Debra Nicholson1
Christopher Johnson
From:Debra Nicholson <dsnick@centurylink.net>
Sent:Tuesday, March 27, 2018 10:48 AM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Cherry Blossom RZ, PP H-2018-0018 > Public Testimony
Attachments:Honorable Mayor Tammy de Wheerd.docx
Please add my letter emailed on February 8, to the Public Testimony. It is my understanding that many more emails,
letters, and thoughts have been sent to City Hall regarding this project. Please check to be sure the testimony is
complete. Thank you.
Debra S. Nicholson
634 W. Washington Street
Meridian, ID 83642
dsnick@centurylink.net
(208) 830-4762 (c)
Debra S. Nicholson * 634 West Washington Meridian, ID 83642 * dsnick@centurylink.net * 208 830 4762
February 8, 2018
Honorable Mayor Tammy de Wheerd
Members of the Planning and Zoning Committees
City of Meridian
City Hall
33 East Broadway
Meridian, ID 83642
Mayor Tammy and Committee Members:
I am writing to you as a concerned neighbor in the Washington and Main (WAM) area just a step
away from the City Core. On January 11 of this year Jon Breckon of Breckon landdesign
(“Breckon”) held a neighborhood meeting regarding development of a subdivision named Cherry
Blossom (“CB Dev”) on the property located at 615 West Cherry Lane.
I was unable to attend, but was given a link to a copy of the Conceptual Lot Layout (“CLL”) from
Breckon (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zmiwS2zfeZuV_rd7IFt9UBup-
nmkR7Dp/view?usp=sharing). Unfortunately the details about setbacks, widths, and other
important details are almost illegible.
Any development on 615 West Cherry Lane should be compatible with our legacy neighborhood
(many homes dating from the 1950’s) and the City Core plans. Everything built here should benefit
the City and the neighborhood. The CLL shows the 72-year old McFadden house removed. I have
some problems and many questions about this CLL.
This area is a family community. Neighbors say the CLL is for a 55-plus HOA development. Our
neighborhood is not conducive to an HOA or limited occupancy homes. It should be mixed use.
We do not know if CB Dev is 1 or 2 story houses. 2 stories would definitely be excessive for our
neighborhood and shadow many houses from natural sunlight.
The property is zoned R-4 and the CLL puts 59 houses on 9.25 acres. Houses would be on lots of
5,000 square feet, or less, rather than the City minimum of 8,000 square feet for R-4 zoning. There
are R-8 and denser zoning properties close to this site. R-4 zoning allows the developer to put 37 or
less houses on the land, based upon a configuration that would allow traffic through to North West
4th Street.
Did the developer purchase this land and offer this plan, knowing it did not fit the zoning, the City
Core standards, and that legacy neighbors would object, hoping to be bought out at a profit? Or, did
Breckon present the CLL so legacy neighbors will accept a scaled down layout with relief?
The CLL appears to have a setback of only 5 feet from the irrigation ditch. Surely this would be an
unacceptable variance to the City? I would like to see the normal 15 foot setback around the entire
Mayor Tammy de Weerd
Committee Members 2 February 8, 2018
property, with a fence located on that 15 foot setback to give the legacy neighbors privacy and
buffering from noise and loss of sunlight from shadowing.
Breckon wants to culvert and bury the irrigation ditch. If that would lead to legacy neighbors having
a 15 foot setback and CB Dev a 5 foot setback, I will not sign an agreement to bury the irrigation
ditch. I don’t want, especially in this low density neighborhood, to have 3 or more houses located
within 20 feet of my backyard fence. A 30 foot easement will allow for maintenance vehicles,
necessary work on power lines and a better separation of the properties.
