Pilot wants to attract birds of a feather
GREENLEAF, Idaho – For developer Jeff Miller, soaring above the Owyhee Mountains on a rainy, foggy day in his airplane is a peaceful experience unlike any other.
“Everyone has their own passion,” said Miller, a pilot with more than 20 years of flying experience.
Now, Miller, 43, is hoping to bring the passion for flying he and others share a little closer to home. His plan: Create a private community for pilots, airplane enthusiasts and their families.
The proposed Greenleaf Air Ranch calls for building 78 large residential lots with adjoining hangars, taxi lanes and a 2,400-foot private runway on a bench overlooking Greenleaf, a small, northern Canyon County community. Miller said the location will serve as a perfect launch pad into Idaho’s backcountry and other destinations across the Pacific Northwest.
“Everybody who’s a pilot dreams about living on an air park like golfers want to live on a golf course,” Miller told the Idaho Statesman.
So far, local interest in the subdivision is brisk, with about 75 percent of phase-one lots already reserved. Others say it’s just a matter of time before it draws interest from recreational pilots across the country in the same way subdivisions catering to golfers, anglers, boaters or wine enthusiasts do.
Pilot Bob Hannah, who owns an aircraft company at the Nampa Municipal Airport, has reserved nine lots in Miller’s first phase in hopes of surrounding himself with good friends who share his love of flying.
“Living with your plane is the best deal,” Hannah said.
According to plans, homes built with stucco, stone and wrought-iron fencing will blend with the rural appeal of Greenleaf. As part of the deal, developers intend to give the town, which has struggled with sewage problems recently, three acres for a future water treatment plant.
Greenleaf officials have already approved zoning that will protect the runway and its airspace.
“If we’re going to put this kind of money into it, we want to make sure it stays for years,” Miller said.
City Clerk Lee Belt says the Greenleaf Air Ranch seems a better fit for the community than previous subdivision proposals because it conforms to recent revisions to local land-use policies.
“This project takes advantage of the lay of the land, and it’s a unique use of the property,” Belt said. “As far as we know, this is the first air ranch in city limits” in Idaho.
But it’s not the only new subdivision based on a single theme or hobby. Developers elsewhere in the Treasure Valley are proposing lots lined with vineyards. Subdivisions tailored to sports activities have also been discussed.
Covering 103 acres, the Greenleaf subdivision would include a large, private hangar for homes set back from taxi lanes, a pilot’s lounge, community center, fueling station and 21 acres dedicated for open space for walking trails and soccer fields.
About 19 three-level homes will be built into the north-facing hillside to provide scenic views of the valley. Lot sizes range from as small as a third-of-an acre to 1.3 acres. Home construction is expected to begin this spring.