PZ - Comprehensive Plan AppendixE
www.meridiancity.org/compplan
Appendix E. Analysis and Public Involvement Summaries
#MyMeridian Vision Document
#MyMeridian Vision Outreach Summary
#MyMeridian Values Outreach Summary
#MyMeridian Stakeholder Summary
Specific Area Outreach Summary
#MyMeridian Public Draft Comment Summary
Market Analysis
Corridor Market Analysis
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E-2
MERIDIANMY
MERIDIANMYMERIDIANMY
#mymeridianplan
MERIDIANMY
#mymeridianplan
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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3
8
6
4
Your VisionIntroduction
Mayor’s Letter What We
Heard
16
What’s Next?
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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#MYMERIDIAN VISION
Welcome to what we’re calling “#MyMeridian
Vision” – a document that concludes the second
phase of the City’s Comprehensive Plan update
process. This vision document describes the future
of Meridian based on the desires and dreams of
thousands of local stakeholders and citizens that
have participated in developing the new Plan.
The Comprehensive Plan is a guiding document for
growth and future development in Meridian and our
Area of Impact. It focuses on the many services
offered by the City such as sewer, water, public
safety, and parks, as well as plans for land use in
regards to where housing, jobs, and services will
be located. It also helps guide conversations with
community partners that oversee transportation,
schools, and libraries.
One of the most important factors of this Plan is
the viewpoint of our residents. We are now moving
into the third phase of the Plan update focused on
choices –“#MyMeridian Choices”. It needs YOUR
voice to be successful, which is why our team still
wants to hear from you! Help us craft a Plan that
continues to move Meridian forward – one that
is in line with our vision to be the West’s premier
community to live, work and raise a family. Visit
www.meridiancity.org/compplan to get involved.
Mayor Tammy de Weerd
City of Meridian Mayor
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#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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#MyMeridian Vision, the community vision for the
Meridian, Idaho, Area (the City Limits and Impact
Area) focuses on the creation and preservation of
the area’s character, evolution, livability, vibrancy,
and connections. The Vision Statements within
this document demonstrate these unique qualities
and reaffirm a desire to preserve Meridian’s
character with the onset of inevitable changes
that come with population growth and demand for
development.
The Vision Statements will be used to update
Meridian’s 2002 Comprehensive Plan and inform
its replacement, a new Comprehensive Plan that
will ultimately be adopted in 2019 by the Meridian
City Council. These Vision Statements and Themes,
intentionally designed to evolve with the process,
will be revisited throughout the #MyMeridian
Comprehensive Plan update process, and regularly
after the adoption of the Plan. A valuable tool to be
reviewed and updated over the 20-year planning
horizon, these evolving vision statements will
reflect the community’s values and dreams for the
future of the City of Meridian.
INTRODUCTION
“It’s probably no surprise that
the number one topic I get
approached about is growth.
It’s happening here and it’s
happening across the entire
Valley. We all know how
awesome Meridian and Idaho
are - and now others have
discovered us as well. Despite
our popularity, it is imperative
that we grow responsibly,
which takes careful planning.”
Mayor Tammy De Weerd, 2018
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CREATING A VISION
Developing a cohesive vision of Meridian’s future offers
residents, business owners, and visitors an opportunity to be
heard—and the assurance that this city’s blueprint for the future
reflects a collaborative vision. #MyMeridian Vision, developed by
the people of Meridian, represents their strong voice about what
they value in our community and an equally strong mandate for
what they want for our future.
Meridian’s rapid growth means the city is continually undergoing
significant change. Depending upon how such growth is
directed, these changes could be good for the city’s residents,
commerce, and infrastructure. Unguided growth without a
coordinated plan for the city may harm the very qualities we
hold dear. Having a community vested vision helps guide and
inform the decision-making process to define and manage the
city’s future. Therefore the Comprehensive Plan update will
provide elected officials and the community an opportunity to
make sound, informed decisions toward our vision.
Meridian has seen a significant increase in population over
the last 27 years, and it is predicted to grow another 52% by
2040. Along with that growth in population come noteworthy
changes. During the last 10 years (2007 – 2017), we have seen
37%
GROWTH IN LABOR FORCE
OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS
45,567
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
HAS FALLEN BY
5% SINCE 2010,
GOING FROM 8.1%
IN 2010 TO
IN 2017.
OUR POPULATION GROWTH
10,000
1990 2017 2040
106,410 155,283
PROJECTED: AN
INCREASE OF
50% FROM 2017
75%
OF 0 - 19 YEAR
OLDS HAVE
WALKABLE ACCESS
TO PARKS AND
OPEN SPACE
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD
INCOME
$76,783
$74,000
ADA COUNTY
2017
2007
33,035
3.2%
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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37% growth in our labor force and a 5% reduction
in our unemployment rate. Our median household
income is well over the Treasure Valley average,
and two-thirds of the children in our community
have walkable access to a park or open space.
Though benefits of growth are possible, fast
growth takes careful planning and a strong vision
to be successful. With a strong vision for managing
how our community will grow, we can continue to
benefit immensely from growth and can ensure it
is an asset for our city.
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The first step toward creating a vision for any community is
listening. From June to September of 2018 we attended many
public events and created several online surveys to ask residents
of Meridian what they love and what they would improve about
their city. Though this process, we heard from more than
1,500 people including residents, employees, business owners,
community leaders, youth, and stakeholders.
At these events and through online surveys, participants were
asked questions like “What do you love about Meridian?”, “What
would you improve about Meridian?” and “What is your vision
for Meridian’s Future?” This allowed the residents, employees,
and stakeholders the opportunity to provide and discuss their
values, options, goals, and to prioritize future opportunities for
their community. The responses were collected and compiled
to create several prospective vision statements- to become one
common Vision Statement.
OUR VISION
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MERIDIAN?
• NICE • PARKS • FAMILY EVENTS • MOVIE NIGHTS • FREE CONCERTS • CITY STAFF • GREAT PARKS •
PLAYGROUNDS • NEW • GREAT COMMUNITY • SOCCER FIELD • DOG PARK • FRIENDLY PEOPLE • EVERYTHING,
BUT MOSTLY THE PEOPLE • QUALITY OF LIFE • PROPERTY TAXES • EFFICIENT INEXPENSIVE PARKS • FREE
CONCERTS • MOVIES IN THE PARK • PUBLIC EVENTS • FAMILY EVENTS • FAMILY FRIENDLY • PARKS • THE
EDUCATION SYSTEM • HOW FRIENDLY EVERYBODY IS • THE PARKS • SENSE OF COMMUNITY • THE VILLAGE
• SPLASH PAD • THE PARKS • SKATE PARK • MOVIE NIGHTS • FARMERS’ MARKET • PEOPLE • RELAXED • LAID
BACK • INTERACTION OF SMALL TOWNS • HISTORIC • PARKS • SERVICE INDUSTRY • FRIENDLY PEOPLE • FEELS
LIKE HOME • SMALL TOWN COMMUNITY • SENSE OF COMMUNITY • FAMILY FRIENDLY • PARKS • CONCERTS
• DOWNTOWN MERIDIAN • THE VILLAGE • RESTAURANTS • PUBLIC EVENTS • THE MAYOR • AUTHENTIC •
PARKS • CLEAN • LOCATION • OPEN SPACE • FARM LANDS • PARKS • PROXIMITY TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS
AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT PROVIDES • MAYOR TAMMY • ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS • AFFORDABILITY •
ART • CULTURE • FARM LAND AND RANCHES • ARTS AND CULTURE • EFFORT TO BE GREAT • FARMING AND
SMALL ACREAGES • ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS • FRIENDLY PEOPLE • LOCATION • I GREW UP HERE • COMMUNITY
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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• PATHWAYS • SPACIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS • REASONABLE COST OF LIVING • LOW CRIME • CENTRAL LOCATION
• LIBRARY DISTRICT • FEEL • LANDSCAPING • SLOWER PACE OF LIFE • LOW DENSITY • SMALL TOWN FEEL
• IDAHO VALUES • MAYOR TAMMY • NATURE • OPEN SPACES • CLEANLINESS • FARMLAND AND PASTURES
• UNDEVELOPED • QUIET • COUNTRY ATMOSPHERE • RESTAURANTS • COST OF LIVING • RURAL ROOTS
• SMALL TOWN LIFE • OLD BARNS AND FARMLAND • AGRICULTURE • SMALL TOWN ATMOSPHERE • THE
PEOPLE • THE GREEN BELT • COMMUNITY FEEL • EVENTS • BEAUTIFUL CITY • CLEAN STREETS • WEATHER
• COMMUNITY • FARMLAND • FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS • LESS DENSE • OPEN SPACES • RURAL NATURE •
RURAL • SPACE • SIDEWALKS • SLOWER PACE AND OPEN SPACE TO BREATHE • ELBOW ROOM • FAMILY
FRIENDLY • PARKS • CONCERTS • DOWNTOWN MERIDIAN • THE VILLAGE • RESTAURANTS • PUBLIC EVENTS
• THE MAYOR • FARM TO TABLE • AUTHENTIC • PARKS • CLEAN • WELL PLANNED • NEIGHBORHOODS •
CITY STAFF • I LOVE MERIDIAN! • OUR PARKS ROCK • ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS • LOCATION • MAYOR
TAMMY • AFFORDABILITY • ARTS AND CULTURE • CHURCHES • FRIENDLY PEOPLE • CENTRAL LOCATION
• COUNTRY FEEL • OPENNESS • AGRICULTURE • ACCESS TO CITY AMENITIES • RAISING ANIMALS
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#MYMERIDIAN VISION
Meridian is a premier,
evolving, livable, vibrant, and
connected community.
