The City of Meridian actively works to support implementation of the Destination Downtown plan. Created by MDC (the City's Urban Renewal Agency), Destination Downtown is a long-term vision plan for the future of Downtown Meridian. Focused on identifying and implementing strategies and opportunities to strengthen Downtown's role not only within the Meridian community, but the Treasure Valley as a whole, the City supports Destination Downtown through a variety of policies, plans, and special opportunities.
Whether you’re an existing stakeholder looking to expand, or looking to develop something new, this web page is intended to provide an overview of the various tools that support the unique opportunities to live, work, and play in Downtown. As a general rule of thumb and if in question, it's always best to speak with Planning Division staff at 208.884.5533.
Redevelopment
The City has adopted Land Use and Zoning policy and code that allows for greater higher density, greater flexibility, relaxed parking, and other benefits suitable for an urban environment, intended to make redevelopment within the downtown area easier.
Future Land Use:
The City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan designates the downtown area as "Old Town" on the future land use map. Areas covered by this future land use may be eligible for Old Town (O-T) zoning (yep - same name). The O-T zone allows for a great number of residential and commercial uses, and has relaxed setbacks and a variety of other benefits. See the City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 3, for additional information on the Old Town land use. To verify a property is within the Old Town designation, see the Future Land Use Map Link map below.
City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan »
Zoning:
Zoning is the primary tool by which the City determines what may or may not occur on a property. It's intended to protect property rights and preserve community, by limiting the activities on a site. No one likes being told what they can or cannot do on their own property, but most people dislike obnoxious uses, neighborhood traffic, and unsafe environments even more. Because of the unique environment that downtowns in general provide for communities, Old Town zoning is much more flexible than other zoning designations. It's best to speak with a planner about zoning requirements, but feel free to check out the links below for further information.
City Code (see Title 11, Chapter 3, Article D)»
You can also search for detailed information about your property, including current zoning, at the Ada County Assessors website ».
