Application
Development Application Transmittal
Link to Project Application: New Comprehensive Plan H-2019-0101 (CPAT & CPAM)
Transmittal Date: September 10, 2019 Hearing Date: October 17, 2019
Assigned Planner: Meridian Planning Department
To view the City of Meridian Public Records Repository, Click Here
The above “Link to Project Application” will provide you with any further information
on the project.
The City of Meridian is requesting comments and recommendations on the application
referenced above. To review the application and project information please click on the
application link above. The City of Meridian values transparency and makes a variety of
information available to the public online through our public records repository.
We request that you submit your comments or recommendations prior to the hearing date
specified above. When responding, please reference the file number of the project. If
responding by email, please send comments to cityclerk@meridiancity.org.
For additional information associated with this application please contact the City of
Meridian Planner identified above at 208-884-5533.
Thank you,
City Clerk’s Office
33 E. Broadway Ave., Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: 208.888.4433|Email: cityclerk@meridiancity.org
Built for Business, Designed for Living
All e-mail messages sent to or received by City of Meridian e-mail accounts are subject to the Idaho law,
in regards to both release and retention, and may be released upon request, unless exempt from disclosure by law.
Hearing Date: October 17, 2019
Project Name: New Comprehensive Plan
File No.: H-2019-0101 (CPAT & CPAM)
Request: To replace the existing Comprehensive Plan (the Plan) for the City with a new
long-range planning document. The application includes, but is not limited to the
following: 1) approval of new text, both background and policies; 2) adoption of a
new Future Land Use Map of the City, including Area of City Impact boundary
changes; and 3) accepting new goals, objectives and action items of the Plan, by
Meridian Planning Department
Planning Division
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW APPLICATION
Community Development Planning Division 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Ste. 102 Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: 208-884-5533 Fax: 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org/planning
-1 Rev:(2/2/2018)
STAFF USE ONLY:
Project name:
File number(s):
Assigned Planner: Related files:
Type of Review Requested (check all that apply)
Accessory Use (check only 1)
Daycare
Home Occupation
Home Occupation/Instruction for 7 or more
Administrative Design Review
Alternative Compliance
Annexation and Zoning
Certificate of Zoning Compliance
City Council Review
Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment
Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment
Conditional Use Permit
Conditional Use Modification (check only 1)
Director
Commission
Development Agreement Modification
Final Plat
Final Plat Modification
Landscape Plan Modification
Preliminary Plat
Private Street
Property Boundary Adjustment
Rezone
Short Plat
Time Extension (check only 1)
Director
Commission
UDC Text Amendment
Vacation (check only 1)
Director
Commission
Variance
Other
Applicant Information
Applicant name: Phone:
Applicant address: Email:
City: State: Zip:
Applicant’s interest in property: Own Rent Optioned Other
Owner name: Phone:
Owner address: Email:
City: State: Zip:
Agent/Contact name (e.g., architect, engineer, developer, representative):
Firm name: Phone:
Agent address: Email:
City: State: Zip:
Primary contact is: Applicant Owner Agent/Contact
Subject Property Information
Location/street address: Township, range, section:
Assessor’s parcel number(s): __________________________ Total acreage: Zoning district:
Community Development Planning Division 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Ste. 102 Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: 208-884-5533 Fax: 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org/planning
-2- Rev:(2/8/2018)
Project/subdivision name:
General description of proposed project/request:
Proposed zoning district(s):
Acres of each zone proposed:
Type of use proposed (check all that apply):
Residential Office Commercial Employment Industrial Other
Who will own & maintain the pressurized irrigation system in this development?
Which irrigation district does this property lie within?
