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OVERVIEW

Harris Ranch is a pedestrian-friendly 1,300-acre master-planned community in east Boise that embraces the concepts of Smart Growth, New Urbanism and seeks to strike a careful balance between new development and the protection of the environment, wildlife habitat and historic values in the Barber Valley. Nestled between the Boise foothills and the scenic Boise River, Harris Ranch is guided by the vision of Dallas Harris — to create a unique sense of place rooted in the present, yet reflective of the Harris family’s distinct commitment to the environment, community and heritage of Idaho. Once fully developed, Harris Ranch will include more than 2,800 homes with pedestrian access to trails, restaurants, shops and other community amenities

AMENITIES WITHIN AND A BIT BEYOND THE CURRENT COMMUNITY

It’s easy to LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE, especially when your address is Harris Ranch. With the Foothills to the north, Boise River to the South and so many things to see and do in any direction, you’ll be glad you landed here.

• Pocket parks throughout the community
• Barber Park and Event Center with river rafting drop-in area
• Miles of foothill trails ideal for walking, biking, running, exploring and walking your dog
• Immediate access the Greenbelt Pathway System that weaves throughout the entire Valley
• Boise River access for fly fishing, rafting and kayaking
• Shakespeare Festival with outdoor theatre, delicious dining and incredibly talented actors
• Lucky 13 Restaurant offering up legendary pizza and a great view of the foothills
• Ben’s Crow Inn serves up great clams, burgers and beer
• Warm Springs Golf Course offering 18 challenging holes to the public
• Bown Crossing is a family bike ride away with 4 restaurants and old-fashioned candy shop
• Botanical Gardens brings color year round from Winter-A-Glow to summer’s most beautiful blooms

WHAT IS A SMART GROWTH COMMUNITY?

A Smart Growth Community is more town-centered, is transit and pedestrian oriented, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also preserves open space and many other environmental amenities. However, the thread that makes Smart Growth efforts successful is to involve the community early and often in the planning process and often leads to innovative strategies and options which will, long term, foster vibrant communities and healthy lands.

So what is Harris Ranch’s plan to shape Smart Growth?

• Respect the historical roots of the mill town of Barberton and the Harris homestead.
• Provide 65% open space including 750+ acres in the foothills for conservation easements.
• Respect all wildlife; evaluate impact and incorporate the wildlife mitigation plan.
• Build 200 to 700 feet away from the Boise River.
• Provide a vibrant mix of commercial, retail, housing, and postal pavilions with a walk-to urban core.
• Offer high, medium, and low housing densities and rear-loaded garages on alleys.
• Build using Energy Star guidelines.
• Keep schools, jobs, and daily living within walking distance.
• Create a well-connected transportation system to maximize mobility and accessibility.
• Use roundabouts to improve traffic safety and flow.
• Reduce dependence on cars and conserve energy with pedestrian, bicycle, and transportation systems.
• Make transit possible by creating an environment with:
  • Supportive housing and employment densities within walkable ¼ mile
  • Grid of streets for easy access to stops
  • Safe and comfortable stops with active uses nearby
• Use boulevards, sidewalks, bus routes, paths, and trails to connect neighborhoods.
• Incorporate areas to gather including a town square, parks, and a river walkway.
• Develop a strong sense of place.
• Enable neighbors to really know one another.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

These principles were created to help guide the Harris Ranch development and design:

• Harris Ranch will have its own identifiable center and boundaries derived from topography, river basin, ranch lands, parks and institutions.
• The development of Harris Ranch respects the historical patterns, precedents and boundaries of what was once the largest town in Idaho, the mill town of Barberton.
• A broad spectrum of land uses will support the economy of Harris Ranch and Boise and benefit people of all incomes. Affordable housing will be found throughout Harris Ranch.
• Pedestrian, bicycle and transportation systems will maximize access and mobility throughout Harris Ranch while reducing dependence on cars.
• The neighborhood, the corridor and the community are the essential elements of Harris Ranch and are designed to encourage residents and workers to take responsibility for the maintenance and evolution of Harris Ranch.
• Harris Ranch neighborhoods are compact, pedestrian-friendly and mixed-use. Schools will be sized and located to enable children to walk or bicycle to school. Corridors are connectors of neighborhoods and district corridors. They range from boulevards, bus routes and sidewalks to paths and trails.
• Many activities of daily living occur within walking distance, allowing independence to those who do not drive, particularly the elderly and the young. Interconnected networks of streets are designed to encourage walking, reduce the number and length of car trips and conserve energy.
• Within Harris Ranch neighborhoods, a broad range of housing types and price levels will bring people of diverse ages, gender and incomes into daily interaction, strengthening the bonds essential to a contributing neighborhood of Boise.
• Appropriate building densities and land uses are within walking distance of probable future transit stops permitting public transit to become a viable alternative to cars.
• Conservation areas and open lands are used to define the edges of, and connect different neighborhoods and districts to Harris Ranch.
• Streets, squares and greens will be designed to be safe, comfortable and interesting to the pedestrian, to encourage walking and enable neighbors to know each other and protect their community