Madison County Idaho's New RR 1.5 Zone: Overview, Purpose, and Desired Outcomes

Overview:

While this article is intended to be primarily informational, it is a difficult topic to address without some conclusions being drawn on basis of opinion. I invite you to look at the information and draw your own conclusions outside of just those that I am suggesting. This is an issue that will certainly become more pressing as our community continues to grow, and the more we can collaborate, share ideas, and actively participate in the planning and zoning process the better off we will be as a community to balance everyone's interests.

Following a resident driven initiative that began June of 2024, on November 12th, Madison County adopted a Rural Residential Zone allowing for an average density of 1.5 acres compared with the average 2 acre density required in the current Transitional Agriculture Zone shown in light green on the map. Let's start with the general details of the new zone before getting into analysis. Allowed uses within this zone are actually more restrictive than what is allowed in the Transitional Agriculture Zone.

Allowed uses within the zone are primarily residential in nature being:

• Single-Family Homes (primary dwellings)

• Accessory dwellings (attached and detached, no more than one primary dwelling and one accessory dwelling per lot). 

• Accessory Buildings

• Bed and Breakfast, up to 5 rooms. 

• Livestock Pens

• Schools (High School, elementary school, child care center or day care). 

• Parks, playgrounds, ballfields

• Home-based businesses with up to five (5) employees.

• Public art

• Agriculture related structure

• Fire station, Police station, Cemetery, Produce stands

Development Standards:

• Minimum Lot Size: 1 Acre.

• Average Lot Size: 1.5 acres.

• Minimum Lot Width: 125 feet (at least one side of the lot must be at least 125’)

• Front Setback: 30 feet (as measured from the edge of the right of way) Side Setback: 10 feet Rear Setback: 25 Feet.

Lands may be zoned as Rural Residential 1.5 if they meet one or more of the following criteria: 1. The land is currently zoned as Transitional Agriculture 2. The land is adjacent to areas zoned as Transitional Agriculture. The application of the RR 1.5 Zone to lands meeting these criteria shall not be considered a “spot zone” due to the similar nature and intent of the Rural Residential 1.5 and Transitional Agriculture Zones.

Purpose:

It is no secret that Madison County, Idaho is growing at an astonishingly fast rate. With its family friendly nature, low crime, and steady economic growth, it is a highly desirable place for those relocating. Since 2010 alone, the population has increased from 37,536 to 54,547, an incredible 45.3% increase in just 15 years. This rate significantly outpaces nearby Jefferson and Bonneville Counties rates in that same time period being 30.4% and 25.5% respectively.

This significant growth is not without its impacts. Real Estate markets follow the same principles of supply and demand that govern all sectors of the economy. This increase in demand, coupled with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and historically low borrowing rates for too long by the FED has contributed to prices of residential building lots skyrocketing. Not just this, but increased housing demand leads to increased values of unimproved land, much of which is in agricultural production in our area. These increased values together with previous zoning practices allowing only lower density has led to more farm ground being consumed for residential use to meet the strong demand. The new RR 1.5 zone is aimed at addressing this growing demand for housing while preserving the County’s agricultural and rural character.

Desired Outcomes:

Less consumption of farm ground by residential uses: By allowing more people to fit in a smaller area, less farm ground will be needed to accommodate housing demand. I like to think of it this way: 100 families are going to move to Madison county for the same reasons that many of us enjoy living here. If a piece of land zoned trans ag is developed to meet that need, it would take 200 acres of ground to provide building lots for each family. With this new district that has been adopted, to accommodate the same 100 families it would only take 150 acres. Allowing for 50 acres more to be left in agricultural production.

More affordable building lot product: While preferences may vary, most people do not need 2 acres. Most people just need a building right for a home. When options are limited to 2 acres, the end product inherently costs more as the inputs are more expensive. Not just the input of land, but every single piece of infrastructure costs more. The road that is installed has to be longer, the power has to go further, internet lines have to be run further, natural gas has to be run further, irrigation systems will be needed to ensure that yards do not become fields of weeds, etc. All of this means increased cost to the consumer. The median sale price for 1.9-2.5 acre building lots during the last 12 months in Madison county was $145,000. The median sales price for 1-1.5 acre building lots during that same period was $86,200 bringing it to a much more affordable realm for most buyers. I would say that with more options in that lower range as well, we could expect prices to stabilize in that range and hold off the steady upward climb that we have seen in recent years.

Conclusion:

The adoption of the Rural-Residential 1.5 zone is a step in the right direction for Madison County. It strikes a delicate balance between the need for housing and the impacts of growth. As a real estate broker in the area, I firmly believe this will lead to more affordable housing opportunities here in Madison county. By allowing slightly higher density development, it is my opinion that it will actually ease the impacts on agricultural production, not increase them as those opposed to the change would suggest. Nonetheless, the issue of responsible growth stands to be a challenge we will face as a community for years to come. In light of this, as a community we need the collective ideas of all to ensure that everyone's needs are balanced, not just those that think the same as us. I encourage you to be involved in the process by becoming informed, attending local planning and zoning hearings, and contacting your local representatives to make your voice heard. If you have questions about how this new zone may impact you as a resident of Madison County, feel free to give me a call and I would be happy to discuss.