How will an HOA 55-plus development add to the City Core design? Will CB Dev neighbors
become part of the community with the right-of-way (“ROW”) design? The CLL shows limited
access to downtown, putting traffic out north and south on North West 7th, and spilling out from
Crestmont onto West Cherry Lane. The only traffic directed toward City Core is from a drive
servicing 3 homes off North West 4th Street. This drive does not have sidewalks and is not
connected to the rest of the CB Dev except through a walkway between homes. Most traffic from
CB Dev will flow onto North West 7th to go south to Pine, or onto West Cherry Lane.
Will an additional 59-90 vehicles exiting from CB Dev require signs, signal lights, or a barrier on
West Cherry Lane that limits going coming in from the East and exiting to the West from
Crestmont?
Looking at the LLC, the exit on North West 7th is placed against a legacy neighbor’s property line,
with no sidewalk between the property and road. It is placed just north of the posted pick-up zone
used by the middle school children who walk-through from North West 8th. This poses a problem
for the park-and-wait parents, the children who wait on the walk-through, and through traffic.
There are no signs on West Washington and North West 7th to slow traffic and there is a bend in
the road that prohibits views of the pick-up zone and the exit shown on the LLC. Will this require
installation of stop signs, speed bumps, or other precautionary measures; or will the pick-up zone
and walk-through be removed?
Will the CB Dev have fire hydrants? Where will they be located?
City Code requires lighting at an entrance, cul-de-sac, corner, and the beginning and end of
pathways. Street lights may change the view of the night sky for legacy neighbors. If street lights
are required, I ask the City to ensure that they are to City Core specifications and cap the light so it
points downward and out only as much as required to light the street and sidewalks. Limiting up
lights will benefit the legacy neighborhood enjoyment of quiet night skies. The LLC indicates a
South East road directly behind some legacy neighbors’ homes. Will the lighting there be a “night-
light” in their backyards?
While many sewage lines in the legacy neighborhood have been updated to accommodate current
use, not all upgrades have been completed. Are the sewage lines sufficient to support the CB Dev?
Will existing sewage lines need to be updated before the City’s current schedule? Will CB Dev
require the addition of new lines? If so, what is the expense?
Mayor Tammy de Weerd
Committee Members 3 February 8, 2018
Will the storm water system be sufficient to accommodate the runoff of such an intense
development? The LLC appears to leave about 10 feet between homes and just 7.2% of the land as
common lots with permeable surfaces. This will dramatically increase storm runoff. Last winter
(2016-17), with the heavy snow, the corner of North West 7tth and West Washington was flooded
by runoff.
Diverting surface water, rain, and snow melt will also impact the water table levels for legacy
neighbors who have and use wells to irrigate their yards. Or, will Breckon use permeable surfaces for
sidewalks, ROW and other surfaces throughout CB Dev? Will Breckon use rain gardens?
Will CB Dev neighbors contribute to our neighborhood and City Core in a meaningful way other
than paying taxes?
With so many impacts from this CB Dev will the City of Meridian, ACHD and Ada County, and
legacy neighbors be paying extra taxes for infrastructure upgrades?
There are other areas close to the City Core that have not yet been developed or would benefit from
redevelopment along the line of the CB Dev. I drive by several open pockets that are not
surrounded by existing homes. I had not been aware that 615 West Cherry Lane was on the market
until it as sold. Most likely there is a plan in place for the land located on the North West corner of
North Meridian and West Cherry Lane. That land is already zoned R-8, and is positioned across the
street from a 55-plus housing development behind Albertson’s. Additional lands are available closer
to the railroad tracks, south of Pine, on North East 2nd and many other areas close to City Core.
Mayor Tammy and Committee Members, please consider whether CB Dev is the best use of 615
West Cherry Lane. There are alternatives to small, sequestered 55-plus developments in a traditional
legacy neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Debra Nicholson
634 W. Washington
Meridian, ID 83642
Attachments A and B
Debra S. Nicholson * 634 West Washington Meridian, ID 83642 * dsnick@centurylink.net * 208 830 4762
Attachment A
Idea for Development
The population of Meridian will continue to grow. I suggest the City of Meridian evaluate
Twin Creeks in Central Point, OR (http://twincreeksincentralpoint.com/) and Twin Creeks
Crossing (http://www.twincreeksretirement.com/twin/) where my parents reside. It contains high
and medium-density family homes, open areas, recreation, and a retirement community for elderly.
