In Meridian, Idaho, a proposed housing project on farmland near the Boise River is facing fierce opposition from nearby residents, who say it could burden local roads, delay emergency responders, and transform a rural part of the city in ways they never expected.
What’s happening?
At the center of the dispute is Ibaia, a master-planned community Brighton Corp. wants Meridian to annex. The site covers nearly 600 acres north of Chinden Boulevard near State Highway 16, and the first phase would place 471 homes on nearly 300 acres, along with a large city park and a private event venue.
Neighbors in Spurwing Heights told the Idaho Statesman that this area has long been associated with lower-density growth, making the proposed scale of development a shock.
Victor Miller, a Spurwing Heights resident and vice president of the neighborhood group Rethink Basque Ranch, said, “We were in shock.”…