Caldwell mulls specialty zoning for hospital, airport

Proposed hospital and airport zoning district coulds be voted on by the  Caldwell City Council as early as April 7, Planning and Zoning Director Brian Billingsley said.

Property owners who seek building permits for airport- and hospital-specific uses now must request special-use approval, go through public hearings and secure Planning & Zoning Commission approval.

If the City Council approves the new zoning classifications, owners could obtain permits for approved uses relatively quickly at the city offices, Billingsley said. The proposed new zones reflect changing demands, he said.
The proposed hospital zone near West Valley Medical Center encompasses 65 acres bordered by South 10th Avenue on the east, Sunset on the west, Mead on the north and Ash on the south. The area now is zoned for high-density residential uses.
More people who own property near the hospital seek permits for new medical buildings or for home-to-office conversions, Billingsley said. Medical uses already are common there.
Homes could still be rebuilt, renovated or expanded under the new hospital district zoning classification, he said.
Betty Tollman, a Silverhawk Realty agent in Caldwell and a member of the Caldwell Planning & Zoning Commission, is marketing a 2,346-square-foot home on a 0.43-acre lot on 10th, south of Elm Street and the Caldwell Medical Arts building.
Many homes like this would make good medical offices, or homes that include an office, she said. But even though South Tenth and nearby streets like Kimball and Logan are taking on a broader mix of uses, properties can remain residential until the owner files to change the use, she said.
Hospital-zone elements include permitted uses and requirements for building heights, setbacks and parking, Billingsley said. Some residents said they wanted permitted status for unassociated service and retail, and special-use status for parking garages, hotels and apartments, he said.
The hospitals wanted to classify helicopter pads as a permitted use, but the Planning & Zoning Commission endorsed special-use status for the pads, he said.
Hospital administrators from West Valley and from St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center – which has purchased property at the northwest corner of Smeed Parkway and U.S. 20-26 – helped Billingsley craft the ordinance. St. Luke’s likely would request annexation and hospital zoning when it builds, he said.
The proposed airport zone consists of 477 acres in and around Caldwell Industrial Airport, which lies south of U.S. 20-26. The area is zoned for industrial uses now.
Now, projects such as hangars and terminals require a special-use permit, Billingsley said. Caldwell in recent years purchased several parcels for future expansion of the airport.
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