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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A PREMIER COMMUNITY
• Create safe neighborhoods with diverse
and premier housing, open spaces, and
amenities that provide varied lifestyle
choices.
• Plan for a multi-generational city with
social, educational, and recreational
opportunities and services for all age
groups.
• Support the expansion and retention of
businesses by developing a diverse and
qualified workforce through business and
educational partnerships.
• Complement economic development
opportunities by encouraging via
partnerships the training of local workforce
and students to match employer needs.
A thriving, diverse, clean, safe, and
secure community in which to live,
work, and raise a family.
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• Manage growth by ensuring that development pays
for itself and complements or enhances the quality
and character of Meridian’s neighborhoods.
• Focus growth in key areas for an efficient and
high-quality development pattern that aligns
with availability and capacity of services and
infrastructure.
• Partner with schools, nonprofit, and community
organizations to provide a variety of educational
opportunities for all stages of life.
• Promote responsible land use and resource
stewardship through sustainable waste reduction,
energy efficiency, and transportation choices which
reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.
A community thoughtfully adapting
to changes.
AN EVOLVING COMMUNITY
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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• Connect pathways, trails, greenways, and
bike routes to create safe and walkable
neighborhoods.
• Ensure access to health care, schools,
police, and other community services.
• Provide innovatively designed parks,
preserved open spaces, and diverse
recreational opportunities.
• Build on Meridian’s cultural visibility,
identity, and capacity by promoting the
local arts, and cultural assets.
A community of family-friendly,
healthy, and engaging places.
A LIVABLE COMMUNITY
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• Accommodate appropriate modes of transportation
by planning, designing, and building facilities for
pedestrians, bicycles, public transit, motor vehicles,
and freight.
• Improve the efficiency of transportation through land
use planning, street design, and new technology.
• Embrace Meridian’s location by ensuring alignment of
transportation network enhancements with new local
and regional growth
• Create transportation corridors that promote the
efficient movement of people and goods.
A community of safe and efficient
transportation facilities.
A CONNECTED COMMUNITY
#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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#MYMERIDIAN VISION
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• Create vibrant places and gathering
spaces with distinct, engaging identities.
• Promote Ten Mile, Downtown, and The
Village as centers of activity and growth.
• Support a Downtown renaissance as the
City’s next premier destination through
the creation of an attractive shopping,
entertainment, and cultural center.
• Protect, preserve, and enrich Meridian’s
strong historic character and charm.
A community strengthened by
historic character and vibrant
activity centers.
A VIBRANT COMMUNITY
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WHAT’S NEXT?
The future of Meridian is in your hands.
#MyMeridian Vision provides the aims, concepts,
and thoughtfully developed ideas outlined by
thousands of area residents and stakeholders
for the future they desire for Meridian.
Our community knows that a vision only achieves
fruition through strong goals, policies, and
strategic implementation. A new Comprehensive
Plan that reflects our community’s vision is
needed to responsibly plan for growth, and to
prepare for variable economic conditions in the
years ahead.
Together, we can ensure Meridian becomes a
premier community for our future generations.
The next step is to establish the Plan’s policies
and projects based on the foundation provided
in this document. Then a strategy will evolve
with the use of a thoughtful and deliberate
combination of large and small projects, fresh
programs, and new partnerships.
Now is the time to put your mark on #MyMeridian
Plan. As the process moves forward, it is
important that our community continues to be
involved. Make sure that your thoughts and ideas
are heard. Jump into online discussions, join your
friends and neighbors at public meetings, and
share opinions in surveys and at open houses.
Watch for upcoming public events this winter
and join in #MyMeridian Plan for the future of
Meridian. Visit www.meridiancity.org/compplan
to get involved.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
#MyMeridian #MyMeridianVision
MY MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
As part of the community outreach process
for the My Meridian Comprehensive Plan
Update, several public events were held from
July through September of 2018 (see page 2
for a list of events). Between informational
booths at community events, town halls,
and an online survey, participants were able
to review potential future vision statements,
vote on their favorites, and provide insight
and ideas. Participants in this outreach phase
included people like residents, employees,
business owners, community leaders, youth,
and other stakeholders.
The input received during this phase is
invaluable to the Comprehensive Plan
Update Process. Through selecting favorite
themes and statements, participants helped
determine what values the community
should prioritize in the new plan. These vision
statements will be reorganized and revised to
better reflect the communities ideal future.
CONTENTS
Where We Went.................................................1
Who We Heard From..........................................2
Vision Results.....................................................5
In-person Comment Appendix..........................10
Online Comment Appendix................................12
Idea Wall Posts.................................................39
Quick Poll Results............................................43
LOGAN SIMPSON2
IN-PERSON OUTREACH
Movie Night
July 27th, Settlers Park
Town Hall
July 25th, Boys and Girls
Club of ADA County
Summer Fun
July 23rd, Kleiner Park
Concerts on Broadway
August 11th/August 25th,
Broadway Ave
Main Street Market
July 28th/August 24th,
Main Street
Community Block Party
September 15th, Kleiner
Park
Coffee with the Mayor
September 11th,
Backstage Bistro
Meridian Business Day
September 11th, City Hall
MYAC Safety Summit
September 21st, City Hall
Telephone Town Hall
September 26th
1 star = 1 - 3 pins
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Legend
Neighborhoods
Meridian-North
Meridian-West
Meridian-East
Meridian-Downtown
Meridian-Northeast
Meridian-Northwest
Meridian-Southwest
Meridian-Southeast
My Meridian Plan
Where are you from?
Locations from pin maps in the
Visioning Phase
Online survey participation
EAST MERIDIAN6%
SOUTHEAST MERIDIAN12%
SOUTHWEST MERIDIAN12%
WEST MERIDIAN24%
NORTHEAST MERIDIAN12%NORTHWEST MERIDIAN5%
NORTH MERIDIAN11%
DOWNTOWN MERIDIAN6%
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 3
WHO WE HEARD FROM
4%5%
25%
24%
21%
14%
7%
VISIONING
0-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
10-19
Who
Participated?
21%
14%
20%
17%
12%
9%
7%
POPULATION
0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+
LOGAN SIMPSON4
There was a wide variety of participants at the
public events and through online outreach.
Each public event booth had activities to
engage people of all ages! Our online surveys
showed a substantial increase in youth
participation compared to the values phase of
this project. Nearly 10% of participants in the
online visioning survey were under the age
of 30 compared to the 7% from the values
survey. In this phase of outreach there were
social media posts on Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, and NextDoor to engage citizens with
poll questions, direct them to the project
website, and to raise project awareness.
WHO PARTICIPATED?
Who lives
here?
0 50 100 150 200 250
A Vibrant Community
A Connected Community
An Evolving Community
A Livable Community
A Premier Community
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 5
PRIORITIZING OUR VISION
Meridian’s draft vision statements have been
organized into five general themes. In the
online vision survey, participants were asked
to select the vision theme that they thought
was the most important for Meridian’s future.
This question was not asked at the in-person
events.
The vision theme that participants ranked
highest is “A Premier Community: A thriving,
diverse, clean, safe, and secure community
in which to live, work, and raise a family.”
Within each of the five themes were four
specific vision statements which participants
in-person and online were asked to vote on.
These statements can be found on pages
6 - 9). Interestingly, although online survey
participants marked Premier Community
as the most important vision theme (as
shown below), the statements under Livable
Community were voted as most favorable (as
shown on page 7).
A thriving, diverse, clean,
safe, and secure family in
which to live, work, and
raise a family
A community of family-
friendly, healthy, and
engaging places
A community thoughtfully
adapting to change
A community of save and
efficient transportation
A community strengthened
by historic character and
vibrant activity centers
48%
26%
13%
8%
5%
Note: The totals on this page will not equal
the totals on pages 6 - 9. These were two
separate questions.
Question 1: The community vision is organized into 5 general themes. Please select which theme is
most important to you.
LOGAN SIMPSON6
Participants were asked which five vision statements under each vision theme were most
important to them. The following shows the top five statements (below) and actual counts per
each statement on pages 7 - 9.
PRIORITIZING OUR VISION, CONT.
The top five favorite statements:
1. Connect pathways, trails, greenways, and bike routes to create safe and walkable
neighborhoods. (Livable)
2. Manage Growth by ensuring that development pays for itself and maintains the quality
and character of its neighborhoods. (Evolving)
3. Provide a sustainable, 21st century quality of life by ensuring access to healthy and
nutritious food, quality health care, schools, police, and other community services. (Livable)
4. Provide innovatively designed parks, preserved open spaces, and diverse recreational
opportunities. (Livable)
5. Accommodate all modes of transportation by planning, designing, and building facilities
for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and vehicle drivers. (Connected)
Question 2: Which vision statements are most important to you or resonate the most with you? Of all
the vision statements please select your top five statements. You may use your five selections all under
one theme (such as livable community), or you can spread them out equally and pick one statement per
theme. It is up to you!
