The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the Anglers Hamlet subdivision — a combined preliminary/final plat, PUD and conditional use permit for a six-lot configuration (five residential lots plus a private-street common lot) on a roughly 5-acre site along the Boise River north channel, after hearing detailed presentations from the applicant and staff and public comment about tree health and irrigation ditch maintenance.

What the commission reviewed: Principal Jason Densmer and applicant representatives described a five-single-family-lot plan that preserves two existing ponds and retains much of the mature tree canopy along the river corridor. The site was annexed in 2008 with an MUDA designation; the current application updates the development agreement and proposes a private street and several waivers from standard subdivision requirements.

Why it matters: The river corridor location raises floodplain and riparian easement considerations. Staff and the applicant agreed the site contains a small fringe mapped FEMA floodway; staff recommended that a 25-foot riparian easement be shown on the final plat and said any new home built within the riparian easement would have to meet mixed-use setbacks and riparian rules.

Public concerns and applicant response: Neighbors and adjacent landowners raised concerns about a degraded irrigation ditch (Ballantine Ditch), fallen and weak trees that they said contributed to drainage and access problems, and the prospect of a private storage building on the common lot. Applicant David Roylance and other speakers said they intend to tile/pipe the ditch and to work with the ditch company; they also said an arborist report and mitigation will be required with design review, and the applicant pledged to address noxious weeds and remove debris and deteriorated vehicles currently on site.

Waivers requested: The applicant asked to waive or modify common-open-space requirements (the PUD would otherwise require 20% common open space), the 15% active-open-space requirement, the code limit on the percentage of lots served by private streets, and the internal requirement to provide sidewalks along the private street. Staff’s report lays out the requested deviations and proposes conditions to address them; staff recommended that the commission either deny the application because of Eagle Fire’s comments or remand to staff for conditions if the commission wished to recommend approval.

Staff recommendation and commission action: Staff noted that the FEMA floodway fringe and riparian protections will require army corps and other permitting. Planning staff recommended conditions (including showing the 25-foot riparian easement and coordinating with water and irrigation providers); the Commission ultimately recommended approval with conditions and asked staff to include a condition requiring payment of applicable water/capacity fees at final plat, along with the other standard and site-specific conditions.

Ending: The commission emphasized that tree removal and any wetland impacts must follow arborist and regulatory review and that irrigation-ditch alterations require ditch-company approval and engineering certification that downstream flow capacity will not be adversely affected. The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action; any design review, tree mitigation or wetland permitting will happen before building permits.