CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — Canyon County leaders heard comments from the public Aug. 20 on proposed changes to the county's rules for dividing agricultural land.
The proposed zoning ordinance updates are aimed at clarifying the county's land-division process while addressing concerns about preserving agricultural land and the county's rural character.
The changes are being considered for administrative land divisions, which are reviewed by county staff and do not require the same public hearing process as subdivisions. The county says the overall number of administrative land divisions allowed would not change under the proposal.
However, two existing provisions would be eliminated:
- Non-viable land divisions in agricultural zones.
- Administrative divisions of lots in subdivisions that were platted before 1979.
According to the county, its current administrative land-division ordinance allowed for 379 land divisions in agricultural zones between 2020 and 2025. Those divisions created 1,028 new parcels, not including parcels created through platted subdivisions.
As of June 2025, Canyon County had 20,638 parcels outside city limits that were zoned agricultural.
The county began gathering public feedback on the issue in summer 2025 through a survey and community workshop.
According to the county, residents expressed strong support for preserving agricultural land, concerns about the number of administrative land divisions and a desire for clearer rules governing the process.
County staff then reviewed past policies and practices in other counties before drafting the proposed updates.
Among the proposed changes are updated definitions for terms such as "lot," "parcel" and "original parcel," along with new definitions for terms including "agricultural-only parcel," "buildable," "legal access" and "historic lot."
The proposal also would clarify what makes a parcel "buildable" and provide more specific guidance about what uses are allowed on agricultural-only parcels.
Other proposed changes include:
- Updating application requirements, including requiring irrigation plans.
- Adding new property-owner notification requirements.
- Updating standards for agricultural-only parcels.
- Removing the section addressing nonviable parcel divisions in agricultural zones.
- Requiring applicants to obtain acknowledgments from highway districts, fire districts, irrigation districts and Southwest District Health.
The county says the proposed changes are intended to protect agricultural land and rural character, provide clearer expectations for property owners and better align the county's processes with past practices and community goals.
The county will hold another public comment session on the proposed changes Nov. 5.
People who want to weigh in will also have the opportunity to submit written comments ahead of that meeting. Those must be submitted at least 10 days before the Nov. 5 session.
The proposed zoning code changes and supporting materials are available through Canyon County's Development Services department. Questions can be directed to zoninginfo@canyoncounty.id.gov.
For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton
