PZ - Memo from Planning
Community Development Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Suite 102, Meridian, ID 83642
Phone 208-884-5533 Fax 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org
June 2, 2017
Mayor Tammy De Weerd and City Council
City of Meridian
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, ID 83642
RE: 2017 Intermountain Gas Future Land Use Map Amendment
Meridian P&Z Commission, Mayor and City Council Members:
In accordance with Meridian City Code 11-5, please consider this application for an
amendment to the Future Land Use Map of the City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan.
This Map amendment is intended to raise awareness and better reflect the long-term
existence of the Intermountain Gas liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage plant. The
property which is located on the east side of Can-Ada Road, between Ustick and
McMillan, currently has a Low Density Residential future land use designation. Staff is
proposing to change the Map designation for the gas storage property to Industrial.
The LNG storage plant, which is also located near and connected with the Williams
Pipeline, is a critical piece of regional infrastructure. While necessary for services, the
storage plant is an unattractive noise generating land use that is industrial in nature.
Furthermore, and however unlikely, the high pressure LNG storage plant also represents
a potential life-safety hazard. In discussion with Intermountain Gas employees, they have
indicated a desire for a 1,000-foot non-residential buffer from the actual storage tank.
To better plan for this area and collect stakeholder input, staff held an in-person public
involvement meeting and subsequent online survey to engage with local land owners and
residents. The outreach area was a subset of what is often referred to as the Fields
District, but focused primarily on the south-western square mile bound by Ustick, Can-
Ada, McMillan and Star roads. This area is also within the Growing Together planning
area, which was a source of confusion for a significant number of stakeholders. Without
getting off topic, and unlike the much broader Growing Together effort, the primary
purpose of this project was to identify appropriate land use(s) that are compatible with the
LNG storage plant only. City staff explained that any land use change coming out of this
effort should not impact the Growing Together effort and vice-verse. Growing Together
will ultimately have to address the same concerns, if elements of that effort are proposed
in this same area.
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At the first public involvement meeting on February 27th, 2017, which was attended by
more than 30 people, there was an overwhelming support for narrowing the scope of this
planning effort until the long-time running Fields District and Growing Together efforts
were completed. Stakeholders (generally) only wanted to address the LNG storage plant
itself, and not expand too far beyond it. Several of the initial concepts discussed at the
public involvement meeting looked at future land use proposals that impacted most of the
full square mile, similarly to the way Mixed Use Non-residential land use is applied over
the City’s Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). The WWTP is another unattractive
land use that is needed but not necessarily great to live near.
Some interesting perspectives were shared at the January 27th meeting. Most notably
were some of the perceived impacts of the LNG storage plant on the adjacent area.
Several residents in near proximity to the storage plant indicated that the lights are always
very bright, that test sirens are extremely loud, and that people should probably not be
living anywhere near the tank. However, and contrary to the idea that people should not
be living anywhere near the storage plant, this non-residential buffer was shown at only
1,000-feet for all survey concepts. This was in response to the area that Intermountain
Gas felt they needed for safety considerations, and also the majority request of
stakeholders that wanted to limit this project scope until after Growing Together.
The results of the survey held as part of the second public involvement meeting was a
diverse mix of opinions (see attachment B). Due to the low response rates, concern by
stakeholders with regard to impacts by the concurrent Growing Together study, and
requests for changes not aligned with the purpose of this study, City have staff opted to
move forward with a minimal change to the Intermountain Gas property only.
The proposed revision to the Future Land Use Map (see attachment A) will correct the
misleading Low Density Residential land use designation currently shown on the
Intermountain Gas property and raise awareness of the LNG storage plant for those
referencing the map. However, additional land use analysis will be required in the future
to better address impacts of the LNG storage plant on adjacent future development. The
1,000-foot buffer as requested by Intermountain Gas extends outside of their property,
and is not addressed or provided for with this Future Land Use Map amendment.
After the Growing Together study is concluded (date unknown), staff will then be able to
better look at comprehensive Map changes in this area through additional public
involvement. In this way the LNG storage plant can be better addressed ahead of further
land prospecting and development proposals. Land uses within the Fields District can
also be considered more comprehensively after Growing Together, and the City will be
able to better consider land use change requests made through this effort but unrelated to
the goal.
As part of this Map amendment, staff is recommending a change from Low Density
Residential to “Industrial” for the Intermountain Gas property only. While this does not
adequately address quality of life and life safety impacts concerns long-term, it does raise
awareness of the property and potential hazards now, ahead of further land investments,
and sets the stage for additional future land revisions later. Please see attachment A,
Proposed Future Land Use Map Revision, depicting the proposed change to the
Future Land Use Map.
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Please contact me at 884-5533 or bmcclure@meridiancity.org with any questions.
Sincerely,
Brian McClure
Associate Planner
Attachment(s): A: Proposed Future Land Use Map Revision
B: Summary of Survey Comments (Map)
C: Survey Land Use Concepts
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Attachment A: Proposed Future Land Use Map Revision
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Attachment B: Summary of Survey Comments (Map)
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Attachment C: Survey Land Use Concepts
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Attachment C: Survey Land Use Concepts
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Attachment C: Survey Land Use Concepts
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Attachment C: Survey Land Use Concepts