LAND USE PLANNING – Adds to existing law to establish provisions allowing for multifamily residential housing developments in areas zoned for commercial use.

This bill allows cities in Idaho to permit multifamily residential housing developments in areas currently zoned for commercial use, such as office or retail districts. It requires local governments to update their land use regulations to allow these developments while maintaining existing commercial design standards and limiting parking requirements to one space per unit unless safety concerns justify more. The bill mandates that qualifying projects be approved automatically without discretionary review, provided they meet established land use requirements, and protects developers from standards that would make projects economically unfeasible. Exclusions apply to industrial zones, environmentally sensitive areas, and airport approach zones, and the law takes effect on July 1, 2026.