Primary irrigation source: Secondary:
Square footage of landscaped areas to be irrigated (if primary or secondary point of connection is City water):
Residential Project Summary (if applicable)
Number of residential units: Number of building lots:
Number of common lots: Number of other lots:
Proposed number of dwelling units (for multi-family developments only):
1 bedroom: 2–3 bedrooms: 4 or more bedrooms:
Minimum square footage of structure (excl. garage): Maximum building height:
Minimum property size (s.f): Average property size (s.f.):
Gross density (Per UDC 11-1A-1): Net density (Per UDC 11-1A-1):
Acreage of qualified open space: __________________ Percentage of qualified open space: __________________
Type and calculations of qualified open space provided in acres (Per UDC 11-3G-3B):
Amenities provided with this development (if applicable):
Type of dwelling(s) proposed: Single-family Detached Single-family Attached Townhouse
Duplex Multi-family Vertically Integrated Other ____________________________________
Non-residential Project Summary (if applicable)
Number of building lots: Common lots: Other lots:
Gross floor area proposed: Existing (if applicable):
Hours of operation (days and hours): Building height:
Total number of parking spaces provided: Number of compact spaces provided:
Authorization
Print applicant name:
Applicant signature: Date:
Community Development Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Suite 102, Meridian, ID 83642
Phone 208-884-5533 Fax 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org
September 9, 2019
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Tammy de Weerd
City Council Members
Planning & Zoning Commissioners
CC: City Clerk
Cameron Arial, Director
FROM: Caleb Hood, Planning Division Manager
RE: City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan
The attached application is for a new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Meridian. The
proposed Comprehensive Plan (the Plan) incorporates and continues many of the good elements
from the currently adopted Plan, but has been rebuilt and vetted through hundreds of hours of
steering committee meetings, technical focus groups and public outreach events, and by
thousands of comments, surveys, and poll responses from the community. The Plan is structured
under five community-driven Vision Themes, which include: Premier, Evolving, Livable,
Vibrant, and Connected. Each of these themes include a vision statement, narrative, and policies.
The subject narrative attempts to highlight and give an overview of the new Plan and how it was
developed. However, changes from the current Comprehensive Plan to the new Plan are vast and
cannot all be covered in a narrative letter.
Background
While setting the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, the Meridian City Council directed City Planning
staff to outline and propose a new project to address the Strategic Plan growth policy goals in
coordination with development of a new Comprehensive Plan. On May 22, 2018, the City
Council approved the scope of work for this project, including hiring Logan Simpson as a
consultant to help craft the Plan. A Steering Committee (SC) of 22 individuals with different
backgrounds and experience was established and on June 5, 2018 the first SC meeting was held.
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After numerous public involvement meetings, more than a dozen SC meetings, and a month long
informal draft Plan public review, the new Comprehensive Plan is hereby submitted for formal
review and approval. A draft formatted Plan (in PDF) is available now, with a live website
version of the Plan to be available in the near future.
Comprehensive Planning generally involves so many interests; everything included is important
to someone. Many elements appear innocuous to most but may have immense importance for
others. Planning staff have heard from many stakeholders and there have been a lot of great
ideas. While these ideas (and concerns) are important, the Comprehensive Plan is not the right
document to address all ideas about how the community should grow and change. The Plan
includes policy statements and a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) that guides growth and
development; it does not create standards or establish code and is not the vehicle to annex or
develop properties. For those that may still have questions or concerns about what the Plan
is and does, and said here for the public’s benefit, no part of the subject application
includes:
• an annexation or rezone of any property;
• establishment of development improvement standards such as how much open space and
amenities a residential development shall provide or how a commercial building shall
look;
• a proposed future land use designation change that conflicts with any existing approved
use(s); and,
• any new, proposed roads planned to be constructed or prioritized with public funding.
Post adoption of the Plan, it is anticipated that several of the ideas and concerns raised about
growth and development in Meridian will be further addressed through other mechanisms such
as amending City Code and executing more detailed land use planning efforts.
The Plan
Current Plan
The City has changed substantially since the current Comprehensive Plan was developed in
2010/2011. The proposed Plan is refreshed and more relevant to the Meridian stakeholders
today. Public involvement drove the Vision Themes and Vision Statements, and the consultant
team and Steering Committee listened to and recommends the subject Plan based largely on
public requests and comments received throughout the process.
Plan Development
The Plan was developed in four phases. In phase one, an audit of the existing Comp Plan and
associated documents performed, a communications and stakeholder involvement plan
developed, and a public outreach plan established to understand what the community cares
about. This phase was branded #MyMeridianValues. In phase two, the values obtained from
phase one were built upon to form vision statements and the themes that would drive the policy
statements of the Plan. Phase two culminated in a summary document dubbed
#MyMeridianVision (attached). Phase three, #MeridianontheMove, was a mostly technical phase
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where opportunities and choices were evaluated. Strategic growth management, areas of change
and stability, market demands and analysis, transportation, zoning, utility and service provisions,
and housing were all evaluated to develop policy statements and potential changes to the Future
Land Use Map. Phase four included taking everything from the first three phases and putting that
into one, user-friendly document. The #MyMeridianPlan was then shared with the public, with
refinements being made by the consultant team and City staff, with Steering Committee input
and oversight.
