Both property acquisitions were approved by the Boise City Council on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
Boise City Council members will consider the acquisition of two properties, one donated by a landowner in the Boise Foothills and one conveyed to the city by Veolia Water, at their upcoming meeting on Tuesday, October 28. The Boise Foothills property is being donated to the city by Greg Satz and family to protect critical wildlife habitat and for future outdoor recreation access. The property is located in the Boise Foothills just above the Warm Springs Golf Course. Meanwhile, the Veolia Water property, which is located near the intersection of Oaklawn Drive and Hummel Drive on the Boise Bench, is being transferred to the city for use as a future park.
“Our community has a strong history of open space and land preservation for parks, trails and outdoor recreation access,” said Mayor Lauren McLean. “The trust we build with landowners and organizations through responsible stewardship of the city’s open space levies and maintenance of a world-class parks and recreation system continues to pay dividends. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to protect Boise’s backyard and expand 10-Minute Walk to a Park access for Boiseans.”
Satz Family Foothills Land Donation
The Satz Family approached the city about donating 44 acres of property in the Boise Foothills above Warm Springs Avenue and the gift means increased opportunities for recreation and wildlife protection in a popular area of Southeast Boise. The private property donation will expand Boise’s open space offerings near the Mesa and Table Rock Reserves. Preservation of the foothills acreage will create the potential for connections to popular Table Rock trails within the Ridge to Rivers Trail System.
“This is an incredible donation that will help create additional hiking and biking connections across the Boise Front,” said Boise Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway. “We appreciate the trust the Satz Family has in our team to care for this beautiful piece of property and know it will benefit residents for generations to come.”
Open Space and Clean Water Levy funding of approximately $20,000 approved by Boise City Council members earlier this month allowed Boise Parks and Recreation staff to pull title reports, complete land surveys and cover closing fees associated with the donation so it can be preserved in perpetuity.
Hummel Drive Pocket Park Property Acquisition
The 0.19-acre parcel will create a safe, accessible connection from Phillippi Park to Borah Park, and is also a 10-minute walk to Grace Jordan Community Center. The decommissioned well site, currently owned by Veolia Water, is located within a 10-minute walk of approximately 380 residents from 150 homes. Neighbors are highly supportive of the project and initially approached city leaders about preserving the site as a pocket park for green space access. Petition organizer Wanda Firman and her husband, Bob, joined city leaders for the acquisition announcement.
Veolia Water has expressed interest in developing water well locations on park properties to better serve the community and through conversations with Veolia Water, the city has negotiated an arrangement for Veolia Water to transfer the property off Hummel Drive to Boise Parks and Recreation to serve as a future park site in exchange for developing a drinking water well in a small area of Manitou Park in Southeast Boise.
"Veolia is pleased to support the City of Boise’s goal of a park within a 10-minute walk for every resident. This land transfer benefits the residents of Boise in two ways - a new park on Hummel Drive and a new drinking water well in southeast Boise - a win-win for the community we both serve," said David Johns, regional president of Veolia.
If approved by the Boise City Council, conveyance of the property off Hummel Drive will come at no additional cost to the city.
To view both proposed properties on the upcoming Boise City Council meeting agenda for October 28, 2025, visit the City of Boise’s website. Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled to start at noon. All city council meetings are livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel.
