2019-03-04 Ron SantosMarch 4, 2019
Attention: C. Jay Coles, City Clerk
Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council
City of Meridian
RE: Three Corners Ranch ALT, AZ, PP, PS, H-2019-0006
1890 E. Dunwoody Cr.
Meridian, Idaho
Dear Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council,
The following is a discussion of our concerns regarding the Three Corners Ranch development, a private gated
subdivision and an extension of the Dunwoody and Three Corners Subdivisions. Although our community
appreciates the development will not include high density housing, we are very concerned about the negative
impact of the additional burden of vehicles, and how this will affect our community and quality of life.
BACKGROUND
In October 2018, the developer conducted a meeting to notify a select few surrounding residents that the above
noted property will be developed to include 44 new homes. The main entrance for this gated community is
proposed to be located off Barclay Street which is in the Bristol Heights subdivision (City of Boise). The
developer is also proposing the residents of Shandee Drive, another 33 homes, use Barclay Street as their only
means of ingress and egress. According to Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), the residents located along
Shandee Drive will not be able to use Chinden Boulevard for access once the improvements are completed.
TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND SAFETY ISSUES
A conservative estimate of two cars per household (Three Corners Ranch and Shandee residents) indicates
approximately 154 vehicles will be accessing Barclay Street and the Bristol Heights Subdivision. The potential
traffic impact may result in a 430% increase of vehicles accessing Barclay Street. This is not including the original
Dunwoody subdivision, Vienna Woods subdivision, visitors, landscapers, home services, or delivery vehicles.
Bristol Heights already has issues with vehicle traffic using our subdivision as a short cut from Chinden Boulevard
to Eagle Road, and visa versa. As a result, we have observed vehicles speeding down Bennington Way/Bristol
Heights Drive, vehicles not observing the stop signs or yielding the right-of-way, vehicles going around school
buses with stop signs displayed, and we are also noting an increase in pedestrians being struck by vehicles. The
latest pedestrian accident occurred on October 16, 2018 involving a neighborhood child.
In addition, the developer indicated that all construction traffic will use Barclay Street as access during
redevelopment activities. This may include graders, loaders, soil trucks, cement trucks, and material deliveries.
The impact to the Bristol Heights community will be very high during construction.
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RING ROAD AND ACCESS DESIGN ISSUES
The developer is proposing to use a ring road around Dunwoody/Three Corners Ranch to focus all new traffic
impacts to solely be burdened by Barclay Street and N. Stafford Place (Bristol Height Community).
Dunwoody/Three Corners Ranch is not sharing the impacts their development is creating.
This ring roadway layout and private access does not comply with the requirements of the City of Meridian’s
Comprehensive Plan or Architectural Standards.
The development is not improving on the unique elements of the natural and built environment that
contribute value to the quality of life and livability.
o Segregation. The new roadway or walking paths through Three Corners Ranch is not
accessible to Bristol Heights or surrounding subdivisions creating non-integrated
communities. This does not strengthen community pride per City objective 2.01.03, or
support beautiful development per 2.02.02.
o The ring road and private pedestrian access also does not meet Meridian Architectural
Standards for cohesive design: R1.1A limit circuitous connections and maintain clear
visibility. The ring road is creating convoluted connections through the adjacent
neighborhoods, and the narrow ring road with 90 degree turns and fencing on both sides
will not provide adequate pedestrian or vehicle visibility. Shandee Dr. residents should be
provided with shorter access routes through Dunwoody Ct. or E. Three Corners Dr./N. Sweet
Valley Avenue. In addition, pedestrian access through Three Corners Ranch is gated and
pedestrian traffic from Vienna Woods or Bristol Heights will need to walk around Three
Corners Ranch on the ring road.
o Traffic is increased to a part of the community (Bristol Heights) that will not be benefiting
from the development. The main entrance should be located off Dunwoody Ct.
o The surrounding communities cannot access the new green space within the new
development. Three Corners Ranch is gated to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The developer indicated that this will be a low density residential development. The following
criteria are not met with the design.
o Residential developments should orient to surrounding uses, including residential and non-
residential areas, in a way that encourages compatible development patterns, character,
and appearances. The ring road and private pedestrian access does not match the
character or appearances of the surrounding sub-divisions. It is a narrow roadway bordered
on each side by fences with blind corners and no street lights. This design is creating unsafe
traffic and pedestrian usage conditions. In addition, the development is not encouraging
compatible development traffic patterns because the main burden of traffic impacts and
associated risks are solely on the Bristol Heights community and not shared with Dunwoody.
