Caldwell residents push back against proposed subdivision

CALDWELL, Idaho — A proposed subdivision that would bring 215 homes to 75 acres at South 10th Avenue and David Street has some Caldwell residents worried about the city’s ability to handle more growth.

The Element Ridge subdivision would be built directly across from Vallivue Middle School. While the project aims to address a housing shortage, it raised concerns at this week’s Planning and Zoning meeting about infrastructure and school overcrowding.

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In October, the Vallivue School District sent a letter warning that developments like this could push seven of its nine elementary schools over capacity by 2029.

“The City of Caldwell is trying to expand well beyond their means,” said Caldwell resident Gordon Taiariol. “My big concern is that from a safety standpoint... our fire department response times are lower than the national average.”

Traffic is another concern. Residents say roads in the area are already congested and worry the new development will make the problem even worse.

“Driving through Caldwell is miserable. It’s packed up. It’s like driving to Boise,” Taiariol said. “And the roads are already getting beat up by construction equipment coming through.”

Brad Carico, an Idaho native and longtime resident of the area, says he’s worried the city’s growth is taking away from the rural charm of Caldwell’s outskirts.

“By annexing this project, all of our properties are now subject to be annexed in the city, and that was the one thing that I wanted to do— was to get away from the city when I moved out there,” Carico said.

Planning and zoning staff noted Caldwell needs at least 1,000 new housing units to meet demand. But despite that need, the commission denied the Element Ridge proposal, citing concerns about school overcrowding, water infrastructure, and traffic safety.

Carico said the city should slow down to assess the impact of current developments before moving forward with new projects.

“The big thing is that people weren’t thinking long-term about what they’re getting into,” Carico said. “And letting these other developments finish out and show their impact would make a lot of sense.”