Kuna City Council adopts amendments to downtown design standards (Resolution R042026)

The Kuna City Council voted Jan. 6 to adopt Resolution R042026, amending the city's downtown design standards to update the color palette and remove color tiers in favor of a single palette intended to promote design flexibility and clarity.

Doug Hansen, the city's Planning and Zoning Director, told the council the proposed changes update outdated colors and "promote design flexibility, clarity, and consistency" in the downtown design manual. Hansen said most of the amendments "do not require public hearings" and added that the changes would apply to redevelopment projects going forward, not to existing storefronts or facades.

Council members asked whether the revisions would be difficult to change later if they proved too constraining; Hansen replied that most changes could be revisited as a business item before the council and would not require a formal public hearing. When asked whether current downtown businesses would be required to update facades, Hansen said the amendment would apply to redevelopment and would not force immediate facade changes.

An unidentified council member moved to approve Resolution R042026, the motion was seconded, and the council approved the resolution by voice vote.

The resolution takes effect as the council recorded at the Jan. 6 meeting; the planning department will apply the updated palette and standards to future downtown redevelopment reviews.