Garden City Infill Development Guide

Garden City base zoning districts: R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Two-Family Residential), R-M (Medium-Density Residential), C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial), C-2 (General Commercial), M-1 (Light Industrial), M-2 (Heavy Industrial), P (Public)

Investor implication: R-M is the newest addition (Ord. 1050-24) and the highest-density residential zone — 2-20+ unit multifamily is permitted by right in R-M corridors, primarily along Glenwood Street in West Garden City.

R-M zone permits single-family, two-family, and multifamily residential uses from 2 to 20+ units. Minimum lot size: 5,000 sq ft for single-family, 7,500 sq ft for two-family, 10,000 sq ft for multifamily. Maximum density: 20 units per acre. Setbacks: front 15 ft, side 5 ft, rear 15 ft. Maximum height: 35 ft / 3 stories.

Investor implication: R-M opens small-format multifamily plays (2-20 units) on parcels as small as 10,000 sq ft — the Glenwood corridor in West Garden City is the primary R-M geography. 20 units/acre is denser than most Boise R-2 or R-3 zones.

Live-Work-Create overlay applies to the arts-district corridor along Chinden Boulevard. Permitted uses: mixed-use residential/commercial, live-work units, maker spaces, breweries, galleries. Reduced parking minimums: 1 space per residential unit (vs. 2 in base zones), 1 space per 500 sq ft commercial (vs. 1 per 300 sq ft). Design review required for all new construction and major renovations.

Investor implication: Reduced parking minimums are the material advantage — 1 space per unit vs. 2 in base zones cuts parking construction costs by 40-50% on small-format multifamily. Design review adds 30-60 days to entitlement but is predictable if you follow the arts-district design guidelines.

R-1 zone: single-family only, minimum lot size 6,000 sq ft, setbacks front 20 ft / side 5 ft / rear 20 ft, maximum height 30 ft / 2.5 stories. R-2 zone: single-family and two-family, minimum lot size 6,000 sq ft (single-family) or 8,000 sq ft (two-family), setbacks front 15 ft / side 5 ft / rear 15 ft, maximum height 30 ft / 2.5 stories.

Investor implication: R-1 and R-2 are the legacy single-family and duplex zones — Old Garden City is primarily R-1 with scattered R-2 parcels. Lot-split-viable parcels (12,000+ sq ft) are common in Old Garden City; ADUs are permitted in both zones (see ADU Guide).

[VERIFY: Garden City Code Title 8 Chapter 5 Greenbelt Overlay provisions + https://www.codepublishing.com/ID/GardenCity/html/GardenCity08/GardenCity08.html] — Greenbelt-adjacent parcels subject to additional setback, height, and design-review requirements to protect river corridor viewsheds and public access.

Investor implication: Greenbelt overlay adds 30-90 days to entitlement and constrains envelope flexibility on riverside parcels — verify overlay applicability before any Greenbelt-adjacent acquisition.

Idaho SB 1352 requires cities over 10,000 population to allow residential development at minimum 12 units per acre on tracts ≥4 acres, with lots as small as 1,400 sq ft. Setback and lot-width requirements do not apply to qualifying starter-home subdivisions.

Investor implication: SB 1352 supersedes local zoning on tracts ≥4 acres — Garden City has limited greenfield inventory, but commercial-to-residential conversions on 4+ acre parcels along Chinden or Glenwood may qualify for starter-home density preemption.