It is like a 200 acre village within Central Point. Meridian would definitely benefit from such a
development.
Planning a transition development will be better for the environment, give greater density,
and benefit Meridian. Meridian can provide Idaho with a model of mixed use development.
AREC
Before moving to Idaho, I lived in Virginia Beach, VA and volunteered as a Master
Gardener. Upon moving here I was surprised to discover that our Ada County Master Gardeners
do not have a designated Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC). I have always
wished that the McFadden property (615 West Cherry Lane) could become the Ada County AREC.
As such it would be a third place for all our community. Master Garden ARECs contain
trial and demonstration gardens of all kind, provide citizen programs, education, and through the
Extension Agent Susan Bell, and Boise State University, would be a place for horticultural and
agricultural education and research. ARECs hold public events, are open to the public with areas to
learn and enjoy nature. They are the site for Community Gardening Festivals with special speakers
are and sell of Master Gardener grown plants. An AREC would provide a wonderful space to
coordinate the beginning of parades like Dairy Days.
I would ask the City of Meridian to help find a suitable piece of land in our City for purchase
and donation to Boise State University for use as an AREC by the Ada County Master Gardeners.
I Cannot Move
I am telling you about my past because many of my legacy neighbors have similar stories.
These stories are what make motivate us to live in our neighborhood and to cherish our property.
My husband and I moved from Virginia Beach to Boise to be closer to the mountains and
our extended family in the Ashland/Medford Oregon area. We purchased a home off Five Mile in
Boise and hired a contractor for a $150,000 remodeling job. The contractor did not finish the job
and did not pay the sub-contractors.
Our mortgage was financed with one bank, but our financial dealings were with a second
bank. During the remodeling process the second bank convinced us to refinance our mortgage to
consolidate all our accounts. That opened us to mechanics liens.
We paid years of attorney’s fees, lost the house, and put the last of our money down on our
small house. The second bank, not being satisfied, garnished my husband’s wages. We had no
option, and filed Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. At the time of my husband’s death, we had lost
everything. The Bankruptcy was converted to Chapter 7 and discharged. I am living on my
husband’s Social Security and military annuity. I am aggressively paying off my house. If I sell my
house, the Bankruptcy will reopen and I will owe about $100,000 to the Trustee.
Debra S. Nicholson * 634 West Washington Meridian, ID 83642 * dsnick@centurylink.net * 208 830 4762
Attachment B
1
Christopher Johnson
From:Morgan Andrus
Sent:Tuesday, March 27, 2018 11:40 AM
To:C.Jay Coles; Charlene Way; Christopher Johnson
Subject:FW: 615 West Cherry Lane
Attachments:Honorable Mayor Tammy de Wheerd.docx; Attachment A.docx; Attachment B.docx
From: Debra Nicholson [ mailto:dsnick@centurylink.net ]
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2018 3:35 PM
To: mayortammy
Subject: 615 West Cherry Lane
Mayor Tammy, I am sending a letter and two attachments for review by you and the Planning and Zoning Committee
Members.
I do not agree with the proposed plan presented by Breckon landdesign. I have outlined my reasons in my letter.
Attachment A contains some personal information, a brief thought about Agricultural Research and Education Center for
the Ada County Master Gardeners, including some web-sites about a multi-use property where my parents currently
reside.
Attachment B is a copy of the proposed plan for 615 West Cherry Lane. Although the quality is not great, I believe it is
more readable than the one on the Breckon link.
