Robert M. Neilson, Jr.1
Chris Johnson
From:Robert Neilson <robertmneilson@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 14, 2018 8:28 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Letter in Response to Proposed Action ZOA H-2018-0059
Attachments:Residential District Naming Convention H-2018-0059.docx
Please find my letter, attached below, providing input to the proposed Residential Naming Convention
Text Amendment, ZOA H02018-0059. Please forward it to the appropriate parties.
Thank you.
Robert M. Neilson, Jr.
3508 E Quin Drive, Meridian, ID 83642
3508 E Quin Drive
Meridian, ID 83642
August 14, 2018
Mr. C. Jay Coles, City Clerk
City of Meridian
33 E Broadway Ave.
Meridian, ID 83642
Subject: Proposed Residential District Naming Convention Text Amendment ZOA H-2018-0059
Dear Mr. Coles:
I request that the Residential District Naming Convention Text Amendment, ZOA H-2018-0059, proposed
by DevCo not be approved.
DevCo proposes that the naming convention text amendment is needed due to numerous problems and
confusion among all parties in the development process because the numerical value of the current
residential zoning districts no longer correlates to allowable density due to changes in the City Code and
Comprehensive Plan. I submit that the proposed residential naming convention text amendment will
not eliminate confusion, but rather it will add to confusion and make the residential development
process less transparent to the public.
Residents of the City of Meridian are already at a disadvantage in the development process. The City
process tries to assist residents in this regard by requiring neighborhood meetings, providing notices for
P&Z and City Council meetings, and accepting input from the public. However, the process is
complicated and difficult for the public to understand while developers are well versed in it and how to
use it. It is true that the current residential zoning designations (R-2, R-4, R-8, R-15, and R-40) are not
precise indicators of dwelling density since City Code dimensional standards for the various designations
actually specify items like minimum property size per dwelling unit and setbacks. However, the current
designations are good approximations of dwelling densities for proposed new developments. The
proposed new naming convention (R-A, R-B, R-C, R-D, and R-E) does not give any direct indication of
dwelling density and is likely to cause more confusion rather than less. If any change is needed in the
residential naming convention, it would be more informative to use the naming convention in the City
Comprehensive Plan (Rural/Estate, Low Density, Medium Density, Medium High Density, and High
Density) rather than the naming convention proposed by DevCo.
In summary, I request that the proposed residential naming convention text amendment not be
approved for the following reasons:
- The current residential district naming convention while not precise it is a reasonable
approximation of dwelling density.
- The proposed naming convention does not have any direct relationship to dwelling density.
- The proposed text amendment will increase confusion among the public interested in
residential development near their homes.
- The current residential designations have been used for a long time, many people are familiar
with them, and they have meaning to the public and to prior development actions.
- The development process is already difficult for the general public to understand and the
proposed amendment will make this process more difficult and less transparent.
- Changing the residential district naming convention will require many changes in City Code and
does not achieve the stated goal of reducing confusion.
- If changes to the residential naming convention are truly needed, it would be more meaningful
to use the residential designations in the City Comprehensive Plan than those proposed by
DevCo.
Yours truly,
Robert M. Neilson, Jr.
Robert M. Neilson, Jr.