Jeremy Schroeder 11-191
Charlene Way
From:Jeremy Schroeder <schroedernz@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, November 19, 2017 9:42 PM
To:clerk; Luke Cavener; C.Jay Coles; Sonya Allen
Subject:deny Linder Village Application
I'm sending our form letter. I'm not sure I will be able to attend this Tuesday's meeting due to the holidays. I urge
you to deny the Linder Village application and remand back to P&Z.
Thanks,
Jeremy Schroeder
Dear Meridian City Officials:
I respectfully urge you to deny the Linder Village Application (File # H-2017-0088) and defer the annexation and
zoning of these 80 acres until the applicants present a acceptable proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
On Oct 19th, the Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously voted to recommend denial of the application. This
was a much stronger statement than the conclusions of the P&Z staff, which had recommended approval, but only
after numerous and substantial changes were made to the site plan. The commission's decision was based on the
P&Z staff report, residents' concerns, and applicants' testimony. The commission did not believe that the developer
would be able to adequately address the site plan’s deficiencies in such a short time frame, especially after several
months had passed with only token modifications.
Following this decision, the developer did finally meet with residents and made some additional changes, out of
recognition that a city council denial was otherwise likely. While some of these resulting changes are appealing to
residents and represent positive steps, they unfortunately are relatively minor tweaks that fall far short of what is
required. Most significantly, the changes do not address the major departures from the MU-C model and vision,
including:
• The large footprint of stores (three buildings over 25,000sf, in excess of the MU-C designation);
• The location of larger stores in close proximity to residential areas (not seamlessly integrated into the
community);
• The operating hours of stores (24/7 operation which is outside C-C parameters) and unrestricted nighttime
deliveries to loading docks;
• The variance for the light on Bergman, which only benefits the businesses on this corner, but slows traffic
and increases congestion on Chinden for the commuters who use it as a vital east-west corridor every day;
• The copious amount of parking spaces demanded by these larger businesses, and the distances between
even the smaller buildings, makes almost the entire project unfriendly to pedestrians and virtually
unnavigable by those with disabilities.
We believe the developer should take whatever time is necessary to reimagine and redesign this corner. Any
anchors who want to occupy space in one of the Treasure Valley’s most desirable locations will need to decide
whether they are willing to follow city guidelines and be flexible in their business models as to size, location,
orientation, and operating hours. Only in this way can these businesses truly be good neighbors to nearby residents
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and customers, while fulfilling the vision mandated by the City of Meridian for seamless integration with the
community.
In conclusion, we are disappointed that this developer failed to present a plan that we residents and taxpayers could
be excited about and support. North Meridian is growing quickly and we are eager for the convenience and variety
that new businesses would bring to this area of town, along with needed revenue and jobs. But we advocate for
smart growth over fast growth. Once this corner has been developed, it will be there for most of our lives. With a
little more time, imagination, adherence to the city plan, and good-faith cooperation with its neighbors, we believe
Linder Village can become a special place and source of pride for the entire city.
To achieve this vision, please deny this application and defer annexation and zoning until the Planning and Zoning
commission has reviewed and approved a new proposal.
Thank you,