Plans for a vineyard, an amphitheater, and more than 1,100 homes have been proposed near McCall by Valley County’s largest private landowner.
The plan, called Red Ridge Village, was submitted by Texas-based DF Development for 2,250 acres along the western edge of Valley County south of McCall.
The proposal is part of 30,920 contiguous acres of DF land that stretches about 12 miles from west of McCall along West Mountain Road to U.S. 95 west of New Meadows, near the Evergreen Forest Products sawmill.
“Red Ridge Village is envisioned as the front door to more than 30,000 acres of pristine terrain in Valley and Adams counties,” according to the application. “We are committed to preserving this unique area for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.”
A concept plan for Red Ridge Village calls for 645 acres of development with 1,613 acres of undeveloped slopes and natural buffers.
Village center
A village center would serve as the main hub of Red Ridge Village. Plans call for a farm-to-table restaurant, an outdoor plaza, a community hall, retail space, a vineyard and boutique winery, and an amphitheater with seating for 2,000 people.
The village center would be surrounded by five neighborhoods that would connect to West Mountain Road. A maintenance yard and public trails are also proposed.
The plan is set for review by the Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission during a public hearing on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Valley County Courthouse in Cascade. The meeting can be watched live here.
Public comments can be made at the hearing or submitted in advance to Valley County P&Z Administrator Cynda Herrick at [email protected].
Development of Red Ridge Village would be split into four phases that could begin as soon as 2026 and be complete by 2034, according to the application.
Each phase of development would be subject to further P&Z review even if the concept plan for Red Ridge Village is approved.
Adams County
A project narrative submitted with the proposal describes an additional 4,850 acres of development in Adams County, which contains most of the 30,920 acres referenced in DF’s plans for Red Ridge Village.
However, no applications have been submitted to Adams County so far, P&Z Director Meredith Fisher said.
“Any proposal to divide their Adams County property for residential use would have to conform to subdivision requirements,” Fisher said. “That means building roads, installing utilities, having each lot perc tested for septic, among many others.”
Housing
Plans for Red Ridge Village include 1,130 residential units that would be a mix of workforce housing, single-family homes, and large estate lots.
The first phase of development would include a “mix of town homes and mansion homes,” including 170 workforce housing units. Another 170 workforce units are proposed in Red Ridge’s fourth phase.
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The workforce housing units would be “attainable” for households making up to about $107,000 per year, with some units set aside for households making up to about $71,000 per year, the application said.
Across the region, more than 800 homes that are affordable for households making $107,000 or less are needed, according to a recent study commissioned by the West Central Mountains Economic Development Council.
More than half of those homes would need to be affordable for households making $71,000 per year or less, the study said.
Left blank on the Red Ridge Village application were anticipated rental and sales prices for the proposed workforce housing.
Also proposed are 260 acres of single-family lots along a ridgeline that can be seen from McCall. The lots would be as close as 50 feet to the ridgeline and would provide views of Payette Lake, according to the application.
Another 120 acres of medium-density, single-family residential homes are proposed. Those lots would be “comparable” to nearby lots in Blackhawk on the River and the Whitetail Club.
A combination of central water and sewer services as well as wells and septic systems would serve Red Ridge Village.
Traffic
At buildout, Red Ridge Village is predicted to generate 9,490 daily vehicle trips on weekdays, including 477 trips between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 710 trips from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., according to a traffic study.
The additional traffic would trigger the need for all-way stops at Boydstun Street’s intersections with Idaho 55 and West Valley Road.
Southbound turn lanes would also be needed on West Mountain Road at the access roads for Red Ridge Village, which would be near Thunderbolt Place.
Wildlife
The 30,920 acres owned by DF are home to big game such as elk, moose, wolves, mountain lions, and deer, as well as endangered species such as the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel, according to the application.
Areas with “dry, shallow soil and shorter, sparse vegetation will be conserved” to protect the ground squirrel population in the area, the application said.
Overall, about 30% of the land, or 9,120 acres, would be designated as a wildlife preserve, though further details on that were not included in the concept plan for Red Ridge Village.
The Wilks Brothers
DF Development is controlled by Farris and Dan Wilks of Cisco, Texas. The billionaire brothers purchased 172,000 acres of private land in west-central Idaho in 2017.
The 57,908 acres currently owned by DF in Valley County are more than the county’s nine other largest private landowners combined, according to a report from the Valley County Assessor’s Office.
The company is also Adams County’s largest private landowner, with 60,930 acres across 194 parcels, according to the Adams County Assessor’s Office.
Much of DF’s land was previously owned by Boise Cascade Corp and later Potlatch Corp., which managed the lands for timber harvests. The companies allowed public access for hunting, hiking, mountain biking, ATV use and other activities.
DF Development installed gates and put “No Trespassing” signs across access roads into their land due to what the brothers have said were instances of abuse by users.
The company’s central Idaho holdings are concentrated around Smiths Ferry, near Tamarack Resort, along the east side of Long Valley between Cascade and Lake Fork, and surrounding Meadows Valley.
The Wilks brothers, who are estimated to be worth nearly $4 billion per Forbes, earned $3.5 billion from the 2011 sale of Frac Tech, a fracking company they founded in 2002.
