Boise City Council is expected to decide the fate of the city's future planning and development this week.
On Tuesday, public testimony began on Boise's proposed zoning code rewrite, with Boiseans giving their input to City Council.
Testimony began at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall. It ran past the scheduled 6:00 p.m. end time. Mayor Lauren McLean said that 98 people were signed up to speak Tuesday.
During the meeting, City Council heard from people both for and against the zoning code rewrite.
Some Boiseans in support of the rewrite say it addresses growth, stops the city's sprawl by building up, and denser communities provide more affordable options.
"I am supporting this updated zoning code," Diana Lachiondo said during testimony. "Not only because it protects the quality of life for our neighborhoods, and smart stewardship, but it's also a smart and fiscally responsible way for us to grow and provide housing for the people in our community."
Some Boiseans opposed to the rewrite say it places developers over people, would destroy tree canopy and open spaces, and targets more affordable neighborhoods.
"The Bench and West Boise provide the lowest, least expensive housing in Boise right now and the lowest available rents," Dave Kangas said during testimony. "I just do not understand the math that you can consider redeveloping that and create more affordability out of what is the least expensive already."
In April, the Boise Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved the rewrite, which maps out the future design and development of the entire city. City officials say one of its themes is increasing density, which means more homes with smaller footprints.
Boise Planning & Zoning's recommendation was sent to city council, who are holding hearings throughout this week before making a decision on the rewrite.
On Monday, nearly 40 neighborhood associations spoke in front of City Council.
Public testimony will continue Wednesday at Boise City Hall in the Maryanne Jordan Council Chambers from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Boiseans can testify in-person or online.
You can watch Tuesday's public testimony here.
Here is the schedule for the rest of the week:
• Wednesday, June 14: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Public testimony
• Thursday, June 15: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Q&A, rebuttal, deliberations and decision
People can also watch live on the City of Boise's YouTube Channel.
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