A project website was established early on (www.meridiancompplan.com). The website was set
up to be interactive where information was shared and comments could be made. The Bang the
Table platform was used for the website, which allowed for consolidated location of news and
materials, and for interactive tools. The most common of these were an idea wall where
stakeholders could post and share ideas, interactive mapping for posting location specific
comments, and integrated surveys with review materials.
In addition to months of public involvement, on both the front and back end of the Plan
development, interviews with key stakeholders helped to define an initial approach for engaging
with the community, on key topics and issues likely to be most important to them. Stakeholder
interviews included among others, agency partners, business partners, decision makers, faith
community, healthcare, large employers, and realty/brokerage. Key also to development of the
Plan was context and decision making based in reality and subject matter expertise.
Four focus groups, looking at Economic Development, Transportation, and Housing were
established. These elements were identified early on as critical to the long-term success of our
community. Community Design was also determined to be an important topic and added on by
request. The Economic Development Focus Group included technical economic development
and market analysis. Market research included an inventory of the types of land uses in the
City’s current portfolio, analysis on the general location, and forecasting for the land area the
City would likely need for general uses in the upcoming decades. This work concluded with
recommendations for this Plan that are informed by data, interviews with economic development
stakeholders across the region, and best practices. This effort was led by Leland with input from
the Economic Development Focus Group. See the Market Analysis attachment.
Corridor analysis was also part of the Plan development. This technical and market review was
conducted to evaluate whether identified corridors have existing and planned land uses with the
right mix and scale to support transit in the future. This analysis aimed to ensure that land uses
provide enough potential ridership to support transit investments in planned areas where feasible,
while also leveraging each unique corridor’s development context. The Transportation Focus
Group reviewed the analysis prepared by Kittleson and Associates, a sub-consultant. See the
Corridor Market Analysis.
The third focus group, Housing, evaluated topics that included the general location, density,
priorities, and affordability of homes in Meridian near and long-term. This diverse group of
stakeholders helped to develop many of the housing related policies found in the Plan and drove
some of the future land use designation changes. The fourth focus group, Community Design,
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reviewed policy topics and made recommendations that included open space, pathways, design
aesthetics, and general livability factors of the community.
Four specific areas with opportunities for future change and redevelopment were identified early
on. These areas include: the northwest (aka Fields/SH-16); southwest; Southern Rim; and
MagicBridge (Magic View-Woodbridge-Locust View Heights area). For these opportunity areas,
concepts were developed to generate ideas and for stakeholders to review and comment on. In
these areas special attention was made to engage with stakeholders. Opportunities for
stakeholders to engage in-person as well as on-line occurred.
Plan Structure
The proposed Plan is structured around the community identified vision themes and value
statements. Chapter 1 is much as one would expect, an Introduction, with Chapters 2 through 6
themed under the Premier, Evolving, Livable, Vibrant, and Connected vision themes (in that
order). Appendices include the same content as today, including the Future Land Use Map, along
with summaries of Plan development phases. Each chapter/theme generally contains a few
sections/topics and while there is some subjectivity in why some topics ended up under a given
theme, ultimately there was a reason and logic behind the decision, even if an argument could be
made for other document hierarchies/outlines. Ultimately cross-references and search features
allow topics to help inform each-other, regardless of section location. On the new website, cards
will graphically convey where topics can be found.
Similar to the adopted, current Plan, each chapter contains policies related to the included topics.
While many of the proposed policies have some carry-forward from the current Plan, this new
Plan also says farewell to many of them. In some cases, these policies were felt to no longer be
relevant, but more often-than-not they were either completed, revised, or are being recommended
for the Strategic Plan (see Informing the Strategic Plan below). In total, there are some 500
policies split across the five vision themes, and in some ways these along with the Future Land
Use Map make up the heart of the Plan.
One thing that has not changed with the new Plan is the documents relationship with the Existing
Conditions Report (ECR). The adopted ECR is still an important element and necessary for
addressing all of the required topics under State Code. The ECR was last updated in 2017, and
likely to begin receiving an update later next year or in early 2021. While new demographics and
research in the Plan is often helpful for City staff, the benefits of drawing out the current cycle is
the opportunity to be informed by the latest Census information, after its published.