479
326
347
91
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 7
A PREMIER COMMUNITY A LIVABLE COMMUNITY
1: Connect pathways, trails, greenways,
and bike routes to create safe and
walkable neighborhoods.
2: Provide a sustainable, 21st century
quality of life by ensuring access to
healthy and nutritious food, quality
health care, schools, police, and other
community services.
3: Provide innovatively designed parks,
preserved open spaces, and diverse
recreational opportunities.
4: Build on Meridian’s cultural visibility,
identity, and capacity by promoting the
local arts and cultural assets.
1: Create safe neighborhoods with varied
housing opportunities, open spaces, and
amenities that provide living choices
2: Plan for a multigenerational city with
opportunities and services for all age
groups
3: Support the expansion and retention of
businesses by developing a diverse and
qualified workforce through integrated
business and educational partners
4: Complement economic development
opportunities with local workforce and
student talent by providing the training
and skill necessary for all residents to
have access to a living-wage job.
285
273
181
1,012 Total Votes 1,243 Total Votes
273
292
289
244
173
446
291
203
129
LOGAN SIMPSON8
AN EVOLVING COMMUNITY A CONNECTED COMMUNITY
1: Accommodate all modes of
transportation by planning, designing,
and building facilities for pedestrians,
bicyclists, transit riders, and vehicle
drivers.
2: Improve the efficiency and viability
of transit through land use planning,
street design, and new technology.
3: Ensure alignment of transportation
network enhancements with new
growth.
4: Create travel corridors that
accommodate multiple modes of
transportation and promote street
connectivity.
1: Manage Growth by ensuring that
development pays for itself and
maintains the quality and character of
its neighborhoods
2: Focus growth in key areas to allow for
a thoughtful, efficient, and high quality
development pattern that aligns with
availability and capacity of all services
and infrastructure.
3: Protect, preserve, and enrich
Meridian’s strong historic character
and charm.
4: Target incentives toward businesses
that improve quality of life and provide
a community benefit for current and
future residents.
1,069 Total Votes 998 Total Votes
263
246
125
73
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 9
A VIBRANT COMMUNITY
1: Promote Ten Mile, Downtown, and The Village as centers of activity
and growth.
2: Support a downtown renaissance as the city’s next premier destination
through the creation of an attractive shopping, entertainment, and
cultural center.
3: Provide a diversity of housing opportunities that safeguard access
and lifecycle transitions for all residents.
4: Create premier places with distinct community identities.
709 Total Votes
LOGAN SIMPSON10
IN-PERSON COMMENTS AND IDEAS
Boys and Girls Club
• 10 acre dog park in south and north Meridian
• Eagle, Chinden, and 10 Mile need to be converted
to freeway collectors and beltways
• Larger library and community center
• More commercial (food and shopping) in west
Meridian
• I’d like to see more nice homes where a person
can walk to shopping
• I’d like to see more places like The Village
• Finish all sidewalk on both sides of the street
• Smarter housing planning
• Not putting high density housing across the
street from impacted schools
• Housing diversity in price, affordable for people
at different economic levels
• Senior communities near shopping centers,
senior housing needs to be affordable(500/mo)
• Create a destination downtown
• More opportunities for teens and adults
• City Council, planning and zoning, ACHD work
together as one cohesive unit to accomplish
goals
• All entities need to listen to residents as well as
developers
• Allow low density housing to remain by creating
areas of higher density
• More space between high and low density
• Elevated mono-rail may be better than
ground light rail, Reduces already increasing
congestions. (see SLC light rail bogging down
traffic).
Summer Fun
• 10 acre dog park in south and north Meridian
• More infrastructure and road/city planning
before more subdivision construction
• More motorsports racing
• Slow down housing growth and work on
infrastructure streets, shopping, etc
• No garbage at parks on the ground
• Slow down housing development (apartments)
• Work on road infrastructure
• Large and tall apartment buildings built in
established communities (bad)
• More parks, open space, and bike trails.
• Professional soccer team and stadium
• Protect inward migration
• Housing prices are going up and by the time our
elementary kids are grown up they will be twice
as expensive
• 2008 Housing market crashes, have you learned
nothing??
• Keep open spaces, build more park and trails
• Don’t let this area end up like Portland
• Surf inspired pool and a wake board tow system
• Low density in south Meridian
• More grocery stores and places to eat in Meridian
• Better treatment for immigrants
• Crazy rising house prices are sending us out to
Kuna
• Too much growth, we need more businesses to
support this growth
• Light at Meridian and Calderwood roads
• More for teens and adults to do
• Protect open space within the city
• Add Abercrombie and Fitch to the Village
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 11
• Add an Apple Store to the Village
• Need for low income families
• Smaller classroom size and teacher to student
ratio
Movie Night and Main Street Market
• TV hats that give popcorn
• 3D TV’s
• Shoes for dogs
• Light rail to/from Boise and Nampa (X2)
• Homeless shelter apartments (X2)
• Provide a diversity of housing opportunities that
safeguard access and lifestyle transitions for all
residents
• Better public transit system, more areas to stop,
expand what we currently have
• 10 acre dog park in south and north Meridian
• More activities for teens and adults (X3)
• Keep some agriculture (X10)
• Have a committee to work on goat head removal
in Meridian
• Movie theater downtown Meridian
• Wells Fargo Chinden and Linden (X2)
• Preserve farming, too much development
• Need Ten Mile with a Costco
• Promote downtown (X2)
• No more development on 10 Mile until ----
widened from ---- to Chinden
Concert on Broadway
• It would be nice to have a performing arts venue
in Meridian that accommodates larger crowds
Open House
• More stuff for teens and adults
• Meridian performing arts center
• Bring AmTrack train to the area
• 10+ /acre dog park in South and North
• Bring musical theater to Meridian
Community Block Party
• Transit (bus)
• Extend greenbelt by Boise River and Park
• Overpass/expressway between Eagle and
Freeway
• Skywalk from residential to Kliener
• Decline Summerset Apartments application
• Prioritize expansion of HWY 6
• Better streetlights in neighborhoods at night
• Public charging stations
• Large dog park south and north
• Better zoning, too much commercial and light
industrial mixed in with residential
• Overpass for Linder Rd (X4)
• Speed bumps on Todd Rd from Chateau to Cherry
Ln
• Better patrol near schools (too many speeders!)
I would change the availability of affordable
housing so that people can live in the same
community that they work in. Service workers
should not have to commute in from cheaper
outlying towns just to be able to support
themselves. Having affordable housing in town
benefits both workers and businesses as the
workers are able to spend more time with their
families as well as save money on gas which can
then be spent in local businesses. It’s beneficial
to everyone.
• Saving agricultural land should be a priority.
LOGAN SIMPSON12
• Connecting neighborhoods with bike paths has not kept up.
• Promote “just say no to growth” instead of maintaining this ridiculous explosion of incoming people.
• Tough choices
• We need less focus on what we have to offer & more focus on how we can preserve what its citizens
have worked for. More representation- less self-promotion.
• I think you need to work on these in conjunction with one another. An aspect of one will affect an
aspect of another, etc.
• We are growing too fast. We are allowing all kinds of development to happen that impacts roads,
schools, and neighborhoods and not doing anything about protecting those things. We need to have a
solid plan for fixing this.
• Beautify and maintain existing areas along roads that need some help. There’s a sad looking area on
Cherry Ln, between Ten Mile and Black Cat along the road with 18” tall weeds growing in the sidewalk,
and the residents that are inconsistently “maintaining” the weeds growing on the irrigation land behind
their homes (and facing the street) by either mowing or burning them periodically. One home cut down
a bunch of branches from their backyard tree and threw them over the fence, where they sat for more
than a week. It looks like the ghetto of Meridian. I wish the city would landscape it, as it is an eyesore. I
live in an adjacent neighborhood and I cringe every time I drive past.
• Quit annexing, freeze the boundary and stick to a zoning plan rather than approving every variance
request that falls on your desks. Charge developers the actual cost of their projects like increased
traffic, school overcrowding, water and wastewater treatment, etc.
• Ensure the roadways are being improved to deal with traffic congestion - plan ahead. Give farmers a
reason not to sell their land to developers, incentives. Be smarter where apartments are being built and
ensure fire/police staffing is adequate for the massive amounts of people moving here.
• It would be nice to have more affordable housing in the Meridian area. Meridian is Turing into Southern
California and it’s absolutely disgusting.
• CREDIBILITY AND INTEGRITY ARE MISSING. You have already ripped credibility and integrity to shreds
when you changed the EXISTING zoning to accommodate a developer’s sale to COSTCO. And you are
in the process of attempting to rip credibility and integrity to shreds again if you allow the zoning to
be changed to accommodate a gas station and convenience store at the present location of Wagner
Farms. NONE OF THE FIVE VISIONS APPLY when such flagrant disregard for previous zoning exists.
• Meridian seems to have grown way too fast over the last 10 years. The infrastructure necessary to
provide smooth commutes is years behind the home building process. The number of affordable
housing units is extremely low. Young adults need this kind of housing to get started in life. If we
expect them to stay and thrive and become tomorrow’s placeholder in Meridian, we have to give them
a good reason to.
