Plans for a new three-story building in downtown McCall were aired this month to the McCall Area Planning and Zoning Commission.
A proposal by McCall Boat Works would expand the business’s existing shop at 1300 Roosevelt Ave. to add more commercial space and at least two new floors containing four condos.
The expansion would add about 9,000 square feet and stand about 45 feet tall, said Jeff Hatch, a Boise architect representing McCall Boat Works.
“We’d probably start by looking and discussing with the neighbors if that height is or is not a concern,” Hatch told the commissioners.
City zoning laws allow for buildings to be up to 35 feet before a conditional use permit is required. However, the code also allows buildings to be up to 50 feet tall without the permit if 25% of floor space is dedicated to local housing under the city’s housing program.
The expansion plans would also add more ground-floor commercial space that could enable McCall Boat Works to expand or lease the space to another business, Hatch said.
The expanded building would include a rooftop patio that melts snow off into the city’s stormwater drainage collection system.
Commissioners prefer smaller design
A fourth floor could also be included to add three more condos, though commissioners initially favored the smaller scale of a three-story design.
“Three-story makes a bit more sense,” P&Z Chairman Robert Lyons said.
Meanwhile, P&Z Commissioner Liz Rock noted the scale of the building could conflict with surrounding properties.
“My initial impressions are pedestrian scale, making sure that’s considered (and) adding dynamics to not make it look like on big block,” Rock said. “It did look like a very nice block, but it kinda gave me a block feeling.”
This month’s P&Z appearance was a pre-application hearing, which is required by city code before formal development plans can be submitted for review. McCall Boat Works is owned by Don Hardy of McCall.
Hatch said the design of the expansion is based on a proposal for a downtown McCall hostel at 901 Second St. that was approved in 2021, but never built. The approval has since expired.
That proposal by Bill Sifford of McCall called for a new four-story building containing hostel rooms, apartments, retail space, and a rooftop patio with solar panels. The building would have been located at the corner of Park and Second streets across from the McCall Public Library.
