Plan for homes in the Boise Foothills disintegrates after nearly a decade. What happened?

It’s hard to tell which developments might come to life and which might die.

The process can begin with so much hope for a new building, subdivision or neighborhood. It’s common to find sleek architectural renderings, glossy pamphlets that could make design nerds geek out, and a bevy of amenities that could entertain even the biggest grouch.

But hopes can quickly sour as reality hits full-force. The long and often tedious development process has numerous pitfalls from geographic constraints, difficult financing, a downturn in the economy, or neighbors who simply don’t want a development in their neighborhood.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Nearly a decade after it was first approved amid neighborhood resistance, the ax seems to have dropped on one such development in the Boise Foothills: The Reserve at Deer Valley.

Longtime Boise developer Larry Leasure’s White-Leasure Development Co. had originally planned the subdivision to include nearly 100 homes built into the edge of the Foothills at 7614 Pierce Park Lane, just north of Hill Road and east of Riverglen Junior High School.

The Boise City Council first approved permits for the subdivision near Polecat Trail in late 2015 and early 2016, but it was never built.

There was a slight second wind in 2021 when the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved a modification to the plan to remove invasive plant species and decrease the number of homes from 96 to 88.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Neighbors opposed both the 2016 and 2021 approvals, arguing that the subdivision would increase traffic, reduce wildlife and increase the risk of fire, according to city of Boise records. Neighbors filed appeals of both approvals.

The land was foreclosed and listed for sale by the Idaho Land Brokerage for $7 million in September. Boise developer Ron Walsh says the development likely won’t see the light of day. He met with the city of Boise Nov. 5 to see if there was still a chance. He learned of several problems, including water capacity, roadway improvements and permits that had expired.

“It has a lot of topography (issues), which causes the infrastructure costs to skyrocket,” Walsh said by phone. “We think it’s too much of an uphill battle.”

Walsh said he’d done an analysis on the land five or six years ago for Larry Leasure, when Leasure owned the land. He said Leasure eventually sold the land to someone else, who he said must not have been making the payments before it was foreclosed upon.

To revive the project, a developer would have to go back through the approval process, since the permits had expired, Walsh said.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“Neighbors have already lived through (that),” Walsh said.

Opposition to developments in the Foothills isn’t uncommon, and the city has made inroads to preserving them. The city passed a Foothills development plan in 1997, then an ordinance in 2000 that added restrictions to building, according to prior Idaho Statesman reporting.

Mayor Lauren McLean and the City Council have made a concentrated effort to buy land in the Foothills, including 325 acres in 2020 from Gov. Brad Little’s sons and 80 acres in 2024 that would connect the Barber Valley to Boise’s North End, according to prior Statesman reporting.

But Walsh said he wasn’t sure the city would have an appetite for the site, as it doesn’t have much of the topography or ready-made trailheads that the city looks for.

What would the Reserve at Deer Valley have looked like?

Nonetheless, much of the subdivision was focused on highlighting the natural environment of the Foothills, according to plans submitted to the city.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The 88-home subdivision would have been built in a long line just north of Hill Road. Plans called for multiple parks, trails, a boardwalk, a cottonwood-tree grove, several ponds and a sunset lookout.

A wetland park would have been the anchor amenity of the development’s pond system and could have provided residents with active and passive recreation opportunities, according to a project report.

“An enlarged boardwalk system weaves throughout the shallow areas of the pond, allowing users to experience nature and learn about the ecosystem at the heart of their community,” according to the report.

To complete these plans, however, the developer would have had to get rid of several invasive plant species on the site, including black locust trees, blackberry bushes, cheatgrass and poison hemlock.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“This area is under attack by invasive plant species,” according to meeting materials. “The invasive species locating within the riparian corridor of the Pierce Park Gulch are leading to a decline in native plants, many of which animals depend on for food and cover.”

It’s not clear if crews removed those plants after the 2021 modification nor what next may happen to the land — if anything. A message requesting comment left with a receptionist at White-Leasure Development Co. was not returned.

Big retailers take advantage of Boise-area growth with more shops. There’s another coming

Plan for one of downtown Boise’s largest construction projects collapsed. What went wrong

Advertisement
Advertisement

Change is coming to downtown Boise’s State Street, starting with a new YMCA. What to know

Confusion and doubt: Did a prominent Idaho developer break agreement over Boise towers?

• About Our Ads