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2019-05-16 Joe LaGueChris Johnson From: Stephanie Leonard Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2019 3:33 PM To: Meridian City Clerk Subject: FW: Request April 4 Hearing Three Corners Ranch FYI Thanks, Stephanie Leonard I Associate City Planner City of Meridian I Community Development Dept. 33 E. Broadway Ave., Ste. 102, Meridian, Idaho 83642 Phone: 208-489-0574 1 sleonard@meridiancity.org From: Joe LaGue <jlague@aol.com> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2019 3:29 PM To: Stephanie Leonard <sleonard@meridiancity.org> Cc: Bill Parsons <bparsons@meridiancity.org>; Marcel@CongerGroup.com Subject: Request April 4 Hearing Three Corners Ranch March 28, 2019 Stephanie Leonard, Associate City Planner City of Meridian Dear Ms Leonard: Thank you for the discussion this morning. Shortly after ours, I spoke with Mr. Lopez of Conger Management Group. I am respectfully recommending to The City of Meridian Planning Staff and to the Planning and Zoning Commission that a continuance to the April 4, 2019 Hearing for Three Corners Ranch be considered. There may be good reason to pause. Given that the development plan with which Meridian is working and would anticipate making a planning staff recommendation versus the plan as approved by ACHD Commission are different -- we have potential for confusion within the surrounding neighborhoods and stakeholders at large. Metaphorically, the parties would be best served if all were working from the same sheet of music. At present we are not. It would seem prudent, for the benefit of your review, that the Applicant update you with its recently revised proposed plan consistent with as approved by ACHD. As I mentioned, I am the president of the Bristol Heights Neighborhood Association. Our leadership, however, cannot effectively represent the community as an HOA unless we are able to properly inform our members and subsequently receive an adequate response from them. This takes time. Although, arguably, the most recent version of the project plan has earned some increasingly favorable support, its design had become a bit of a fast-moving target. As you know, the plan that the ACHD Commission approved last night was about 48 hours young. The pace, direction and effect of the changes do appear to be genuinely well -intended and thoughtfully produced by a coherent cooperative of concerned stakeholders and an attentive and responsive developer. This is indeed significant and may justify the otherwise unprecedented evolution. Accordingly, it may warrant some flexibility and additional latitude. It is my understanding from Mr. Lopez that the Applicant is likely to propose a continuance as well. Should staff concur I would ask that you please keep me advised as timely as possible so we may make an effort to communicate the status and changes and attempt to poll our 544 residence property owners of Bristol Heights. Thank you, for your time and thoughtful consideration. Joe LaGue 14435 W Guinness Drive, Boise, ID 83713 208.608.2123 CC: Bill Parsons, City of Meridian Marcel Lopez, Conger Management Group 1 Charlene Way From:Stephanie Leonard Sent:Friday, May 17, 2019 8:54 AM To:Meridian City Clerk Subject:FW: Joe LaGue Testimony last evening - TCR Attachments:PandZTestimonyRP.pdf FYI, Three Corners Ranch. Thanks, Stephanie Leonard | Associate City Planner City of Meridian | Community Development Dept. 33 E. Broadway Ave., Ste. 102, Meridian, Idaho 83642 Phone: 208-489-0574 | sleonard@meridiancity.org From: jlague@aol.com <jlague@aol.com> Sent: Friday, May 17, 2019 8:50 AM To: Stephanie Leonard <sleonard@meridiancity.org> Cc: Bill Parsons <bparsons@meridiancity.org> Subject: Joe LaGue Testimony last evening - TCR Stephanie: Thank you to you and the Planning Team for the opportunity to be a part of the process last evening. I advised the Commissioners that I would make this available in writing. Also attached as pdf. Joe LaGue Text of remarks offered to the City of Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission by the president of Bristol Heights Neighborhood Association, at the Three Corners Ranch Public Hearing held 5/16/2019 at 6:00 PM: I am Joe LaGue, I live at 14435 W Guinness Drive, Boise. Chairman Fitzgerald, Commissioners, and all present. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the assembly here tonight. I will also be offering my full testimony, in writing, so that it may be made a part of the written public record. I am president of and representing the Bristol Heights Neighborhood Association. Also in attendance is one of our three board member colleagues, Mr. Ted Dawson. Director Scott Phillips was unable to attend. As a board, ours is a significant responsibility and we are committed to protecting the best interests of our community, our association and those of our members. Also present, most importantly, is a notable representation of residents of Bristol Heights. At the conclusion of my testimony, not now, I will acknowledge those Bristol Heights residents present and ask for a show of hands of those supporting the position and remarks I am presenting. Please