ONLINE SURVEY COMMENTS
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 13
• I’ve lived here for 20 years and have watched the changes from a small community of around 20,000 to
our current population busting levels! I’ve been saddened to see the loss of farmland and open space.
I’ve also been saddened that some on the city council are not willing that we have more affordable
housing, especially in the downtown area. While this isn’t just an issue for Meridian, we need better
public transportation in which more shops are available that are in places that people can easily reach.
I also thought that the statements were too broken up, I would like to see more integration in the vision
so that as we grow and develop the city planners are looking holistically as they plan. We truly need to
be looking ahead and planning for the future, and I hope that we can do that!
• Support our police and firefighters
• “No more bike lanes, no buses, no more high occupancy housing... How about taking care of our
current residents.
If you don’t understand the problems go look at Portland, Seattle, Chicago or Philadelphia and
all of their suburbs and smaller communities around there. NOT PRETTY NOR IS THE CRIME OR
LIVABILITY.”
• I don’t see any mention of Meridian’s agricultural heritage. I think if we’re talking about preserving
open spaces, why not consider using those spaces as working farms? That will create a connection to
our past, a connection to the rest of our largely agricultural state, and a more diversified economy.
• Almost ALL of your choices exclude the conservative quiet attractiveness that meridian what people
wanted. As much as many of us like meridian it is becoming a what we don’t like
• You don’t give an alternative to the overpopulation in this Valley. You only give choices you want.
Not what the people want. There aren’t any choices to choose. Only the irresponsibility of our city
government that needs to be voted out for what they’ve done to our city. What kind of government
over populates and then wants us to convince ITD to catch up with it. Put a freeze on development
until the infrastructure catches up. It’s a no brainer.
• Transit is a great opportunity, but it always seems to be lumped in with bicycle lanes and fewer vehicle
lanes. It will be tough to get Idahoans out of their cars to commute to work so pushing both options
will be a struggle. Prioritize a great rail or bus system as that has the ability and practicality to get
more people to use it.
• Stop the expansion of subdivisions. Focus on improving what we have to meet the need of the existing
community.
• N/A
• We need to focus on creating a real urban identity because this farm identity is dated and useless.
• They’re gucci
• How does a Costco in a residential neighborhood protect and enrich the strong historic character and
charm? The North end; Harris Ranch; Bown Crossing...These protect and enrich the historic character
and charm that is Idaho. Costco belongs in an industrial/ commercial park where no one’s quality of
life is compromised. Please reconsider your decision and truly reflect the way of life that this survey
envisions.
• It isn’t what is missing so much as what you are bringing in. We live in an area that is surrounded by
LOGAN SIMPSON14
all the box stores anyone could want. Please be thoughtful when planning communities. Preserve
and promote the open spaces and parks, bike pathways and recreational facilities. Improve roads
and traffic flow and allow small businesses be successful. Shut down the box stores and the storage
facilities - just say NO!!!
• Curtail residential growth. Re-zone outstanding residential areas to be rural.
• Again, as previously stated there seems to lack diversity and variety with businesses around town.
There is a large focus on creating these large shopping centers that host the same thing as the one a
few blocks away. Even compared to Boise, Meridian seems to be lacking its own identity. Meridian had
a sense of charm when we moved here a few years back. Beautiful parks on the corners, walking paths
through developments. Now it is a sad make up of strip malls on every corner.
• Make sure schools and roads can sustain growth before new developments are approved. Hillsdale is
already full, yet building is still happening.
• Control growth, so as to not loose the farm land and open space, and to ensure adequate roads.
• Definitely need to be more thoughtful and slow down growth so that Efficient planning can happen.
• Traffic!!!!!! A huge issue. We are moving to Nampa due to overcrowding in Meridian.
• More public places, we have tons of “private, exclusive, fee driven private “ pools and little activities for
the community as a whole for children in the North end.
• I love seeing the improvements and emphasis in the historic meridian area.
• We as a family would love to bike more. But we have to travel to Eagle or Boise for a more connective
pathway. We do however live very close to the Bud C Porter walkway and use it often.
• Efficient planned growth is important. People and business want to move to meridian. Make them
fund the infrastructure by reducing incentives or make them competitive but give nothing away for
free or bank on future growth to fund decisions made today. Must be self sufficient to make it through
unavoidable economic downturns.
• Be sure to also protect plant farming livelihood. That is, after all, part of Idaho Identity and Idaho’s
national contribution aside from absolutely protecting many wildlife areas for everyone to enjoy. This
is part of the essence of the lure to visit Idaho.
• Small item overall, but I am many others would really like lights installed at Settlers tennis courts.
Meridian has no lit courts and Boise and Eagle do. Thanks!
• I think we have to control the growth. I think adding too much high density living is a mistake and
will overwhelm the infrastructure. I’ve heard it said that Idaho is where Utah was 30 years ago. Now
look at Utah. 7 lane highways, pollution, gangs, crime, and crazy population. Let’s plan to preserve
the “small town” feel by limiting growth. Let’s put in the infrastructure we need. I like how Meridian
has kept an eye on schools and libraries and parks. I like all the community events. I don’t like Eagle
Road, McMillan, and Chinden at “rush hour” times. I like that we want to plan ahead. I like all the green
spaces.
• Please build something like the YMCA that Boise has, with a pool, or somehow negotiate a way that we
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 15
can get access at the same price they have.
• Responsible growth: improving and expanding recycling program, building more schools, and planning
roads accordingly to adapt to population growth
• Find more ways to preserve agriculture and open space that is rapidly diminishing from Meridian.
• The City of Meridian has no center. No economic focus. The Village and Tenmile replace the potential
for a center of economic fluency. Promoting and offering incentive programs for businesses and
entertainment for Meridian is vital for the city to grow. As it stands, the outlying areas compete
in economic separation from the city center. Downtown Meridian is stale and will continue to be
depressed unless promotions and incentives are offered.
• “Charge developers school impact fees or, better idea, Require developers to build a new school or pay
for the upgrades to existing schools to accommodate the increased population of students.
Focus on building a strong core around downtown to prevent blight and decay as newer flashier
developments extend beyond existing boundaries. If city services can’t be bolstered to equally and
properly serve existing populations then there should be a moratorium on new building and especially
against further annexations and expansions until the current level of service can be maintained across
the city”
• These all seem to be worth while objectives. Prioritizing these and figuring out how to fund them will
be the trick. I believe that downtown is an incredible asset that has been under utilized because of
the strip development along the major arterial (Eagle Rd. in particular) I believe that downtown could
serve as a great compliment to the other activity centers such as the village.
• “Increase Police and Fire Department size and increase wages for our first responders. Gladly would
support a tax increase, bond, or gas tax increase to fund this.
Also look at a transit that would involved using the old Union Pacific Railroad tracks from Nampa to
Broadway with rush hour trains to provide another mode to travel to and from key areas. Again, would
support tax increase, bond or gas tax to fund.”
• Growth seems inevitable - but right now there’s massive housing projects but insufficient attention
to traffic issues. It’s already a mess on Eagle Road north, now south Eagle is a mess, Overland,
Cloverdale. Too many subdivisions/apartment complexes without improving the road system. It’s
beginning to be a nightmare traveling anywhere.
• “What the hell is with these multiple choices? Are you saying you have to have one, but not all, or
some or none? These don’t even make sense.
Fix the freaking looming traffic issue, pump the breaks on residential housing growth, and look past
what’s immediately in front of you. This is absolutely absurd what is happening.
1 FREAKING YEAR TO FIX THE CLOVERDALE OVERPASS? Is this the 1800’s? It’s embarrassing,
shameful, and borders on fishy for that thing to take that long to fix.”
LOGAN SIMPSON16
• “The supreme law of the land says ”to promote the general Welfare... to ourselves and our Posterity.”
It is not enough that residents ”have access to a living-wage job.” All residents ought to be informed of
jobs that require the most rigorous training and ought to be encouraged and given the opportunity (as
admission to the appropriate educational system) to pursue said jobs if they be of interest to them.
“
• Make sure we can get out of neighborhoods and into the often heavy traffic flows safely. Arrowood
Road pedestrian light modified into a traffic signal would allow a safe way for people that want to
travel south or east without charging into gaps in the ever increasing traffic on Meridian Rd. It is a real
issue at times for those wanting to travel south on Meridian from the block of homes on the west or
south portion of homes bordered by Meridian and Ustick. Attention to more than moving traffic swiftly
is needed.
• We need safe neighborhoods with Neighborhood Contact Officers.
• All of these are too vague and prone to interpretation. They can mean anything at all. The pieces of
the Master Plan I have seen is fraught with high density housing projects or proposals that ignore or
trivialize the existing homeowner base in this city. It is pure folly because those homeowners carry
the burden of meeting the city’s financial needs. The more we look like Garden City and cater to rental
apartments, filling every space available, the less inclined I am to stay here.
• Quality of life suffers from irresponsible high density developments that produce more traffic, more
pollution, more noise and more stress.
• We need more affordable youth activity options. Everything is becoming so privatized and elite.