The Plan is more accessible, available in its entirety online in mobile format, and without
reliance upon PDF’s or other packaged media. Policies can be sorted and searched online, maps
are dynamic and interactive, and all images are available for larger viewing. The Plan is of
course also available in PDF, for viewing in one complete document or for print.
Staff believes that the submitted Plan document is complete and ready for use. However,
implementing the Plan will be a multi-step process taking years to complete. Recognizing that
this application falls at the end of a City Council term, and that in just a few short months we
will have a new Mayor and three new Council members, implementation of this Plan is proposed
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to begin in earnest in 2020. The first step in that work is to prioritize the policies, implementation
of the Service Impact Tool, and development of metrics to track progress on key indicators.
Priorities could have been included, but Staff felt that providing new leadership the opportunity
to become vested and responsible stakeholders was appropriate. The new Mayor and City
Council can help to direct and prioritize efforts, without rehashing the public’s vision adopted as
part of this Plan. Other efforts viewed by staff as having high importance and described in policy
are also ready and awaiting approval of this Plan and the new City Council’s blessing, before
moving forward. Most notably this includes the review of several key sections of the Unified
Development Code, including open space and amenity requirements for development.
There are a few additional noteworthy changes or features of this proposed Plan listed below.
However, the revisions and changes listed below do not represent all changes or new policies
developed for the Plan. Staff will verbally run through the Plan with the Planning & Zoning
Commission and City Council during the public hearings.
Key Revisions to the Plan
Future Land Use Map
In 2012 the City evaluated land uses in South Meridian. In direct response to stakeholder
requests at the time, the City identified a new future land use designation to set aside lands for
more actionable agriculture and/or open space preservation – Rural / Estate Residential. This
Rural / Estate Residential designation capped dwelling units at 1 unit per 5 acres. The Rural /
Estate designation was intended to support clustered residential nodes to develop in key areas
and with services, but adjoining lands “behind the homes” would be cut-off and without
infrastructure capacity (sewer and water) to service. In this way some preservation could occur
while still allowing for some development within the City, much in the way Ada County has
approved numerous non-farm subdivision within Meridian’s Area of City Impact. With Meridian
services still some ways off, and with other agencies allowing for more density, some of these
areas instead annexed into other jurisdictions undermining Meridian’s efforts to sustainably plan.
Planning for urban services is an important element and requirement of State Code and cannot be
overstated. Meridian spends a great deal of time and money planning for services, and
infrastructure being built today may be excessive and costlier to both install and maintain, if
planned densities are not realized.
Because a city, by definition, is urban and not rural, the Rural / Estate designation is being
removed from the Plan. Areas with a Low Density designation may still develop in larger estate
clusters, but the City will require service extensions to and through all properties.
There was also some consolidation of future land use designations in the Ten Mile Interchange
Specific Area. The Civic designation, the Green Space/Park Land, and the Pipeline Easement
designation have all been removed. The Civic designation was duplicative with the city-wide
Civic designation, and has been merged. The Park designation was duplicative with how the
Civic designation is used city-wide, and some areas were also inconsistent with other planning
documents, most notable the Master Pathways Plan. The Pipeline designation was inconsistent in
that the pipeline easement is not shown elsewhere in the City, and generally something that the
Williams Northwest Pipeline Co prefers not be shown with great accuracy. Lastly, all of the
residential designations with names identical to the city-wide designations have been removed
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from the legend. These designations still exist, but a note on the map already refers to the Ten
Mile plan for policies rather than the Comprehensive Plan.
Area of City Impact
After this Comprehensive Plan is adopted the City will work with Ada County to adopt this new
Plan. While most of the adopted planning area or Area of City Impact (AOCI) remains the same,
there are a number or proposed revisions and City staff will work with Ada County to recognize
these changes. There is one significant change on the City’s southern planning boundary worth
noting. To better plan for services and improve transparency, the City has removed all of those
areas which the City of Kuna has previously annexed within Meridian’s AOCI. Additional lands
nearby, already planned to be serviced by Kuna, or cost-prohibitive or impossible to now be
serviced by M eridian are also being removed from Meridian’s AOCI. This boundary was
established in coordination with Kuna leadership, the Mayor’s Office, and the appropriate city
staff members. Meridian Public Works and Planning staff has worked to identify new service
areas that Meridian can still reasonably service and released the remaining areas to Kuna or Ada
County for planning; these areas are reflected in the new Future Land Use Map.
