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BRIGHTON – Creating GREAT Places – 2929 W. Navigator Drive, Ste. 400, Meridian, ID 83642
www.brighton.co 208-378-4000
April 8, 2025
Community Development Department, Planning
City of Caldwell
RE: Ustick and Lake
Dear Planning Team:
Brighton is pleased to submit a rezone application for a future multifamily project referred to as “Ustick
and Lake”. The project will be an affordable housing development at the northwest corner of Lake Avenue
and Ustick Road. The site is within walking distance of many services such as shopping, restaurants,
medical, and religious services making this a perfect location.
Timing
Our goal is to submit a Special Use Permit shortly after this rezone application. We anticipate moving
the rezone and SUP together through the hearing process.
Financing for affordable housing goes through different avenues compared to traditional development,
because of this, the rezone must be in place by July to secure financing for the project. We ask that the
project be reviewed as expeditiously as possible so we can meet this deadline.
Comprehensive Plan and Zoning
The recently adopted comprehensive plan designates the area as Neighborhood 3 which is described as
including “apartment buildings of a variety of scales and missing middle housing types that provide a
transition from Neighborhood 2 place type to primarily non-residential or mixed-use areas” and calls for
densities ranging between 4 and 20 units per acre.
According to data presented in the comprehensive plan, “8,817 new units are needed within the next 20
years, most below the 80% AMI threshold” which is exactly the void that this project would help to fill.
The site is currently zoned C-3 “Service Commercial”, which is not a compatible zoning district for
Neighborhood 3. We are proposing R-3 “High Density Residential”, which aligns the property to the
comprehensive plan’s density and use.
Land Uses and Compatible Zoning Districts
(excerpt from Caldwell Comprehensive Plan)
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The site is surrounded primarily by commercial uses like Terrace Drive-In to the east, office and
religious services to the south, and a home that is for sale with a commercial broker to the
west. To the north is a small county subdivision that was subdivided in 2018. It contains six
single-family residential homes, on lots ranging from one-half to two acres, and one private
road lot for access.
Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use
Current Zoning Proposed Zoning
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Future Development Application
A “Special Use Permit” will be submitted after engineering and site plans are completed. We expect to
construct 35 units with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Amenities will include an outdoor
tot lot, a small indoor play area, leasing office, and mechanical room. We will provide ample sidewalk
connections to promote pedestrian mobility throughout the site and to nearby services.
The larger building on Ustick Road is a three-story walk-up, and the building near Muffin Lane is two-
story. Both buildings will be constructed with a mix of quality materials and colors. We believe allowing
a three-story building on Ustick Road is best because the adjoining property is commercially zoned and
currently for sale with a commercial broker, therefore it is unlikely to remain a residential property in
the long term. Conceptual renderings are provided below.
Caldwell, and the greater Treasure Valley, need affordable housing options. This location is within a mile
of important services like grocery stores, medical services, and other basic needs. It also acts as a buffer
from high intensity commercial uses on Clevland Boulevard to lower density residential further west on
Ustick Road.
At the neighborhood meeting held on April 3rd, three nearby residents attended. We discussed both the
rezone and future special use permit at this meeting. Neighbors’ primary concerns were:
1. Limiting/preventing access to Muffin Lane,
2. Providing fencing prior to construction against existing neighbors, and
3. The shared access point on Ustick Road – the current owner does not want to lose any land to
provide access to the Ustick and Lake project.
These concerns can be mitigated by:
1. Revising the site plan so no sidewalks connect or are perpendicular to Muffin Lane. This should
discourage tenants from parking on Muffin Lane and walking to their home. Although we cannot
fully prevent drivers from using Muffin Lane, we can also consider installing signage on
discouraging drivers from using the private drive as a turnaround or parking.
2. Installing a fence prior to construction in its final location to provide neighbors with a noise and
construction buffer.
3. Surveying the shared access to determine how much of the access is on this and the adjoining
property. We believe this concern can be resolved with the owner once we have more
information.
Conceptual Rendering – Ustick Road View
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Conceptual Rendering – Aerial View
Parking and Site Access
Under the current code, parking requirements are 1.5 stalls per unit, which amounts to 53 required
stalls. However, proposed code changes would require 1.5 stalls for 1- and 2-bedroom units, 2 stalls for
units with 3 or more bedrooms, and 1 guest stall for every 10 units. Based on our proposed unit mix, this
would increase the requirement to 59 stalls.
Our current site design includes 55 stalls, which satisfies the current requirement but does not satisfy
the proposed requirement. As a result, we will request a waiver to the parking requirement as part of
our SUP application.
Access to the site is provided via Ustick Road; no access is permitted to Muffin Lane. To improve fire
access, connectivity, and to provide residents with more convenient routes to services, we would like to
add a right-in right-out access onto Lake Avenue. This access would allow residents to effortlessly access
the Ustick/Lake roundabout which moves traffic in any direction.
The existing access at Ustick is also right-in, right-out only, but forces traffic to go back to Ustick and
Florida to then circle back toward Walmart and other services. A traffic analysis is underway to
determine whether access to Lake Avenue is feasible.
Circulation Pattern
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Layout with Ustick Road Access Desired Layout with Lake Avenue Access
Conclusion
This project aligns with Caldwell’s goals for smart growth, walkability, and affordable housing. Rezoning
to R3 is not only appropriate for this location, but also necessary to address the growing need for
housing in our community. We respectfully request your approval of the application to rezone from “C3”
to “R3”, with the understanding that an SUP application will follow shortly for further review and
consideration.
For Brighton et al,
Amanda McNutt
Director of Entitlement