Idaho has enacted a law requiring cities to approve residential development on lots as small as 1,500 square feet, the smallest state-mandated minimum in the country, with the dual goals of making homes more affordable and preventing suburban sprawl from consuming the state’s agricultural land. The law applies only to parcels of at least four acres in cities with at least 10,000 residents. It follows similar moves by Maine and Texas to limit local lot-size minimums. Supporters argue that restrictive zoning driven by wealthy newcomers has priced out longtime residents.
