Nampa Approves Grace Bible Church Annexation for New Church Site

The Nampa City Council voted 5-0 to approve the annexation and zoning requests connected to Grace Bible Church’s future campus near Lake Lowell Avenue and Midway Road.

The September 8, 2026, decision covers two parcels. The larger parcel at the northwest corner of the intersection received RA suburban residential zoning. Grace Bible Church plans to build its new campus there.

A separate parcel at the southeast corner received RS7 single-family residential zoning. That smaller parcel currently has no development plan.

The council approved the application with the city’s recommended conditions and proposed findings. The decision also creates the annexation path needed for the previously approved Lake Lowell Estates development west of the future church.

What Is Planned for the New Grace Bible Church Campus?

The current concept shows an 88,479-square-foot, two-story church building. The proposed worship center could accommodate up to 1,300 people under city code.

The preliminary site plan includes:

• 690 parking spaces
• 7.5 acres of open space
• Landscaping and buffers around the property
• Access from Lake Lowell Avenue and Midway Road
• Possible recreational areas in a future phase

City code requires 347 parking spaces for the proposed use. The church plans to provide nearly twice that amount. Church representatives said the additional parking should reduce the time visitors spend searching for spaces and improve traffic circulation within the property.

The concept plan also shows sports fields and other recreational space. However, Pastor Keith Wagner told the council that those features are only possibilities. They are not included in Phase One, and the church has not established a timeline for building them.

The applicant also clarified that the current proposal does not include athletic field lighting.

Why Does Grace Bible Church Need a New Location?

Grace Bible Church has served the Nampa community for approximately 50 years. Wagner said the congregation has experienced sustained growth and has run out of room at its current location.

The church currently offers six services but still reaches capacity. Wagner said the church has recently had to turn people away because no seats remained. As a temporary solution, the church is preparing overflow space at Lone Star Middle School.

Church leaders want the future campus to offer more than Sunday worship. They envision a place for community gatherings, ministries and partnerships with local organizations.

Traffic Was the Main Concern

Much of the City Council discussion and public testimony focused on traffic along Lake Lowell Avenue, Midway Road and nearby intersections.

Several residents asked the city to delay approval until the church completed a traffic impact study. They raised concerns about narrow roads, existing congestion, nearby residential growth and the number of vehicles that could enter and leave the campus during services.

The church has already hired a traffic engineer. However, the study was not complete at the time of the hearing.

City staff explained that Nampa requires the traffic impact study during the building permit process. The city and its traffic consultant will review the study and determine which improvements the project must provide.

Those improvements could include turn lanes, vehicle stacking lanes or work at nearby intersections.

The developer will pay for improvements caused by the project. The city will not issue a certificate of occupancy until the required improvements are complete.

Highway District No. 4 asked that church access come from Lake Lowell Avenue. The district also noted that part of Midway Road was rebuilt in 2024. It requested that utility work avoid cutting into the newer roadway for five years.

Residents Raised Wildlife and Lighting Concerns

The property sits near the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge. Several speakers asked the church and city to consider how traffic, development and nighttime lighting could affect birds and other wildlife.

One statement presented during the hearing requested fully shielded, downward-facing exterior lighting. It also recommended turning off parking lot and athletic field lights when they are not needed, especially during spring and fall bird migration.

Church representatives said the plan would add significantly more trees and landscaping than the property has today. They also emphasized that the sports fields remain conceptual and that field lighting is not part of the current proposal.

City staff said Nampa does not have separate development standards for properties near the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge. However, the city’s existing code requires shielded lighting designed to direct light downward and keep it on the property.

Staff said those requirements should reduce light spilling onto neighboring properties, although they would not eliminate it completely.

What Is Planned for the Second Parcel?

The approximately five-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Lake Lowell Avenue and Midway Road received RS7 zoning. No construction is currently proposed there.

Council members asked what that zoning could allow in the future. City staff clarified that RS7 permits single-family homes. It does not permit apartments or townhomes.

Staff estimated that the property might accommodate approximately nine to 12 homes after road right-of-way and other site requirements reduce the usable acreage.

Any future subdivision proposal would still have to go through the city’s development review process.

How Does the Approval Affect Lake Lowell Estates?

The Grace Bible Church annexation also matters to another approved project nearby.

Lake Lowell Estates is a proposed 25-home development west of the church site. Its plans call for homes on lots of at least one acre, more than six acres of open space, a gazebo and pickleball courts.

The City Council previously required the Grace Bible Church property to be annexed before the city could complete the ordinance needed for Lake Lowell Estates.

With the church annexation approved, Lake Lowell Estates can return to the city for that next step.

City staff also clarified that Nampa will not pay to extend utilities to either development. Grace Bible Church and the Lake Lowell Estates developer must determine how to divide the infrastructure costs.

City Leaders Disclosed Connections to the Church

Before voting, the mayor and several council members disclosed affiliations with Grace Bible Church or previous conversations with its pastors about the project.

The city attorney explained that Idaho’s conflict-of-interest rules focus on financial interests. He said the disclosed affiliations and conversations did not create a financial conflict that required anyone to step away from the decision.

The City Council then approved the application by a 5-0 roll-call vote.

What Happens Next?

The annexation and zoning approval does not allow construction to begin immediately.

Grace Bible Church must continue through Nampa’s development and building permit process. The project must complete its traffic impact study, satisfy the city’s conditions and construct any required transportation improvements before the city issues a certificate of occupancy.

The sports fields and other recreational features shown on the concept plan remain possible future additions. They are not part of the first construction phase.

Lake Lowell Estates must also return to the city so officials can complete the next required step for that development.

All Things Nampa will continue following both projects as new plans, traffic studies and construction timelines become available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Nampa approve the Grace Bible Church annexation?

Yes. The Nampa City Council approved the annexation and zoning requests by a 5-0 vote on September 8, 2026. The approval included the city’s recommended conditions and proposed findings.

Where will the new Grace Bible Church campus be located?

The future campus is planned for the northwest corner of Lake Lowell Avenue and Midway Road in Nampa. The property received RA suburban residential zoning, which allows a church at this location.

What does Grace Bible Church plan to build?

The preliminary plan shows an 88,479-square-foot, two-story church building with a worship center for up to 1,300 people. It also includes 690 parking spaces, landscaping and 7.5 acres of open space.

Are the sports fields part of the first construction phase?

No. The sports fields shown on the concept plan are possible future additions. They are not part of Phase One, and the church has not announced a timeline for building them.

Will Grace Bible Church have to complete a traffic study?

Yes. Nampa requires a traffic impact study as part of the building permit process. The church has already hired a traffic engineer. The developer must complete any transportation improvements required by the study before the city issues a certificate of occupancy.

What will happen to the second parcel at the intersection?

The approximately five-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Lake Lowell Avenue and Midway Road received RS7 single-family residential zoning. No development is currently proposed there. RS7 zoning does not allow apartments or townhomes.

How does the approval affect Lake Lowell Estates?

The church property provides the required annexation path for Lake Lowell Estates, a previously approved 25-home development west of the future church. Lake Lowell Estates can now return to the city for the next step in its approval process.