Zoning O rd i n a n c e Rew r i te:
SURVEY #1 SUMMARY PROJECT BACKGROUND Boise’s zoning code outlines what is and isn’t allowed in our city—it has shaped Boise as we know it. Our 55-year-old zoning code is outdated and does not provide the tools we need to ensure future development matches the things we know our community cares about—safety, open space, walkable neighborhoods, and predictable development patterns. To support our city’s long-term vision as our community grows and changes, we started the process to rewrite our zoning code. During the Phase II: Preliminary Outreach, the project team developed a survey to seek feedback from the community on the current state of Boise’s zoning code. What follows summarizes and analyzes the feedback received through the online survey.
SURVEY OUTREACH AND PUBLICITY The survey was created in collaboration between the Comprehensive Planning Division and the Office of Community Engagement. The survey was written in English and translated into Spanish. A member of the Citywide Advisory Committee was consulted to review the Spanish language version and made edits to make the translation more appropriate for a Spanish speaking audience. The survey was open to the public from Monday, November 16, 2020 to Sunday, December 27, 2020. It was shared through the project’s email list, the city’s “In the Know” newsletter and on social media throughout December. Partner agencies, such as Valley Regional Transit (VRT) and City Go, shared the survey link in their newsletters. Some city government partners also included a link to the survey in their Instagram stories, which discussed the Zoning Code Rewrite and/or the Housing Bonus Ordinance.
PARTICIPANTS In total, there were 853 responses. Of that number, approximately half of the respondents skipped questions from Question 6 on. This resulted in a 46% completion rate. Based on the first question, which asked how people self-identify in terms of their interest/role in the City of Boise, a majority of respondents, 85.5% (725) were residential property owners. It is important to note that fewer than 5% of respondents identified as having a business interest in developing property such as commercial property owners (4%), land use/planning/design consultants or architects (3%), and land developer (1%), or builders (less than 1%,). The remaining “other” category consisted of people who self-identified as landlords, students, former residents, realtors, investors, property owners, and more. 86%
100%
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER
80%
60%
40%
13%
RENTER
12%
BUSINESS OWNER
20%
4%
OTHER (please specify)
4%
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER
3%
LAND USE/PLANNING/DESIGN CONSULTANT OR ARCHITECT
1%
LAND DEVELOPER
1%
BUILDER 0%