For example, we have ONE public swimming pool, and one swim team. Not every child/person is
destined to be a star athlete. But, every child should have an opportunity to learn through play and
sportsmanship. We are pricing out our vulnerable middle and low income families. By the time the
poor kids get to middle and high school, where families have to pay $90 per sport (quite a commitment
for many), kids who may have benefited greatly from at least sampling athletics haven’t even had a
chance to try it out, and they likely won’t want to financially or socially risk the pay-to-play sports at
school. Why can’t we have city-sponsored youth intramural type sports leagues??? Reasonable prices
(in the $50 range, as opposed to $100 and beyond)? Those of us who chose Meridian prior to the
exponential growth trends are feeling pushed out and priced out.
• Attempt to keep the best land in farmers’ hands by careful zoning, rather than “growing houses”...
• “Education is missing from these and would be the top of my list.
I want safe schools that are not overcrowded. I don’t want my child to be a number. Stop building all
these houses and apartments. Our schools are already too crowded and you just keep approving all
this dense housing. Please stop!”
• I refuse to be herded into this dogma
• Keep living costs down. For those of us who aren’t transplants with old money it’s hard to keep up with
big city costs.
• We need to keep suburban sprawl in check and make sure we don’t continue overcrowding our
schools.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 17
• Again, it goes back to affordability and ensuring developers play a key role in funding schools and
roads for the growth they’re supporting.
• For me, premier sounds expensive and is completely subjective. Premier loses sight of ensuring
affordability for the community. If you’re going to push “premier” for the City, you also need to be
pushing premier wages to be an inclusive community.
• I feel like Meridian lost a lot of its visible history and culture. Bringing some of the back would be
great. Also, the city needs to get denser, remove all the huge areas of parking, stop catering to the
automobile - the pattern is too much about sprawl and single-use areas. The best thing Meridian could
do for its future is develop true neighborhoods where kids can walk or bike to school and the scale of
everything feels more local.
• The use of the railway corridor for alternative transportation. Use the corridor as a means of future
(sooner the better) light rail and a greenbelt to connect areas of impact. Work with ACHD to remove
bike lanes and place them throughout planned communities and away from roadways. Form
interactions throughout side roads and pathways to create safer walking and bicycling paths rather
than mixing them with motor vehicles.
• The last bullet about focusing growth is enormously important. We cannot continue to fill in 640 acre
sections of lands with quarter acre subdivided lots without transportation infrastructure in place,
especially North-South routes. A two lane road, with a 4 way stop at each mile doesn’t work. Learn the
lesson of the transportation nightmare that has perpetuated itself in North Meridian from Eagle road
west to Ten Mile and don’t repeat it in South Meridian. Focus growth in areas where the transportation
network can handle it, like Ten Mile. Don’t allow growth in areas without infrastructure unless the
developers agree to partner and pay for the upgrade. And work bicycle corridors into growth!!! Bike
lanes are not sufficient, they’re dangerous and people don’t understand how cyclists integrate with
traffic. Try riding down Overland road during morning or evening rush hour if you don’t believe me.
Bicycling commuting is hazardous business in Meridian. Integrate dedicated, physically separated
paths along major roadways for pedestrians and cyclists, and use these in the place of sidewalks.
Meridian road has a wide-enough corridor to do this currently!
• One shoe can not fit all. I think the vision for Meridian should be more of written plan to identify all the
elements needed to work towards the community we all desire.
• STOP changing zoning to appease developers. Respect the homeowners and make developers pay
HIGHER impact fees. High density is ridiculous to even consider when the schools are overcrowded &
the roads are awful and about 8 years behind supporting the current development
• No big box stores!
• I want farmland and open fields to be preserved!!!!! They’re gorgeous and I love driving by them! It
would be terribly sad if all I drove past was buildings and apartments.
• With all the growth we worry about infrastructure requirements.
• Developers and business should help fund roads.
• Infrastructure has become one of the most critical needs in our community here. Traffic is quickly
becoming out of control.
LOGAN SIMPSON18
• Please refer to my earlier statement about protecting the natural environment and moving to
sustainable energy.
• In Evolving Community, I believe all 4 are very important.
• “In addition to environmental sustainability (see my previous comments), education really needs to
be a focus. Without a strong, locally based educational system from preschool to college, we can
provide all the incentives we want but businesses will still look elsewhere. Education is the bedrock of
economic and social prosperity. I think the location of the first medical college in Meridian is a great
first step - more of this is needed.
Ensuring affordable housing and creating a strong social safety net is also essential to make sure none
of our citizens get left behind. A community that would rather “”export”” its poverty to another city
rather than deal with it itself is not a community I want to be a part of. “
• “Improve safety in established neighborhoods that have long roads being used a thoroughfares into
inner developments.
Ensure usability and pet friendliness of the current greenbelts by not allowing weeds to grow. (Difficult
to walk dogs on the greenbelt after cheat grass is mowed.)
*Meridian West is not included in the neighborhood dropdown on the following page. While developing
our city, please don’t forget about us.
• “Protect and enhance distinct neighborhood identities (the N and S rims, Downtown!) through active
resident involvement, generous green space, and superlative architectural, building and landscape
codes.
• Limit the rate of growth to allow other considerations (like traffic and emergency services) to catch
up. Widen roads before 20 new subdivisions are built in an area. Limit road construction north/south
and east/west to no more than one main artery at a time. Allow seniors, like myself, to freeze their
property taxes so they can stay in their homes and don’t have to find a cheaper place to live because
their property values (along with other costs) have risen exponentially due to demand, while their
incomes have remained the same. You will create not only an older impoverished generation, but also
a younger generation just starting out who can’t afford decent housing either.
• Developers NEED to pay for schools to be built in the HUGE subdivisions they are building. We are
VERY VERY overcrowded in our schools and the city continues to approve new building without a plan
for schools or roads to handle all the people!
• No more apartments please. Slow everything down. This used to be a nice small dairy community
and now it’s a disaster. The overcrowding in the schools is ridiculous and I know that’s not the city’s
problem but you could help out.
• Stop the rampant growth that currently doesn’t have the supporting infrastructure (roads, schools,
police, etc).
• I see your mission statements, but so far I have not seen much action taken regarding roads. All talk,
but not much else.
• We welcome growth, just need to plan for the bigger picture of the future. Not the near future with the
street widening, common areas and communities. Also, there needs to be a pace at which the growth
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 19
can happen to keep the small town feel/charm of Meridian and surrounding areas.
• Stop building apartments and go back to single family housing
• “Many of these vision statements are very important to a great city, but need not be the focus of
city government. The public sector can provide and add to our city, but the city needs to be able to
accommodate them and the people that live in it. The basic infrastructure and roadways must be
planned first. My understanding is the new Costco will include the help of widening roads, all new
businesses and developments should share in this.
There is a 500 unit development being built at the corner of McMillan and Meridian, those are small
single lane roads. While the community desperately needs they many units it will provide - Who
allowed such a massive project, that does not appear to have any space on the McMillan frontage to
allow for easy road widening. The developer should have been responsible for the widening BEFORE
he was allowed to build. Other businesses will struggle to fit into this are due to poor pre-planning.”
• We are headed for trouble. No new employers, most new residents retired. We need to attract
employers and need to think about where a N-S freeway will go through Meridian. Don’t let any
politician talk about Rail mass transit. It is killing every city in the US trying it. Wait, the future will
bring better options right around the corner than any multi-billion $ option out there now.
• Too much, too fast, too chaotic. Too bad, it could have been better than Boise.
• Statements are general in nature, and multiple choice leaves out essential options that should be
included in a vision statement.
• Manage growth to effectively handle influx of students and traffic flow. Both the schools and roads are
too crowded. Having to approve bonds for a solution to schools bursting at the seems is reactive and
not fair to our students.
• Stop the rapid growth
• All responses are very broad and could be interpreted in any way that the city sees fit. Would
like to see some specifics behind these broad “visions” that address things like step-ups, school
overcrowding, overloaded infrastructure (streets, internet, irrigation, etc), and other real world
conditions we’re dealing with.
• Let our city digest all the growth that has happened in the last 30 months.
• Do not approve growth unless the necessary infrastructure (roads, schools, etc)accommodate the
growth. Implement impact fees to developers have a stake and responsibility to provide this along with
their housing development. Use Scottsdale, Az as an example.
• STOP TIMBER CREEK RECYCLING EXPANSION
• I would like to see businesses like Pawn Shops in more incorporated areas and further away from
homes and neighborhoods.
• Stop allowing developers to run out the ability to build and sustain the growth needs in our community
if they come in they need to be willing to finance their portions of growth in helping with roads and
land management to assist in help for the schools to be built
LOGAN SIMPSON20
• There is a thriving equestrian community in the Meridian area. The acreage properties contribute
significant tax dollars and also can serve to preserve the rural character of the area if development
is planned thoughtfully around these neighborhoods. Also, if Meridian includes equestrian facilities
in public spaces, we can maintain the opportunity for people - young and old - to be introduced to
horses and have convenient access to them moving forward. SW Idaho is a special place in that we
are surrounded by outdoorsy activities, and horses are a FANTASTIC way to direct kids into positive
directions. Please build so that we can maintain our way of life. Thank you!
