Ordinance Text
8-2-29: BOISE RIVER GREENWAY (BRG) OVERLAY DISTRICT:
A. Purpose: The purpose of the Boise River Greenway Overlay (BRG) District is to protect and enhance the important environmental features of the Boise River, and to protect fish, wildlife, and recreation resources consistent with the purpose of the "Local Land Use Planning Act," Idaho Code Section 67-6501 et seq., as amended.
C. General Standards:
1. Development shall minimize the disturbance of natural vegetation within the BRG.
2. Development within the BRG shall incorporate landscaping in all unpaved areas where the natural vegetation has been disturbed or removed.
3. In addition to the requirements of Section 8-2-28 of this Chapter, and of Section 8-3-7G of this Title, parking areas shall have a minimum five-foot (5') screen between an approved parking area and the Ordinary High-Water Mark, as defined in subsection 8-2-28F, of the Boise River. Screening materials shall be as set forth in Section 8-3-7E of this Title.
4. Additional screening of uses as viewed from the Boise River Greenway may be required consistent with the purpose of this Section.
D. Specific Standards:
1. Wetlands: In recognition of their importance and their scarcity, wetlands shall be preserved as follows:
a. Wetlands may be replaced with a wetland of equal size, provided that the created wetland has the same or greater degree of natural resource functions and values as did the impacted wetland.
b. The wetland may be relocated anywhere on the project site or offsite.
2. Enhancement Of Water Resources: Proposals to use or create a water amenity shall be designed to accommodate wetland and riparian functions and wildlife or warm water fish habitats.
3. Parks And Open Spaces: Open spaces such as parks, golf courses, greenbelt areas, parking lots, etc., within the BRG and the floodplain, shall be designed to accommodate the base flood event as provided in Section 8-2-28.
4. Emergency Access: New developments shall include provisions for emergency access as determined by the applicable Fire and Flood Control Districts.
5. Landscaping: Landscaping shall utilize native or naturalized plant materials that provide wildlife food and shelter. Manicured landscaping and lawns are prohibited in riparian areas and setbacks.
6. Bank And Channel: Bank or channel stabilization measures (e.g., rip-rap, drop structures, large cobble) shall include over-planting with shrubs and trees and the deliberate enhancement of fish habitat.
7. Construction Fencing: Fencing shall be installed during construction activities that abut a riparian area.
E. Setbacks:
1. Boise River Setback: Structures, parking areas, and fences shall be setback one hundred feet (100') from the boundary of the floodway, as defined in Section 8-2-28F, of the Boise River or five feet (5') from the boundary of all dedications or easements granted to the County or other government entity for greenbelt or recreational purposes in excess of ninety-five feet (95').
2. Great Blue Heron Rookeries Setback: If Great Blue Heron Rookeries have been identified and mapped by Idaho Fish and Game Department, a three-hundred-foot (300') setback, from the rookery location, applies to development within the Boise River Greenway.
3. Bald Eagle Nest Setback: If Bald Eagle nests have been identified and documented by the County or Idaho Fish and Game Department, a two- hundred-foot (200') setback, from the nest location, applies to development within the Boise River Greenway.
F. Allowed Uses And Improvements: The following uses and improvements are allowed within the Boise River setback subject to the standards for uses, and/or mitigation and enhancement provisions that may be required by the County Engineer and set forth in this Chapter. All uses not explicitly listed are prohibited.
1. Signs;
2. Restrooms;
3. River bridges and paved access to river bridges;
4. Fish and wildlife habitat improvements;
5. Irrigation weirs, diversion dams, and inlets;
6. Water inlets to supply domestic water;
7. Pedestrian paths that may provide limited access to the river;
8. Paved bicycle paths, limited to:
a. Existing paths;
b. Future paths identified by the County Comprehensive Plan or Transportation Plan;
c. Where an existing railroad right-of-way is already located or that may be required, donated, or used as a bicycle path.
9. Parks;
10. Bank and channel stabilization projects;
11. Hydro-electric and flood protection dams;
12. Public piers and beaches owned by the County, a municipality, or the State of Idaho;
13. Public utility lines such as water and sewer lines;
14. Storm drain outlets and detention basins;
15. Water pump facilities;
16. Gravel extraction needs to remove gravel deposits following a flood event.
G. Permit Conditions: Conditions may be attached that:
1. Require compliance with applicable specifications, standards or requirements of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Army Corps of Engineers, the Idaho Fish and Game Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Ada County, or other agencies.
2. Require preservation of existing vegetation, and mitigation or enhancement of natural resources of this Chapter.
3. Require landscaping consistent with the objectives of the extension of the natural setting of the river.
4. Limit construction to certain periods of time.
5. Require certification by a licensed engineer in the state of Idaho that conditions have been fulfilled.
(Ord. 1002, 10-28-2025)
Source: American Legal Publishing — codelibrary.amlegal.com — public domain
Official Source ↗
Root-LD Entity Data
◈ Machine-Readable Provenance Record
boisestandard.org · municipal corpus
Federation ID
bs-aml-ada-09fc42c9e3a1ae23
Doc ID
0-0-0-26928
Domain Signature
boisestandard.org
Jurisdiction
Ada County, Idaho — United States
City
Ada County
County
Ada County
Publisher
American Legal Publishing
Source Verified
✓ TRUE
Navigate — Ada County Ada County Code of Ordinances
Nearby Sections
8-2-24: BOISE AIR TERMINAL AIRPORT INFLUENCE 8-2-25: WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE (WUI) OVERLA8-2-26: SOUTHWEST PLANNING AREA (SPA) OVERLAY8-2-27: AREA OF MILITARY INFLUENCE (AMI) OVER8-2-28: FLOOD HAZARD (FH) OVERLAY DISTRICT:8-2-29: BOISE RIVER GREENWAY (BRG) OVERLAY DI8-2-30: HILLSIDE (HS) OVERLAY DISTRICT:8-2-31: TEN MILE CREEK OVERLAY DISTRICT (RESECHAPTER 3 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS8-3-1: PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY:8-3-2: GENERAL STANDARDS:8-3-3: ACCESS:8-3-4: BUILDING DESIGN:8-3-5: INFRASTRUCTURE:8-3-6: FENCES:
Ada County Municipal Code — public domain
← Ada County Code Index