Any development on a historic homestead near McCall will not include helipads, according to the family who owns the land.
Preliminary plans called for 56 lots, including 15 with helipads, on the 510-acre Shaw Family Homestead about four miles southeast of McCall near the foot of Jughandle Mountain, as Valley Lookout reported.
But those plans, prepared by Altitude Development Group of McCall, had not been presented to the Shaw family despite being publicly available online through a website for the project.
“The plan shared on their website, in neighborhood letters, and with media was released before our family had reviewed or agreed to it,” the Shaw Family said in a statement. “Any plan moving forward will not include helipads and will preserve open ground.”
The family confirmed that Altitude is under contract to prepare a development proposal for the ranch as part of a potential sale of the land, which fronts Boulder Creek Road.
“We have intentionally pursued a lower-density approach, with fewer than 60 lots, rather than other proposals we received that included condos and higher-density housing,” the statement said. “Our family has cared for this land for five generations. We will continue to evaluate the best next step through the lens of balancing preservation and development.”
Altitude planned to take public comments on its proposal, called Shaw Ranch, on Nov. 5 at Idaho First Bank in McCall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is unclear if that meeting is still on or if it will be rescheduled.
Representatives for Altitude did not immediately respond to Valley Lookout’s request for comment on Tuesday.
Conceptual site map for Altitude Development Group’s Shaw Ranch proposal. Site map: Via Altitude Development Group
Conceptual plans for Shaw Ranch show lots ranging from two to 27.5 acres. Fifteen lots included helipads, 11 would allow horses, and some would front Lake Fork Creek.
Beau Value, an Altitude partner, previously told Valley Lookout that the company viewed the helipads as a “distinctive amenity that complements the area’s outdoor recreation and backcountry aviation.” He also noted the helipads could help keep traffic off Idaho 55.
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 a website for the homestead.
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.
The homestead website describes the 510-acre property as containing old-growth forest, wildflower meadows, and views of Little Payette Lake and Jughandle Mountain.
