James L. RogersDate: March 4/ 2019
To: Meridian City Clerk/City Council
From: James L. Rogers
1115 Rolling Hill Drive
Meridian, Idaho 83642
Subject: Rackham Subdivision H-2019-0005
Reference: FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, October 17, 1995, Langly
Associates, Inc
STAFF REPORT, Rackham Subdivision, H-2019-0005
Meridian Mayor, City Council, City
Clerk
I am requesting the below information be submitted for your consideration at the above
referenced hearing on March 5, 2019.
In a review of the Meridian City staff recommendations on page 4 of Rackham Subdivision and
pages 31, 32 item #10 and 33 items 1-6 and page 38 item AF and AH of the Findings of fact and
conclusions of Law — Langly 1995 it appears Staff largely ignored Meridian City requirements in
the Langly report.
These requirements were the result of 1995 Rolling Hill and Jewell subdivision resident
meetings with Meridian staff and Council hearings. The concerns voiced by residents in the
1995 meetings are still as valid today as they were in 1995.
Of particular concern is the requirement of the establishment of a 35 foot landscaped setback
and landscaping. The proposed development will have a significant impact on noise, parking lot
lighting and direct vehicular lighting directly into the homes of the surrounding residents. An
additional request is that this buffer be of sufficient height to preclude the vehicular lights
shining directly into our homes.
A major concern in 1995 was contamination from storm water runoff of the shallow ground
water aquifer. All the homes in the referenced subdivisions use water wells drilled to depths
ranging from 80 to 125 feet in depth. With the current use of the referenced property there is a
sufficient soil/gravel profile to preclude agricultural runoff from impacting the aquifer. At this
time testing of domestic wells in our area indicate no agricultural contamination of wells or
aquifer. The proposed use of the agricultural land will have a major impact on the shallow
aquifer due to storm water runoff from the parking lot and structures.
The primary reason of the request for a hydrologic study, submittal of plans for control of storm
water and structure runoff, drilling and monitoring of the 4 wells penetrating into the shallow
aquifer meeting Idaho DEQ standards and include detailed drill logs of encountered subsurface
conditions. This will be especially critical if storm water disposal consist of buried infiltration
chambers. Ground water well monitoring shall be performed on a monthly bases for at least 1
year. Test results shall be provided to all residents on a quarterly interval. If contamination is
found residents and Idaho DEQ shall be immediately notified.
Storm water disposal plans should include alternative designs consisting of engineered
vegetated surface swales or permeable pavement designs for parking lot runoff and the use of
rain gardens for structure runoff.
A significant amount of time and energy was spent by Rolling Hill and Jewell subdivision
residents in 1995 to develop suggestions and recommendations to the City council for a very
unpopular use of the land at that time. The proposed usage is still not popular with these
residents. For the current Council to ignore our input and recommendations in the 1995
Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law indicates the City is not interested in our input and has
ignored very real and valid concerns. I am requesting the above recommendations be included
in any Development Agreement submitted by the developer.
Thank you
James L. Rogers
Retired Professional Geologist, State of Idaho #459