• As a secondary to evolving community we need to attract more quality employment to meridian. Its
nice to see choices for restaurants and retail shopping but we need higher paying jobs so that our
youth have opportunities to afford to stay in Meridian. The commute to outside Meridian has doubled
in the last 5 years.
• Too many apartments and high density housing without a supporting infrastructure. Have developers
pay for the infrastructures.
• “Leave grass and nature areas without buildings.
Have team-building community activities for all ages.
More interactive museums.
Also, Idaho, mainly Meridian or Boise, needs to have more tours! Artists, Broadway, Off-Broadway, etc.
need to come to Idaho more.”
• It appears that growth for growth’s sake is what’s driving things like building huge multi-level
apartment complexes near schools, with no consideration given to the fact that the surrounding
streets simply cannot handle the resulting congestion. Traffic is a nightmare in the entire city, due to
this kind of irresponsible “planning.” Meridian is losing its small-town feel, which is why we moved here
in the first place.
• What’s missing is better commercial planning.... Just because you set aside land for commercial use
doesn’t mean you have control over what goes on this land.. We have way to many fast food places
and gas stations (like Stinkers) surrounding our subdivision, instead of offices retail shopping ..and
now another car wash going in across from the current one we have at Fred Meyers, I know the fact
that we have the high school and middle school on either side of us as well as hundreds of apartments
going in attracts those places, the roads will soon be jammed packed with cars on McMillan and
Chinden and Linder and N. McMillan. I fear this family friendly living will be just another urban sprawl
of danger for our kids with all this density of commercial activity. We need better bike trails to connect
us and protect us and would love to eventually connect to the Boise river trail system up here. I don’t
mind driving a mile or more to get gasoline so please give us a break on the excessive “stations”.
If Winco ever goes into that large parcel at our North end..Please don’t include yet ANOTHER gas
station..It’s too much! How about a theatre, an art, music or dance academy? How about some real
nice restaurants like at the village or even some actual clothing stores for a change? Eagle Rd is
getting so crowded it’s hard to go to the village as much as I’d like.
• North/South and East/West corridor for dedicated pedestrian and bike travel.
• We need a dedicated north/south and east/west corridor for pedestrian and bikes. We need the same
for moped and electric scooters (35 mph) including legislative support and education.
• Keep Ten mile out of the vision for vibrant activity centers, we don’t want it looking like Eagle Rd.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 21
• Keep meridian SMALL! Less apartments and sub developments.
• Manage the growth and only allow new developments to be placed on roads that have already been
upgraded to five lanes. At some point a realistic discussion needs to take place that the Treasure
Valley will need another freeway, mostly likely going through or starting in Meridian. The sooner that
discussion begins the better. The traffic and growth cannot support is existing street grid system.
• Please stop building
• Traffic congestion is such a problem now. Our roads cannot keep up with the residential development.
• Make brainstorming exercise what growth negative consequences to avoid and work to avoid/
minimize.
• The biggest factor is making growth and development pay for itself. Developers are getting extremely
rich while our roads and infrastructure cannot keep up. ACHD does not listen to local residents at their
open houses and hearings. They do their studies and show up to those meetings with their decisions
already made. They could care less about impacts on current neighborhoods. Developers are not
being held accountable for the subsequent impacts from the multitude of houses they are building and
the masses of people moving here.
• Costco and winco!
• “Proactively responds to the changing needs of our diverse community under the basic tenets of
providing opportunities for community health and recreation; training and educational initiatives in
coordination with our schools and business community in order to prepare for an evolving future;
quality of life through a well planned community including green space, diverse housing needs, and
both individual and mass transportation needs, present and future; a vital business community to offer
services, growth, employment, and other amenities to out residents and community.
• Develop some neighborhoods that have large lots.
• What neighborhood do you live in? I live in Meridian West, but the drop down does not include that
option.
• Not so many apartments! And houses are way to close together.
• Keep the hometown feeling and not a sprawled mess where no one can connect with one another.
Need services for the elderly and home bound that can’t afford to pay for them but are in need of help
• Bike lanes aren’t well connected now in many areas of the city.
• LESS APARTMENTS! There are already WAY too many. Remove some of them. If older than 20 years
old, tear them down and build subdivisions. Make larger lots. Promote business.
• The biggest concern, by far, is unmanaged growth. This is specially true south of the freeway.
There needs to be checks and balances to ensure that the quality of living is preserved, and not
compromised for the sake of growth and expansion. And that projects pay for themselves, needed
roads, and the additional schools that those projects will require.
• There needs to be safeguards into our planning strategy to reign in uncontrolled growth. Specially
those that place greater tax stress on the existing residents of these communities.
LOGAN SIMPSON22
• Pretty thorough. Beware of state exemption laws in the midst of local policy initiatives.
• I want the quiet,hometown historic charm (that we had) that is safe for my kids to play, learn and grow.
• It feels like these scenarios mostly put diversity and multi culturalism ahead of long time residents
who should have a bigger voice. Our taxes go up as growth continues but government bows to the
growth population and chase big city policies that are a disaster. More than ever we are very informed
on who we vote for. Stick to hometown values and respect the long term residents. Thank you
• Slow down growth.
• Stop the sprawl! Enough houses and apartments! Bring in more offices, businesses, and shopping.
• Instead of reacting to growth, get ahead of it. Built the schools, roads, and infrastructure ahead of the
subdivisions, not afterwards when it’s three times more expensive.
• There is a lot about diversity and cultural visibility/promotion. This changes my entire view of Meridian.
I came from California, where diversity and cultural visibility/promotion was forced upon us, causing
people to come in and completely change our cities, schools, overall lifestyle, etc.. That is why I left.
That is why soooo many people leave. If anything, I want Meridian to stay as it is and not have other
peoples cultures forced onto me or into my new city.
• Do not allow the character of the community to change with development.
• Our farming community and protection of that industry has not been included as a partner in your
plans. We are losing a valuable and sustainable resource. That feeds our economy and people.
• Smart development by communicating with other Cities and Agencies regarding proposed growth and
development. This can be achieved by communicating issues and suspend development pending the
resolution of issues.
• A long term plan would be good. It doesn’t appear that Meridian has one or if they do they don’t follow
it. Seems like development is approved randomly.
• Have interconnecting walking paths rather than the “choppy” path system Meridian currently has.
HAVE A PLAN!!
• Meridian is now exploding with people and terrible traffic backups. Schools can hardly handle the ever
growing influx of students!!!
• “1. I do want transportation to support the growth, so we need to curtail growth until we have the
transportation infrastructure in place to support the growth. Quit putting so many lights on the main
roads so traffic can move more freely.
2. A Performance auditorium should be a high priority because it would bring money to the community
and since we are in the middle of the valley, we need another performing venue.
3. Please curtail the large and tall apartments buildings. So unappealing and it is ruining some of the
nicer single family neighborhoods. Keep them lower if you have to build them.
4. Do want to keep the small town feel and the historic elements preserved.
5. Love the Village. Such a wonderful addition to the community. Need more parks and gathering
places like this.
6. Support bringing higher paying jobs to Meridian.”
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 23
• Public transportation is lacking in Treasure valley. This needs to be changed immediately to keep up
with our growing population.
• I would like to see a community that responds to the fast growth without damaging the education
needs for our children with over-crowding.
• Transportation is a problem. There is no consistent mass transit. Seems like every road end up in a
bottle neck or that road doesn’t go from point A to point B with out going a mile or so to get where you
are going.
• More schools HMS and RMHS have too many kids
• Open spaces. Let’s set aside places to walk or just get a break from traffic.
• I think it would be nice to add some wording supporting the vibrant senior activities and services.
• I think more thought needs to go into the rapid growth in the community. We do not have the
infrastructure to support all of the building and growth, i.e., police, fire, emergency responders,
hospitals, doctors, nurses, schools, etc., etc., etc. I feel we need to restrict new building until the
infrastructure can support additional people moving into this area.
• A responsible community where citizens are given a voice and elected officials are transparent &
accountable. Putting people before profit.
• A compassionate community: A community that thinks of everyone, including low income, elderly and
those less fortunate.
• Take the word clean out of premier.
• well planned and controlled growth.
• I am not aware of any public transportation in Meridian
• Slower growth! I think Meridian is wildly out of control right now with too many subdivisions and
apartments being built, and beautiful farmland and wildlife habitat being eaten up by growth.
• “Downtown needs to not only draw people in from outside but work to the base of who already lives
downtown. Trying to be something it’s not doesn’t work.
Firestone (?) tire shop by tracks: who owns this? Can it be used in conjunction with farmers market
and have an open flea market/artisan booths there?
What about the other places around the tracks? Can the city/groups make use of those on a limited
basis to try some things out, see what works? There are a multitude of things that could be done
downtown for relatively little expense.
Would like to see more than just bars, restaurants. Think Pioneer Square in Seattle, lots and lots of
eclectic shops.”
• Affordable, health and housing cost.
• A community focused on safety, security, transportation, education, and quality of life of existing
residents and careful, limited growth.
• Walkable community with places that foster interaction.
LOGAN SIMPSON24
• A sense of place that distinguishes Meridian from any other random American suburb. A standard of
architecture and design that preserves an identity that would otherwise be lost to homogenization.
