Avimor Story
The Avimor Story
Avimor sits on nearly 23,000 acres of beautiful foothills land surrounding Boise, Idaho. The land was part of a small but thriving stage stop by the name of Howell. The McLeod family purchased the property in 1916 and began to operate a sheep and cattle ranch known as the Spring Valley Ranch. In early 2000, the McLeod family decided to develop the Spring Valley Ranch and build a "place" that would sustain future generations for years to come.
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In 2002, they put their plan into action and partnered with SunCor, a large national developer, and now with Avimor Partners, LLC.
Avimor is currently entitled as an 840 acre master planned community. There are just over 22,000 additional acres included in the Trust for future expansion of the planned community. When complete, Avimor will be a series of Villages and Hamlets connected by pathways and trails to make transportation by foot or bike a viable option between Villages. Each Hamlet will offer some form of community gathering place, and many will offer mixed-use commercial sites and community services. Within minutes of every home, residents will find neighborhood shops and offices.
Village One is currently under production, and it includes 661 single-family homes ranging from small 1,000 sqft starter homes to custom lots for large estate homes. It also includes a 12,000 sqft Community Center, swimming pool, fitness center, 7 parks, commercial area with 175,000 sqft of office and retail space, and miles of improved trails.
Over 60 percent of the community is preserved as open space, which means that when complete, Avimor will have over 25 square miles of open space surrounding the Villages and Hamlets.
Approximately 100 miles of Avimor trails have already been made available to the Community and the public at large. And the trail system will improve and increase as Avimor expands and continues to work closely with civic leaders, conservation organizations, and trail recreation groups.
Avimor has committed to building an environmentally friendly project. Each home is built with the materials and quality needed to exceed the standard energy efficiency codes by at least 30%. Avimor was recognized as the 2008-2009 Northwest ENERGY STAR Idaho Builder of the Year. Furthermore, community landscaping incorporates native and drought tolerant plants that provide seasonal color and habitat for birds and other wildlife. Avimor's Conservation Director and the Avimor Stewardship Organization further ensure that fire wise principles and conservation efforts are consistently and diligently applied.
Location, Location, Location
Avimor is close to town, but not too close. Downtown Eagle is 8 minutes away. Medical Centers, stores, restaurants, and entertainment are mere minutes from your front door. World-class recreational activities are also very close when you live at Avimor. Roaring whitewater rafting on the Payette River and snow skiing at Bogus Basin are less than 30 minutes away. Additional mountain recreation and resorts can be found at McCall, Donnelly, Brundage and Tamarack, just and hour or two from Avimor. Check out the map below for local amenities and attractions in addition to foothills trail locations.
The McLeod Family
For over 100 years, the McLeod family has lived on and cared for the thousands of acres that comprise Avimor. Avimor was part of a larger ranch known as the Spring Valley Ranch. It traces its roots to 1890 when a small ranching community known as “Howell” began to thrive in the area. It was an 80 acre ranching settlement that boasted a general store, blacksmith shop, and post office. In 1916, Colin McLeod, a Scottish immigrant, arrived in Howell and purchased what became known as the Spring Valley Ranch.
Colin McLeod, raised his family on the ranch and began to purchase surrounding parcels, ultimately growing the foothills ranch to about 37,000 acres. The ranch stayed in the hands of the McLeod family, passing from Colin McLeod, to Colin “Smokey” McLeod Jr., and then on to Colin “Sandy” McLeod III.
Conservation and land stewardship have always been a priority of the McLeod Family.
They were implementing sustainable practices many decades before it became popular to do so. And it is their heritage of land stewardship that is the basis for The Avimor Master Plan. In early 2000, Sandy McLeod and his family sought to develop a “place” where the land was preserved for future generations and folks could live side-by-side with nature. The McLeod’s desired a small-town feel, a community where kids could freely enjoy the outdoors and residents could get to know their neighbors.
The McLeod family considered many alternatives for development. They first considered selling individual parcels, resulting in a patchwork quilt of development throughout the foothills. They decided, however, that a master plan concept with an emphasis on conservation and small town values would be the best way to meet their vision for the land.
As the McLeod’s and planners began planning, one of their primary goals was to find a way to alleviate the natural conflict between private development and conservation of the scenic foothills. They decided that cluster development was the way to go. Cluster building (also known as “Conservation Design”) requires Planners to consider environmental features and natural areas while designing any development. It is a way to avoid the simple “checkerboard” development and instead integrate trails, natural open space, creek beds, and parks into the design. Scenic resources and native habitat are preserved while still allowing public access and recreational uses.
Avimor has set the standard for “inclusive” conservation-based communities. Like the foothills it’s built on, Avimor is living and growing. The plan is well designed with conservation at the forefront. The lifestyle is affordable, and it is a foothills lifestyle open to all.