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o Appropriately address the critical issues of site layout that influence a compatible and
integrated neighborhood character, including, but not limited to, vehicular access,
pedestrian connectivity, building orientations, and common spaces. The new subdivision
negatively impacts the traffic pattern in Bristol Heights, and the new common space and
walkways are not accessible to surrounding subdivisions. This design does not create an
integrated neighborhood character.
o Limit street connections for residential developments off major roadways, including
highways, principle arterials, and other designated mobility corridors, to mitigate
development impacts on the roadway system. All the traffic impacts will be focused on
Barclay Street. The proposed main entrance to Three Corners Ranch and new connections
(Shandee Drive, Stafford Place, and Handel Street) funnel traffic onto Barclay Street. The
main entrance to Three Corners Ranch should be located off Dunwoody Court and residents
off Shandee Drive should have a shorter access route off Three Corners Drive/Sweet Valley
Avenue.
o Encourage safe and secure common and open spaces by avoiding dead areas, unusable
spaces, dark areas, and hidden corners. Provide public and neighborhood views for casual
monitoring of common spaces and facilities. The whole ring road does not comply with
these criteria. Both sides of this narrow road will be surrounded by back yards and fencing
creating a dark corridor (no street lights) mainly used for vehicles, not safe and secure for
pedestrians, and creating hidden/blind corners.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Bristol Heights community is very concerned about the negative impact to the safety and quality of life for
residents in our neighborhood. We are already feeling the affects of increased traffic racing through our
community to by-pass the Eagle/Chinden intersection with the most recent pedestrian accident in October
2018. The increased traffic from the Three Corners Ranch, Dunwoody, Vienna Woods, and Shandee Drive
residents will greatly increase the traffic risks to children and pedestrians in our community. In addition, the
feeling of being in a segregated subdivision and using circuitous routes will lead to excess speed through our
neighborhood.
In particular, the 20+ or so children that currently live and play on Barclay Street will have to contend with this
increased traffic risk. Barclay Street is only 2 feet wider than Dunwoody Court; however, there are more
pedestrians that use the Bristol Heights walkways day and night. Pedestrian traffic will increase with the
connection to the surrounding subdivisions. In addition, there are two pathways that enter midway on Barclay
Street that have limited sight lines which will be an issue with the increased traffic particularly in the morning
and evening. As proposed, a very low conservative estimate of an additional 154 vehicles will have access
through Barclay Street. This is not including the original Dunwoody subdivision, Vienna Woods subdivision,
visitors, landscapers, home service, or delivery vehicles.
Barclay Street only has two street lights that are separated by approximately 450 feet which was designed to
provide a country feel and limit light pollution similar to the existing Dunwoody subdivision. With the houses
setback on Dunwoody Court and a larger horizontal separation between each house (see attached pictures),
Dunwoody Court provides better sight lines than the congested housing and multiple 90 degree turns that must
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Photo depicting the Dunwoody Ct. roadway. Sight lines are better than Bristol Heights and Vienna Woods due to
the large housing setback distances and spacing between the houses.
Photo depicting the curve on Dunwoody Ct. roadway. Sight lines are better than Bristol Heights and Vienna
Woods due to the larger roadway curve radius (versus 90 degrees), large housing setback distances and spacing
between the houses.
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Photo depicting the curve on Dunwoody Ct. roadway. Sight lines are better than Bristol Heights and Vienna
Woods due to the large housing setback distances and spacing between the houses.
Photo of the entrance point of Dunwoody Ct. onto Locust Grove Road.
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BRISTOL HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION PETITION