• Something to do with updating infrastructure to deal with the thousands of new people moving here so
the streets/highways don’t turn into Los Angeles
• We need to take care of the traffic issue. Roads are not handling the current traffic and new houses
and apartments are continuing to be built. Developers need to be charged more to build in Meridian to
help pay for widening roads and new schools.
• These statements make it seem like you can’t have a connected community and a livable community.
These statements don’t seem like discrete vision themes, I think citizens want all these things. They
want a vibrant, livable, connected community. Why do we have to choose between the three?
• CREDIBILITY AND INTEGRITY ARE MISSING. You have already ripped credibility and integrity to shreds
when you changed the EXISTING zoning to accommodate a developer’s sale to COSTCO. And you are
in the process of attempting to rip credibility and integrity to shreds again if you allow the zoning to
be changed to accommodate a gas station and convenience store at the present location of Wagner
Farms. NONE OF THE FIVE VISIONS APPLY when such flagrant disregard for previous zoning exists.
• EDUCATION ...
• I believe new and evolving developments should respectful and designed in such a way to be
thoughtful in retaining an adjacent and nearby neighborhoods’ semblance of peace and character, for
our homes and communities are our everyday havens. I believe better flow of all main roads should
be planned and incorporated very soon so Meridian can achieve smart and balanced growth without
stepping on the toes of those citizens that have already invested emotionally and financially in their
beloved city.
• Traffic flow improvements (Ten Mile Road) from Ustick to Chinden. A city owned and supported
internet service to provide affordable and secure access to the WWW.
• Stop building more housing without the additional resources needed to maintain current residents.
• Public safety has to keep up.
• Strong education and more schools to keep up with the insane growth. West Ada is not keeping up
• Infrastructure at same tim as,, or prior to, development...
• I think there should be one that’s more specific about keeping Meridian the sweet, small town it has
been. That’s something that’s part of Meridian’s character, and adding more houses and making
schools over crowded is not what Meridian should be. We’re suburbs, not big city!
• The scopes are to narrow. But the biggest need now is improved transportation. We are gonna be a
premier congested community with the growth going on from kuna to eagle west of meridian road
• Stop the growth. Our Valley is already ruined. It’s only going to get worse with all your stupid
ideas about how it should be. It was great the way it was. Crime is ridiculous now. Put a freeze on
development and people will stop coming. If they don’t have a place to live or work they’ll leave.....
hopefully.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 25
• The city is growing rapidly and we are beginning to lose what made Meridian a wonderful place to live.
• good as is
• N/A
• I think that pieces of these should all happen in one.
• “Downtown/nightlife
Possible college element?”
• I think something that is important is preserving the town and it’s values
• Artistic
• Cultural opportunities
• A community of urban areas. A community of modern and updated places and potential.
• A premier community with safe transport. Meridian does not have a lot of public transport which can
be a struggle for people who don’t own a vehicle.
• Vibrant community may be the weakest aspect. It is still instilled but I think we could increase historic
knowledge.
• Idk
• New business growth
• I am struggling to participate in this survey because the previous comprehensive plan would not have
allowed Costco to be approved on Ten Mile and Chinden, but the big box company came in, asked that
the city grant them a variance and those of us most effected were ignored. Why ask for input if you
don’t intend to abide by the agreed-upon plan?
• I’m into this survey 1 question and this is to be all honest, it is somewhat a joke. We’ll see if it gets
better. With that said, most people want all of the items listed and live here so that we can enjoy
them. I want a thriving clean, safe, secure etc. Community which is also family friendly, healthy and
engaging which also has safe and efficient transportation facilities. One without the other isn’t a great
community! This isn’t California and the majority of people living here expect most all of the above
and should expect nothing less!
• I don’t know where it fits in... We see this community becoming a big-box, fast food, storage unit
city. Just like every other fast growing city in America. We moved to Meridian because we found the
farmland, animals and open spaces charming. Once these are gone it is too late. Look at Fort Collins,
Colorado downtown for a vision of what a unique, historical, walkable downtown can be. You won’t find
any warehouse stores in downtown or in neighborhoods.
• While the “Premier Community” targets most of my interests and concerns regarding community
vision, I think expansion on the “Evolving Community” is essential. I believe including thoughtful
development of a healthier and solid infrastructure that can better support the population growth in
Meridian is critical to current and future development.
• There is no consistent aesthetic presentation of the Meridian “community” commercial entity. Rather,
LOGAN SIMPSON26
Meridian should choose one commercial stores, services, locations architectural and visual theme
(much like Scottsdale, AZ) and stick with it. Also, provide incentives and credits to existing commercial
structures (strip malls, stand alone stores, etc....) and give Meridian a consistent look - and no more
car dealerships and require that vehicles can only be shown within indoor showrooms.
• Responsible.
• I think ensuring that the growth isn’t focused on big box stores, franchises etc and there is enough
support for unique businesses. Meridian to me screams franchise and it is pretty sad and not diverse
at all. How many Blaze Pizzas, car washes and ice cream shops do we really need on a one block
radius?!
• A well managed city- a city thoughtfully planned for the challenges of growth with policies designed to
protect the taxpayer and citizens
• City council needs to be proactive opposed to reactive.
• Better traffic flow, traffic solutions before building large developments where the roads can’t handle
the extra traffic.
• All five are core elements of a quality community. This city will continue to grow and evolve in the
coming years and continued forward thinking is essential.
• Affordable could be added to Premier Community
• I don’t see anything related to sustainability or education.
• Growth limits, improved transportation
• Growing infrastructure, like roads and schools.
• Activities for kids to do in various parts of town. The North end has nothing. The South has YMCA and
the giant water park.
• More accessible parks, thoughtful development that isn’t slammed with houses, apartments, and
businesses so close that the living environment is sterile and concrete.
• I believe that our community is safe, clean, and growing with diversity which is a great thing. I think
the hardest thing to keep up with is the infrastructure on road expansion to keep up with the amount of
growth that is going to continue to happen in our town. I think that not only looking at the roads that
are now heavily populated and backed up but also looking at roads that are going to be in that same
category within the next 5 years needs to also be a focus. We need to change the mentality of reactive
solutions to proactive solutions on widening roads, etc. so the we can stay ahead of the curve. If this
can be done early enough it will safe time and money vs. waiting until everything is built up and then
having to tear up and build again. Great example is in Boise on 5 Mile Rd. and Victory, they should
have expanded the road to 4 lanes about 10 years ago all the way through Lake Hazel, and now that
road gets completely backed up and doesn’t flow properly. Look at where new subdivision are going to
be and are being constructed and plan for the growth not wait for it.
• Better roads and ways to keep traffic down. We are so far behind on moving traffic it’s ridiculous. Quit
building businesses and start building roads that make sense
• Premier public parks and spaces
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 27
• More options for family entry and shopping
• Public transportation “Connected Community”. Provide Access to surrounding connected Treasure
Valley cities/towns.
• I believe that for each theme stated that the “connected community” theme should be part of each and
every theme if we want to positively and effectively improve for a diverse community-- knowing that
part of that improvement is growth.
• “Growth is happening at an extremely rapid pace. The following 2 key items are missing:
1) City infrastructure rate of growth and development is severely behind the rate of growth - namely
roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, schools.
2) A comprehensive plan that is adhered to is missing. City zoning is not to be trusted. It changes on
a whim depending on which developer throws in the most funding. Decisions on zoning seem to be
made piecemeal rather than from an overall efficiency and city planning viewpoint. “
• A low-stress community: Where traffic flows nicely, schools aren’t overcrowded, with room to breathe
and play. I’m worried we’re growing too quickly to keep up with our infrastructure, which will lead to
over-crowding on roads, parks, schools, and public systems. I’m worried that increasing populations
lead to increased crime.
• Drop the word diverse. It has little meaning or a bad connotation. We want people to be Meridians,
not diverse Californians, or diverse as in deviant. We have young and old, students and workers and
professionals, all living and pursuing their dreams in a friendly community.
• Nothing missing.
• Inclusivity
• A community that does not emulate Seattle, Portland, or California’s Bay Area; a community that
manages growth sensibly and does not give in to the temptation and false benefit of light rail.
• Combine your “premier” and connected ideas, they don’t need to be exclusive. Don’t build so many “big
box” stores and if you do don’t offer incentives like tax rebates or fee waivers or deferments; let their
growth pay its full share of their impacts.
• I think the thriving in the Premier Community description needs to involve connection via an efficient
transportation facilities. How can a community thrive if it is not efficiently connected?
• A theme with more emphasis on parks and recreation.
• Urban planning, a thoughtful methodology for building commercial and residential building.
• High real estate. Need more family friendly prices. We are becoming an Eagle only rich people can
purchase homes here. We want young families rent and housing prices outrageous. Rent is $1000+
and housing very little under $200k
• A community that will attract business and industry, so our children and grandchildren can be assured
of a prosperous future.
• A focus on quality of life versus tax revenue. I really hope that this new vision is truly going to be
LOGAN SIMPSON28
considered when planning for the future of our city. A vision is supposed to be exactly that, a vision,
not simply something our City officials write and ignore in action. On numerous occasions in the
recent past, the City has ignored long established residents (many of which are generational Meridian
residents) in favor of greedy developers and lure of more potential tax revenue.
