Idaho Supreme Court to hear lawsuit determining the future of Interfaith Sanctuary

Interfaith Sanctuary is already underway in a transition to relocate its shelter to 4306 W State St., which previously served as the Salvation Army building.

The Idaho Press previously reported that shelter director Jodi Peterson-Stigers had anticipated the new location to be operational by October 2025. A lawsuit, put forth by the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association, could put the move in jeopardy.

The case concerns Interfaith Sanctuary’s application for a conditional use permit that authorized the shelter to operate at the West State Street location. After receiving feedback from the community, including the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association (VPNA), at a series of public hearings, the Planning and Zoning Commission decided to deny Interfaith Sanctuary’s application.

This decision was appealed to Boise City Council, where the neighborhood association continued to oppose the application. City Council hosted five public hearings on the application before reversing the decision made by the Planning and Zoning Commission and granting the permit, with conditions.

After the neighborhood association filed a petition for judicial review, a district court upheld the decision made by City Council. This decision has been appealed by VPNA and is now under consideration by the Idaho Supreme Court. According to a court filing, VPNA argues that the conditional use permit was “wrongfully granted,” arguing that City Council did not properly identify the standard used to approve the permit and characterized the overturning of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s original decision as “arbitrary” and “capricious.”

“We look forward to the Court finally hearing this matter,” Peterson-Stigers said, in a statement. “We believe the City Council acted correctly in approving our application. We continue to move forward (in) meeting the needs of our guests and community.”

The Veterans Park Neighborhood Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case will be heard by the Idaho Supreme Court on Friday, Oct. 11 at 11:10 a.m. A decision will come after the hearing date.