A final decision on the new boundaries and administration of the McCall Impact Area is expected next week after months of discussion by the city and Valley County.
Valley County will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 7, at 2 p.m. in the Valley County Courthouse to consider adopting boundaries that would trim the size of the current impact area by about 97%. The county will also consider approving a revamped review process that would make the county solely responsible for reviewing land use applications outside of city limits, including within the impact area.
Overall, the county’s plan would reduce the size of the impact area from more than 22,000 acres currently to about 684 acres, or by about 97%. The planning boundary gives the city influence over development on county land near city limits.
The new boundaries would include 135 acres around the McCall Municipal Airport, 90 acres in southeastern McCall on which Pine Creek Ranch is proposed by developer Craig Grove of Donnelly, and two state land parcels off Lick Creek Road near Pilgrim Cove.
Land surrounding Payette Lake would not be part of the impact area anymore, nor would land along Idaho 55 south of McCall City Limits at Krahn Lane.
The new boundaries were drawn by the Board of County Commissioners, who instructed the county’s planning staff to develop a formal proposal for the commissioners to consider adopting.
The commissioners also plan to consider adopting a revamped review process for development applications in the impact area.
The new process would give the county sole control over application reviews for the impact area instead of continuing a joint review process with the city that has been used for decades.
It is unknown when the changes would take effect if adopted by the county commissioners, Valley County Planning and Zoning Director Cynda Herrick said.
McCall making final push to sway county
As the county prepares to make a formal decision, McCall city officials appear intent on making a final push to convince the commissioners to adopt boundaries that more closely resemble the city’s proposal that was submitted to the county in late May.
The city’s proposed boundaries would largely keep the impact area as it is today. It would also keep the existing joint review process.
On Thursday night, the McCall City Council approved a letter to the county that questions the “supporting analysis” behind the county’s proposal and the public process that went into it.
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“We strongly encourage the board to consider the city’s proposed boundary and planning analysis, maintain the current policy and administrative approach for planning and building until the 2026 McCall Area Comprehensive Plan update, and work collaboratively on any future changes,” the letter said.
Land in the impact area has long been developed according to city zoning laws adopted by the county to provide planning continuity in “transition zones” around city limits.
Valley County does not use traditional zoning. Instead, a compatibility test is used to evaluate development proposals on a case-by-case basis. City officials fear using the county’s process in the impact area could harm the interests of residents within city limits.
“Replacing decades of tailored zoning with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ multiple-use zoning approach undermines the vision of the community and risks harm to the McCall Area community character, environment, and economy,” the city council’s letter said.
City: impact area reduction ‘weakens city’s voice’ in growth
The council’s letter followed a letter sent last week by McCall Community Engagement and Public Affairs Director Erin Greaves to about 1,500 homes and businesses in the impact area. The letter urges participation in the county’s public hearing and outlines the city’s concerns with the county’s proposal.
“This plan to take away major parts of the impact area will weaken City of McCall and area residents’ say in what gets built near McCall,” Greaves said in the letter. “This includes projects that could impact roads, water quality, and even projects in your neighborhood.”
Greave cautioned that reducing the impact area could lead to replicating mistakes made by other western towns where “growth outpaced planning.”
“In Big Sky, Montana, a lack of early growth regulations led to dense development in sensitive areas, creating water and infrastructure problems and a loss of open space,” the letter said. “In Bend, Oregon, years of uncoordinated growth led to traffic congestion and costly efforts to retrofit infrastructure that could have been avoided with earlier planning.”
Tomorrow, the city will host a “Community Conversation” meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the McCall Public Library Community Room to talk about the impact area with attendees and encourage them to make public comments to the county.
The meeting will involve small group roundtable discussions with city council members, city staff, non-profit representatives, and citizens.
“We’re at a critical crossroads. The decisions made about the Area of Impact will affect not just our city but the entire region,” McCall Mayor Bob Giles said in a statement to Valley Lookout. “We need thoughtful growth that protects our environment, preserves the character of our neighborhoods, and ensures infrastructure can keep up.”
Changes sparked by state law
The impact area review was triggered by an updated state law adopted by the Idaho Legislature in 2024 that requires all existing impact areas to comply by the end of the year.
The law sets new criteria for impact areas and tasks the county with ensuring the standards are met before adopting updated boundaries.
The criteria for inclusion in an impact area include water and sewer service availability, anticipated growth, geographic factors, and transportation infrastructure. The law also requires included lands to be “very likely” to annex into the city within five years.
The county based its proposal on limited sewer availability in the existing McCall Impact Area and its belief that most of the lands are not “very likely” to annex into the city within five years.
The city argues that those two criteria should not define the impact area, but should instead be considered alongside the other criteria in the state law.
Payette Lake, Idaho 55, growth projections, and public pathways are among factors that city officials believe support maintaining the impact area at its current size.
Updates to impact areas around the cities of Donnelly and Cascade were adopted by Valley County earlier this year, as Valley Lookout reported.
The size of each impact area was reduced, but no administrative changes were made because the county is already responsible for reviewing development applications in each impact area.