allow me to recognize and appreciate the extraordinary work of the City of Meridian, the City Council, you -- the Planning and Zoning Commission -- and the City’s Planning Staff, particularly Stephanie Leonard. We realize that the work you do will often present challenges in the pursuit of building a great city. Please allow me to make the observation that these proceedings, while they may show signs of passion, concern and even differing views, we are 2 here to address business among the many stakeholders in Three Corners Ranch. Accordingly, it is desirable that, collectively, we experience a productive evening of deliberation and reasonable outcome. The City has posted in excess of 40 individual pieces of written public testimony, with regard to this project, from a broad constituency. This is prudent and appropriate as this infill area has neighbors that warrant equitable representation regardless of municipal borders. The written testimony presents compelling arguments. We recognize the impact to the existing streets of E Dunwoody Court and our own W Barclay St. With regard to Dunwoody, the problem of lack of sidewalks and other concerns, can likely be ameliorated. The full scope of the decision before you tonight is, particularly with regard to unrestricted public street connectivity, one of permanence. This is an important distinction. On May 13, the Bristol Heights Neighborhood Association convened a special meeting of its members and adopted this resolution (in part): Whereas, we reviewed the particulars of Sweet Land Development’s proposal to build the Three Corners Ranch subdivision and as currently submitted to the City of Meridian by applicant. Be it resolved therefore, that we are in support of the Three Corners Ranch plan as it was approved by ACHD. We respectfully oppose the City of Meridian Planning Staff recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Commission which, as Planning recommends, would include a public road extension of West Guiness St from Shandee Drive to North Stafford Place. Furthermore, we ask that the Board of Directors of Bristol Heights Neighborhood Association represent this position to the City of Meridian on behalf of the Association. Those in attendance overwhelmingly, 98%, supported the above position. WHY? The issue of connectivity of public streets versus cut-through traffic. The Meridian proposal is expected to enable traffic through numerous Bristol Heights residential streets that will be adverse and unacceptable. The ACHD approved plan, however, mitigates that potential. For all the surrounding neighborhoods and residents, the city, and others, there is no perfect solution for this infill development. In fact, as part of the supported plan, there is a level of compromise, on behalf of Bristol Heights, to accept W Barclay Street being stub-connected to the gated east entrance of Three Corners Ranch – this will add some traffic to our community – yet that is considered to be reasonable and acceptable. Active members of BHNA and other surrounding neighborhoods have worked to pursue an acceptable street configuration with the developer -- It is believed that this has been achieved by exemplary neighborhood-developer cooperation. What is curiously atypical, in this case, is rather than being residents vs. developer at this hearing, is that this constituency now needs to persuade the City of Meridian that those that live here, have the knowledge, experience and a vested interest -- desire to see the developer’s plan approved! These are our homes and we have a strong opinion. Bristol Heights is a large community of 544 homes. By extrapolation we are representing 533 of those homes, right here and now, with the position I just stated. Not including W Barclay street , which is acknowledged will likely experience the bulk of Three Corner’s Ranch traffic flow, there are seven residential streets: Guinness, Battenberg, Stockwell, Heathrow, Royal Park, Daimler, and Stafford that will be directly impacted by Planning’s recommendation. As recommended by staff, the N Stafford connection would directly affect an additional 81 residences on residential streets with street-facing front doors and driveways. 3 Bristol Heights has invested several hundred hours of members’ time related to the Three Corners Ranch development. Additionally, the financial expense to secure a consensus contains a comma. This is an important investment in our community’s future and we are here anticipating a favorable return on that investment. I will now ask for my friends and neighbors, fellow members of Bristol Heights, to stand or raise their hands in a show of support of my remarks and our position. The pace of growth of Meridian and the Treasure Valley at large is nearly leading the nation. We live in a very attractive place. All the more reason for us to vet and exercise our options to the best of our collective abilities. We believe that this may be one of the best opportunities to infill these 31 acres. We are your cities. We are your constituents. You are our agencies and municipalities. Please make us proud. Thank you. I will gladly answer any questions from the Commission.