A historic ranch near the foot of Jughandle Mountain could become a subdivision of 56 luxury homes, including 15 with helipads.
The Shaw Family Homestead, located about four miles southeast of McCall on 510 acres off Boulder Lake Road, is “moving to its next chapter with Altitude Development Group,” according to the project’s website.
Conceptual plans for the development, called Shaw Ranch, show lots ranging from two to 27.5 acres. Fifteen lots would include helipads, 11 would allow horses, and some would front Lake Fork Creek.
A community meeting on the project is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Idaho First Bank meeting room from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Formal development plans have not yet been submitted to Valley County, though Altitude hopes to do so this fall or winter, said Beau Value, a partner in the company who is also director of development.
The Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission would be tasked with reviewing any application submitted for the property through a process that would likely require multiple public hearings.
A conceptual layout for the Shaw Ranch proposal. Map: Via Altitude Development Group
Value emphasized that the current plans for Shaw Ranch are preliminary and said that public comments may be incorporated into Altitude’s formal application to the county.
Altitude is owned by Value, his wife Breanna, and Todd and Lisa Allen, who are all McCall residents. The 510-acre property is still owned by the Shaw family, Value said.
“This is our community, and we care what takes shape here,” he said. “Our vision is a community centered on the land and an outdoor lifestyle. The ranch meadow and surrounding mountains are central to that vision, with an emphasis on open space, privacy, and the character of the area.”
Shaw Ranch would be built out in three phases, with 18 lots planned in the first phase. Lots would be sold for buyers to build on. There is no timeline for the project’s second and third phases.
Helicopter access among proposed amenities
The project webpage notes that the 15 lots with helipads are subject to county approval and Federal Aviation Administration standards.
If approved, helicopter landings would be limited to daylight hours and subject to designated routes to avoid flying over homes, Value said.
“We see it as an access option and a distinctive amenity that complements the area’s outdoor recreation and backcountry aviation history,” he said. “It would give owners coming from outside the area another way to reach their property without driving Highway 55.”
Marketing for Shaw Ranch emphasizes access to outdoor activities like horseback riding, fly fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, and Nordic skiing.
Shaw Ranch would feature a private clubhouse and a 7.2-mile trail system that would tie into existing trails on adjacent state endowment land and in the Payette National Forest. The property would also include three stocked trout ponds.
Altitude is drafting covenants, conditions, and restrictions for Shaw Ranch that would cover architectural standards, long-term wildfire mitigation, open space protection, and dark sky compliance, Value said.
Shaw family sought new ‘steward’
Gov. Brad Little visited the Shaw Family Homestead in 2024 to present members of the Shaw family with a Century Farm and Ranch Award. Photo: Courtesy shawhomestead.com
A webpage for the historic homestead indicates in multiple places that the Shaw family had been looking for a new steward for the property.
“The story of this land is still being written, and we’re looking for the perfect match for its next chapter,” the webpage reads under the History tab.
The historic Shaw Family Homestead was settled in 1889 by Clarence and Fannie Shaw, who arrived in Valley County by mule-drawn wagon from Missouri, according to the website.
In 2024, the ranch received a Century Farm and Ranch Award from the Idaho State Historical Society to honor 100 years of farming and ranching by the Shaw family.
“In our conversations, (the Shaw family) have emphasized stewardship and doing right by the land,” Value said. “We’re honored to carry the family name forward and would like to find additional ways to recognize that history as the plan develops.”
The homestead website describes the 510-acre property as containing old-growth forest, wildflower meadows, and views of Little Payette Lake and Jughandle Mountain.
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