Voters in 2023 said no to a proposed $49-billion bond, which would have funded the full expansion of the Ada County Jail. County officials have since moved forward instead with a phased approach to expansion, using $20 million dollars already saved for the project to address the most pressing need: updating the jail’s kitchen.
But, there is a permitting dispute between Ada County and the City of Boise over parking spots for electric vehicles and now the state is poised to weigh in.
The county owns the jail, but like any building within city limits is subject to Boise’s zoning code. The new zoning code, which passed in 2023, has many requirements, like a minimum for industrial projects to have 20% of parking spots as capable for electric vehicles…