and approved the permit.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1 (Downtown Form-Based Code): Approved (motion by Morgan, second by Daffer, unanimous).
- Item 2 (Shadow Creek Annexation): Approved (motion by Garner, second by Morgan, roll call vote: 8-0). Condition: development agreement to limit lots to 12 and maintain minimum lot sizes as presented.
- Item 3 (Chickadees Preschool CUP): Approved (motion by Kehoe, second by Selman, unanimous). Condition: permit tied to applicant's residence.
- Item 4 (Sami Street Daycare CUP): Approved (motion by Morgan, second by Selman, unanimous).
All decisions are subject to a 15-day appeal period and will be forwarded to City Council for final action where applicable.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, I've got six o'clock. Let's go ahead and get the meeting started. Let's do a roll call. Garner. Here. Miller. Daffer. Here. Turner. Here. Keyhoe. Morgan. Your Kirkman. Salman. Here. Copeland here. All right. Eight present. Thank you. Rodney. You were hiding behind the TV. I didn't see. Commissioners, uh, Mr. Chair and Commissioners. The um couple of things to report on, just the comp plan. Um, I'll just do a quick update on that one. Uh, staff is wrapping up the final public involvement uh for the first phase. Uh Monday is the uh we're closing the the survey online. So if you have anybody you know that hasn't taken the survey, we'd encourage them to get online and take that survey for the comp plan. There was some confusion over the the summer because of the city survey, just the regular city survey that they do annually, but this one is for the comp plan. So uh we'd really encourage anybody to to participate in that. And then um we uh the staff has also been going to a lot of leadership classes in a bunch of schools. Um asking all of those people in those classes to participate. Um, and so get a little bit different perspective than just an adult um, you know, older generation sometimes. We're getting the younger generation now. And um, as of October twenty ninth, we had over eight hundred uh direct um comments and responses to the questionnaire. Um, so pretty significant outreach that's been done. I don't know that we've ever had that many. I I'm pretty certain we've never had that many. than just an adults um you know older generation sometimes we're getting the younger generation now and um as of october twenty ninth we had over eight hundred uh direct um comments and and responses to the questionnaire um so pretty significant outreach that's been done I don't know that we've ever had that many I I'm pretty certain we've never had that many and as you've probably seen throughout the community my staff has been attending all kinds of events through throughout the summer and throughout the fall even so um we're gonna be wrapping that up where we've done uh um some coordination with the communication director I in the mayor's office to get a last push out on social media for the survey and um we'll be starting the next phase and that will include um some detailed some specific um committees that will work on different topics of the comprehensive plan based on the public outreach we received some of the feedback we receive we're gonna come up with certain themes and then create those committees to work on that so we anticipate your involvement in this next phase uh maybe even a little more heavy than in the past so I'll be coming back to you probably watch for emails and we'll get you involved in that process and then just an update on city council we had the two final plots that you had recommended approval were both approved the next one was a public hearing uh preliminary plat and annexation and zoning uh for the lakeview neighborhood subdivision you had recommended approval this is the one right out right out near the lake um and that was the one where they uh had a they clustered the homes closer to the roadway and then have a a really significant size of open space on on the western side nearest the lake and that one was approved by city council the next one was a variance to allow um the school on 12th avenue I can't remember the name of the school now the Zion Lutheran school that's what it is to um put their their fence and their wall a little bit closer to the roadway than we would typically allow because we require that landscaping and that one was approved by city council and then um finally the last one was annexation and zoning to RS 8.5 this is the one off of one two two it's one two two four East Iowa Avenue for single family home to connect to the city's sewer services kind of a rural area kind of enclaved area and you had recommended approval and city council approved that one too thank you Rodney Chair yes make a motion to approve the consent agenda second and motion by Garner second by Selman to approve the consent agenda is there any discussion all those in favor aye any opposed motion carries excuse me okay we'll go ahead and move into our public hearing a few things just so everybody understands if you haven't been to a meeting before this meeting is being recorded so try to keep the noise in the audience to a minimum don't speak from your seat basically we want to respect the people who are up here speaking and they will respect you in the same turn to get started the applicant will get seven minutes to propose their project then the we'll get the staff report from city staff they have unlimited time and we'll open it up for public testimony each person that's signed up if you haven't signed up don't worry about it we'll give uh time at the end of each item for those who haven't those people will get three minutes to speak there's a timer up here and then we have one up here too so keep your comments pointed um specific and after the public is done speaking um we'll we'll give some time back to uh the applicant to rebut and answer questions we'll close public hearing and then we will deliberate discuss and vote on each item yes that's it we're moving up to so let's just get into it our first item is a concept comprehensive plan text amendment zoning text amendment and zoning map amendment to redefine the downtown Napa core change various chapters and sections of Title 10 where downtown is referenced or needs to be added for new form districts and change zoning designations from DH to C N E V U G V two and DB to GB1 zoning districts for the city of NAPA all right uh good evening Mr. All right. Good evening, Mr. Chairman and Commissioners. My name is Brianna Howe, senior planner with the planning and zoning department tonight. Myself and Christy will be presenting this project to you. We're bringing forward a comprehensive plan text and zoning text amendment along with a zoning map amendment to adopt form-based code for downtown NAMPA and to redefine the downtown NAMPA core, changing various references and code sections to reflect the new form districts and new downtown zoning designations. We're asking for your recommendation tonight to City Council. So why form-based code for downtown NAMPA? Form-based code was a top recommendation that came out of the downtown implementation plan that came before you uh several months ago. Uh it is more explicit in what the city desires for the standards of development in downtown.
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