Plans for a commercial entertainment venue and more than 100 homes, apartments, and cabins along Boulder Creek will go before the Donnelly City Council next week.
The proposal calls for 97 apartments, 14 recreational cabins, three short-term rentals, and a clubhouse on a 22.8-acre property at 203 Eld Ln. An existing home on the site would also remain. A site-wide concept plan is available here.
An “outdoor commercial entertainment facility” would be built on the east side of Boulder Creek, with three bridges to homes and apartments on the west side of the creek. The facility would include a vendor area, a greenbelt pathway, and a gathering space, according to the application.
The city council will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Monday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Donnelly Community Center at 169 Halferty St. Written comments can be submitted in advance of the hearing to City Clerk Lori Clemens at [email protected].
Annexation, rezone, and land use applications
The proposal was submitted by developer Joe Critchfield of Cascade, who aired plans for the site last month at a neighborhood meeting required by city code. Critchfield owns several businesses in Cascade, including North 55 Social, Tackle Tom’s, Arrowhead RV Park, and the liquor store.
If the site-wide concept plan is approved, Critchfield would still need design review approval from the city council for specific construction plans.
The current application includes requests to annex land into the City of Donnelly and increase the zoning density on both parcels that make up the 22.8 acres.
The northern 10.8 acres that is already in city limits is currently subject to up to four units per acre. Critchfield is seeking to double that density to eight units per acre.
The southern 12-acre parcel is currently subject to county zoning laws, but if annexed into the city would be zoned as “Public Lands and Open Space,” according to the city’s future land use map. Critchfield would then seek to change the zoning to Rural Residential, which allows for one unit per 10 acres.
Staff report: Wetlands to limit density
Even if the annexation and rezones are approved, five acres of wetlands on the property would not count toward the maximum number of units allowed on the site. That means Crtichfield would be limited to 88 homes and apartments instead of the 101 proposed, according to Mark Butler, a planning consultant contracted by the city.
Butler’s staff report suggested removing two of the multi-family buildings near the clubhouse to resolve the density discrepancy.
The 14 recreational cabins do not count toward residential zoning density per Donnelly code.
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Butler’s report also advised the council to require studies to determine how the development might impact wetlands, as well as the intersection of Eld Lane and Idaho 55.
Entertainment venue hours to be limited
Operating hours for the proposed entertainment venue would be between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., Thursday through Sunday and on holidays, under conditions proposed by Butler.
The venue would be served by a 30-space gravel parking lot, with no parking on Eld Lane allowed. Critchfield would be required to submit plans for traffic, emergency access, restrooms, and trash.
Critchfield told Valley Lookout he expects the venue to host events like small weddings, graduations, community concerts, flea markets, family reunions, and farmer’s markets.
Curb, gutter, and sidewalk upgrades on Eld Lane along the property frontage would be funded by Critchfield, who would also dedicate land to the city for the road’s right-of-way.
Improved fire flows needed
The city would not grant building permits for construction of the apartments or short-term rentals until after city water system upgrades are completed, according to a proposed development agreement.
The 12 recreational cabins could be immediately connected to an on-site water well, but would later be required to connect to city water once there is capacity, per the agreement.
The capacity upgrades are tied to a drinking water storage tank Donnelly developer Craig Groves is planning to install for the city as part of his Mountain Meadows Ranch proposal.
Critchfield declined to specify a construction timeline on Thursday, but said he does not expect the storage tank to delay him. The development agreement requires work on the proposal to be complete by the end of 2032.
When asked by Valley Lookout, Groves said he expects the 600,000-gallon tank, which will improve fire flows in the city, to be online in 2027.
“We will be building it in November of this year,” he said.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source valleylookout.com ’