Future Land Use “Steps”
Historically the City has allowed for significant changes to planned residential densities on the
Map, without actually changing the Future Land Use Map. This was implemented by the City
due to State imposed limitations at the time, which only allowed the Map to be updated twice a
year. This State-imposed limitation no longer exists however, and by allowing “steps” the City
has made the process difficult for the public to understand, created less certainty for residents,
and been less transparent to the public. This sort of planning also undermines efforts by City
staff to plan for the efficient provision of services, when half of the City could be considered for
anywhere from 0 to 15 dwelling units per acre.
The new Comprehensive Plan does not include the “step” language. However, City staff realize
that some flexibility in residential densities is important and have more transparently described
the rounding process for density (to the nearest whole number), and left in the allowances for
density bonuses related to providing open space and public services such as schools. This
allowance has existed but not been historically utilized due to the step option alternative.
Future Land Use and Transportation Integration
Critical to the Future Land Use Map, and many of the other proposed policies, the planned
transportation network must support the portfolio of planned land uses. As part of their bi-annual
update, Staff City have begun working with the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) in
reviewing and updating their Master Street Map (MSM). Unlike ACHD’s Integrated Five Year
Work Plan and 20-year Capital Improvement Plan, the MSM envisions a built-out road network.
To be effective this must work with the City’s Future Land Use Map. Staff plan to coordinate
revisions to support the planned future land uses that are part of this new Plan. Most of these
changes would likely be to collector roadway alignments, which are development driven, but it is
conceivable that other cross-sections and typologies may be of interest for arterial roadways.
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Informing the Strategic Plan
Part of the scope of work for the new Plan was a detailed review of all the existing policies in the
adopted Comprehensive Plan. Many of these policies were identified as valuable, but were not
determined to be most appropriate in a Comprehensive Plan. When the last Plan was adopted in
2011, the City did not have a strategic plan. The Strategic Plan is a shorter-range plan that is
more appropriate for many of the more near-term or one-time type projects, and many of these
statements are proposed to be added to the Strategic Plan when it is next updated (see
attachment). City staff will coordinate with the Mayor’s Office staff to ensure these policies are
considered for incorporation into the next Strategic Plan for the City.
Welcome to Meridian Signage Plan
Informally, the City has had a “Welcome to Meridian” sign plan for almost a decade now.
Originally this was primarily an aesthetic replacement to the never accurate population signs, but
slowly grew to include monument signs as a way to better support identity and marketing efforts,
as we grow together with adjacent cities. Construction documents for entryway monuments in a
few different sizes and configurations have been developed and standardized, and have been
constructed both in partnership with development and by the City. This new Plan, intended to be
adopted by reference as part of the new Comprehensive Plan, formalizes this work into concise
text and visuals to increase transparency. No part of either the Comprehensive Plan or the
Signage Plan make this program a requirement for City Council to fund or for development to
construct; it remains simply a means to have a conversation and to explore opportunities for
welcoming residents and visitors into the city.
Service Impact Tool
The Service Impact Tool (Tool) is intended to assist with consistently gauging the readiness of
property to be developed or redeveloped in the City. The Tool does not indicate whether property
is appropriate to develop, only to more objectively and comparatively determine the level of
stress that services may be stretched, or where some services may not exist for the foreseeable
future. It may be appropriate that properties not as ready should wait, or that other
offsets/conditions could be met to make ready and limit negatively impacting existing
stakeholders. Related, the tool may also be used in the future to identify priority growth areas, or
those areas readiest for growth. This would be a next steps effort after adoption, and not
contemplated in this application.
Update to the Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area Plan Transportation Network
Part of the Comprehensive Plan application includes a small change to the transportation
network identified in the Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area Plan. This revision functionally
results in no change, but has been requested by neighbors who fear there is going to be a future
road bisecting their properties. The road alignment is flexible, and construction of the road would
only occur when neighbors decided to sell and development is approved. However, there is some
fear of eminent domain or other aggressive government action. Staff would not normally support
a changes such as this due to cost and time of the effort, but when run concurrently to the larger
application it is easier to facilitate the clarification to alleviate concern.
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Attachments:
• Comprehensive Plan
• Future Land Use Map
• #MyMeridianVision
• Market Analysis
• Corridor Market Analysis
• Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area Plan, Revised Transportation Schematic
• Policies Recommended for the next Strategic Plan update