Thank you for your consideration and time taken to read my materials
Deb
Debra S. Nicholson
634 W. Washington Street
Meridian, ID 83642
dsnick@centurylink.net
(208) 830-4762 (c)
1
Chris Johnson
From:Debra Nicholson <dsnick@centurylink.net>
Sent:Saturday, April 07, 2018 3:02 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Cherry Blossom Place H-2018-0018 RZ, PP
Attachments:100_4392.JPG; 100_4393.JPG; 100_4394.JPG
Please add these photos, taken at the corner of NW 7 th and W Washington, as objection to the addition of 59 houses at
615 W. Cherry Lane. Our storm water runoff during this afternoon’s thundershower. How much more will be added
when on 4.2 percent of the 9.25-10.25 acres is permeable and accepts precipitation?
Debra S. Nicholson
634 W. Washington Street
Meridian, ID 83642
dsnick@centurylink.net
(208) 830-4762 (c)
�/
ft S � i
. ,. � i .
•�
s
_-��
�, r=�' ::
.:v' �.�
• 1 Y-.
rl _
00MALVF�
e
1
Chris Johnson
From:Debra Nicholson <dsnick@centurylink.net>
Sent:Tuesday, April 24, 2018 2:58 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Cherry Blossom Place RZ, PP H-2018-0018
Attachments:100_4442.JPG; 100_4443.JPG; Removing Trees from property by NW 4th St.jpg
It was my understanding, from the email posted to the website, that the developer was going to try to maintain
trees. From these photos that does not appear to be the case.
Debra S. Nicholson
634 W. Washington Street
Meridian, ID 83642
dsnick@centurylink.net
(208) 830-4762 (c)
JA
_ - � � 1 - ��%� � • ' may. -�}`. . - ` >�
- 21
- _ -a � ,4� R . ' �� ,l`� 1. "-.• 4 / _t, �: -r :�
K
• �_ � ` � � e_ � OVA 4
J�\`� � - ,rte �, r .. .n
3� �•� 4�.+� ''c'1y,�� �'� - frG �=�n�/i+t� y Pte, yr�s-,F4��,�
VAL-
F
• - _ S � I � /� .., �� X43' _ .,�. .� r J/���
--. r
r¢ ti w
Q.i `'I!kyr
!�'-�•f`'� ire '`��'�`'� *�s {
77
IN,
1 -
co
1
Chris Johnson
From:Debra Nicholson <dsnick@centurylink.net>
Sent:Thursday, May 10, 2018 5:51 PM
To:dbattles@achdidaho.org; amiller@achdidaho.org
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:Cherry Blossom Place/MPP18-0009/ H-2018-0018
Attachments:4-16-2018 ACHD Report.pdf; 5-8-2018 Dev Handout.pdf
Dawn Battles and Austin Miller,
I’m sending you this email because the developer of this project presented a group of neighbors
surrounding the development area with a handout indicating traffic to be generated by the project. I found the
numbers he presented a bit confusing as the ACHD report submitted with the application indicated 562 vehicle trips
from the first lot layout. The developer presented us with two different layouts. The first had 57 homes (4 less than his
original application) and indicated 210 vehicle trips per day from the same style of homes on the original
application. The second showed 41 2-story homes and indicated 390 trips per day.
Because N Crestmont and NW 7 th do not have, and under the ACHD Comprehensive Plan will not have, turn-
signals onto W Cherry, we believe a lot of the traffic from that development will go through the adjoining neighborhoods
to reach N. Meridian, N. Linder, and W. Pine. Many of our streets do not have sidewalks or traffic quieting devices and
are traveled by school children, pet walkers, bicyclists, and families taking a stroll.
This makes the amount of traffic being generated a key issue to our neighborhood.
I would like to verify the accuracy of your report dated April 16, 2018. If those trip numbers are correct, did your
office generated the vehicle trip numbers the developer gave us at the meeting he held on May 8, 2018? I apologize for
taking your time, but to make a sound decision about the development I need to have accurate facts.
Deb
Debra S. Nicholson
634 W. Washington Street
Meridian, ID 83642
dsnick@centurylink.net
(208) 830-4762 (c)
(attached, handout and report)