Jeffrey Snider 1.161
C.Jay Coles
From:jnpsnider1@cableone.net <notifications@cognitoforms.com>
Sent:Sunday, January 14, 2018 7:07 PM
To:smartgrowthformeridian@gmail.com; City Clerk
Subject:DENY LINDER VILLAGE - Jeffrey Snider
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.
2
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 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,
Entry Details
NAME Jeffrey Snider
STREET ADDRESS 5654 N. Bergman Ave., 83646
EMAIL jnpsnider1@cableone.net
INITIALS JDS
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