Questions surrounding a second road access to Idaho 55 delayed a decision this week on a proposal for more than 100 homes and apartments along Boulder Creek in Donnelly.
The proposal, submitted by Joe Critchfield of Cascade, calls for 97 apartments, 14 recreational cabins, three short-term rentals, and a clubhouse on a 22.8-acre property at 203 Eld Ln.
Critchfield, along with landowner Reuben Ortega of Eagle, are seeking approval on a concept plan for the site, as well as the annexation of 12 acres into city limits and rezoning of the two parcels for higher residential density.
The Donnelly City Council, however, did not move on the application, citing a need for more information about the potential for a new road between Eld Lane and West Roseberry Road—which would ensure two routes from the development to Idaho 55.
“I don’t feel confident right now to make a decision,” Council Member Wendy Davenport said. “I need to stew on this. It’s a lot.”
A public hearing on the application was continued by the council to a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. at 169 Halferty St. Public comments at the meeting will be limited to those concerning the secondary access.
If the applications are approved, the developers would still need city approval for final design elements, like architecture and landscaping.
The council’s request for more information about the potential secondary access—which is not included in the application as proposed—followed testimony from Eld Lane residents who said it would not be safe to add more traffic to the narrow dirt road with only one outlet onto Idaho 55.
Mayor recuses self, slams ‘nonsense’ application
Among neighbors who spoke was Donnelly Mayor Susan Dorris, who said the development would create a “dangerous bottleneck” at the intersection of Eld Lane with Idaho 55.
“Anyone who interacts with the intersection of Eld Lane and 55 on a consistent basis will understand the absurdity of adding 300-plus trips per day,” said Dorris, who recused herself from the council’s consideration of the application at the start of the meeting.
Critchfield is required by the Idaho Transportation Department to complete a traffic study for the intersection. The results of that study, which are still pending, could trigger street improvements required by ITD.
He would also be required by the city to build curb, gutter, and sidewalk along his Eld Lane property frontage, deed land to the city for the Eld Lane right-of-way, and improve the grading and width of the road’s intersection with Idaho 55.
Without donors like you, this story would not exist.
Make a donation of any size here
The concept plan also includes a commercial entertainment facility, which Dorris called “nonsense” given the site’s proximity to nearby homes.
The entertainment venue 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.
A 30-space parking lot would be built for the venue, with no parking allowed elsewhere on the property or on nearby streets. Mark Butler, a planning consultant hired by the city, said parking would better limit the capacity of the venue rather than the city trying to enforce occupancy limits.
Residential density and affordable housing
Critchfield told the council his motivation for the project is to provide workforce housing. He employs about 40 people at businesses he owns in Cascade, including North 55 Social, Arrowhead RV Park, Tackle Tom’s, and the liquor store.
“I own an RV park. I see what goes on and how people live,” he said. “Those people are working for me and I have passion for those types of people. So I have to figure out what type of housing I can do to help support them.”
Critchfield’s proposal includes an application to double zoning density on a parcel currently within the city to eight units per acre. He said maximizing density on the property is important given infrastructure costs he expects to incur for roads, water, and sewer infrastructure.
Neighbors were critical of the proposed rezone and said the higher density would not be “harmonious” with single family homes on Eld Lane.
“We live on a dirt road for a reason,” Jenelle Evans said. “We don’t want sidewalks. We don’t want paved roads. This is not the big city down in the valley. This is the mountains.”
Rex Frazier and several other neighbors noted that the development, if fully occupied, could double the city’s population of about 250 residents.
“I’m not against this development,” Frazier said. “I’m just saying we need to scale it back to something more usable. Something that will help Donnelly grow in a controlled manner.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source valleylookout.com ’