• I believe that the connected community statement is somewhat misleading. Transportation
infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the rapid growth of the area, facilities seem to be few and
far between, and the efficiency seems to get worse and worse as population increases. Thriving, safe,
family friendly, vibrant activity centers, all seem to me to be great descriptions of the strenghts of this
great community.
• I have lived in Meridian since 1972, when I was a teenager. My hope for Meridian is to maintain that
small town feel ie Dairy Days and Lions rodeo and yet adapt to the changes and evolution that come
with growth. I see an urban sprawl that will make us just another bedroom community. We more
business growth to support all the apartments that springing up every where!!
• “Infrastructure appears to be a missing component. Specifically The private building is outpacing the
public infrastructure, particularly with road conditions/ restrictions. Their are times of the day when
one can sut through 8-10 red light cycles when attempting to exit the interstate onto Eagle Blvd. Safety
is degrading in this regard as emergency services cannot navigate through the road congestion. A
short term plan is needed.
Additional, public transportation is severely lacking for Meridian and the greater valley, especially for a
community of this size. “
• This is the most laughable, grid locked, road construction speed city imaginable. There is a major
transportation/traffic problem looming and it doesn’t appear to be taken seriously.
• Where growth is metered and controlled. None of this fill every square inch of of ground with high
density housing.
• Family values which promotes the traditional family unit
• Need to promote the accurate teaching of the Bible (KJV). No other theme can unite and/or preserve
a community as Biblical teachings. However accurate teaching is very difficult as evidenced by the
multitude of versions of the Bible and church denominations.
• Proactive roadway plans: A community that plans for traffic signals to provide safe neighborhood
access to Meridian Road
• As in ALL vision statements, they lack or mask specificity. The statements above are like many in that
they are soft and malleable. They can mean anything. How these non-threatening statements map
to actual actions or policies is what matters. I have already seen the city’s fixation with high density
housing development and it doesn’t impress.
• Every should include more open space and less high density developments. Comprehensive plans can
include minimum lot size (10,000 sq ft) and increased setbacks. We need to change direction and save
our city!
• Transportation issues
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 29
• A premier community should also have a safe and efficient public transportation system.
• Maybe we could include “connected” in the first thing? -- I like the idea of improving transportation /
connectivity with the community, but not as a unique vision (fifth option).
• EDUCATION
• Education
• Affordability
• “Hon. MAYOR & City Council members. You do not represent me with your one word theme roundUp.
Your one word themes fail to address the CORE issue in my view.
THAT CORE ISSUE REMAINS:
The FAILURE of the Mayor’s & City Council’s unsustainable “growth” agenda.
I refuse to participate in your sheep herding theme dogma.
There will be more from this Meridian Star.
You are not representing us.
You make us buy in to your Madison Avenue real estate advertisement group think.
bah bah bah
Joel W. Howard
you know where I stand on
UNSUSTAINABLE
EXPONENTIAL annual growth
In Meridian City & TreasureValley
http://edibleidaho.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/great-treasure-valley-tradeoff”
• Attainable cost of living for native Idahoans.
• I’d like to see and addition that speaks to the friendliness and/or welcoming nature of my Meridian.
• Affordability!
• Livable and evolving go hand-in-hand, I would say both is vital! Affordable living is also extremely
important.
• “Thoughtfully adapting to change” is also a good one. What is Meridian’s unique character? It’s recent
history is a place that quickly went from farms to subdivisions and box retail tracts. Meridian should
be identifying locations where we can reinvest in a unique character/places/districts that are at least
somewhat unique to Meridian. A thriving downtown would be good, but other areas are needed, too.
• There is no downtown center for Meridian. Everything is (for now) is on the Eagle road corridor. Soon
it will also be on the Tenmile corridor. Where is incentives for downtown development?
LOGAN SIMPSON30
• I believe education and safety are both areas worth mentioning.
• Require home builders to pay for and set aside space for additional parks, fire stations, police stations,
libraries and other community services. Right now they are building homes right and left, but none
of the services are being built, but left to the existing home owners to pick up the tab while the home
builders rake in the money. Also hate to see the farmland go to yet more houses. Need parks and
other green spaces left untouched for wildlife and people.
• Change encompasses all of the other themes and Meridian will continue to grow in both area and
population. Unless leaders have plan to meet the challenges to infrastructure, transportation
networks, education, emergency response, and environmental degradation, it’s not possible to be a
Premier, Livable, Vibrant, or Connected community.
• As we grow, we need to manage the issues that come with growth specifically the big city problems
that come with growth such as aggressive driving, road rage, increased crime, gangs, bullying and
harassment in our school system. My grandson was a victim of bullying and harassment last year at
Meridian Middle and the school failed to deal with it. To be specific- they failed to stop it!
• I don’t think anything is missing. Under the Premier Community theme, I think that encompasses ALL
things I’m most concerned about - transportation, adapting to growth, building a community where
people want to live.
• A community that stays safe. Infrastructure security cameras to bust people on crime because it is
showing up on NextDoor. Trash being dumped, speeding in subdivisions, etc.
• Planned community
• Meridian, a City with thoughtful leaders as to appropriate controlled growth, with planned
infrastructure maintenance ahead of deterioration.
• I wish you could somehow combine the Premier Community vision and the Livable Community. A
thriving, family-friendly community that is a clean, safe, and healthy place in which to live, work, and
raise a family. I’m not opposed to the other words (i.e., diverse, secure community, etc.) but I’m not
sure they are needed. For instance, the word “safe” can be the same as “secure community.” Also, the
word “diverse” can mean many things like diverse in ethnicity, diverse in ideology, diverse in type of
work. I would just stay away from it.” I also think it is essential to use the words family-friendly. That
is one of the main things my family experienced when we came on vacation July 2013. We literally
went home and sold our house (Southern CA). Many other people I talk to agree Idaho is family-
friendly. It’s a big draw.
• The premier community and livable community sound similar. Providing context would be helpful.
• A sustainable community, maintaining the legacy of historic roots, outdoor and environmental, wildlife
pleasures, country landscapes compatible with suburban and city growth.
• Not to over grow too quickly but to have programs that direct our young citizens toward good social
attitudes.
• Planned communities. Less commercial property mixed with housing. Roads to support all of the new
housing and businesses coming in
• A plan to handle the traffic in the Meridian area which is getting out of control!
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 31
• Innovation
• I think Meridian should include some details in the vision about thoughtfully adapting to change that
would include moving to sustainable energy and taking other actions to help improve the natural
environment and address challenges related to human caused climate change.
• All visions should be adapting to change
• Sustainability - protecting our land, air, and water resources for generations to come. This especially
includes reducing our contribution to climate change and adapting to climate change impacts that we
cannot avoid.
• better transportation
• I would love to see a vision theme that combine the Livable, Vibrant, and Connect themes. The first
two feel like they are more focused on transplants, leaving natives in the dust, but the bottom three
combined feels more practical and inclusive.
• A community that sets high standards to ensure Meridian’s enduring value as a desirable place in
which to live, visit, shop and work.
• A welcoming community. Having ambassadors to help new residents settle in.
• Roads and traffic lights needs improvement. Building needs to slow down for infrastructure to be put
into place first.
• Specifically calling out the builders and their oversized influence on how the community develops
• Not approving everything that comes across the City Council’s or P & Z’s tables, including frivolous
property tax increases and multi-family dwelling places. Growth for growth’s sake is never a good
idea. I wish more impact studies were required. We moved from southwest Boise because we couldn’t
get out of our subdivision on any given morning, due to a lack of infrastructure and over development,
and now I see the same thing happening in Meridian. The growth is preceding the roads, services,
and density considerations. Please, no more maximum or medium density subdivisions in our area of
Meridian (west end). No more multi-story hundred-unit apartments (like on McMillan) that block out
the beautiful views of the mountains, one of the reasons we moved to Meridian. That development is
the stupidest idea imaginable. Once our quality of life is gone, we cannot get it back.
• Common sense plans. Residential and retail intertwined with smart and logistical plans
• Slow down growth and let the schools and roads catch up to what’s already happened.
• Infrastructure development BEFORE more housing and apartments!
• The roads are a mess. A developer should not be able to build a new subdivision unless the roads are
widened to accommodate the new traffic that will be impacted by all the new homes. In many areas
throughout our country, the developers have to pay for road widening and extra access for the number
of homes they are building. Eagle Road is already a mess at commute times south of the freeway. If
Boise Hunter and others are allowed to keep building without paying for infrastructure such as road
widening then we are going to be a congested mess. First infrastructure should be done, then home
building.
LOGAN SIMPSON32
• Improve roads and stoplights to better serve growth in area
• Widening the roads Before more subdivisions are built. How about a new study of why We have the
longest red lights in the nation.
• Schools free of ridiculous political agendas. Schools that are more about what’s best for kids and less
about the whims of adults and neurotic unions or political parties. We spend too much time convincing
kids they have gender issues and too little on the “3 R’s”. High school students are more wrapped up
in social media harassment of each other than they are about preparing for exams. We are failing our
kids.
• Our roads are not big enough to handle all the traffic.
• Nature is missing, in carving up the farmers fields for development, we are also depriving wildlife of
their homes. There should be a balance between natural wildlife places and our taste for concrete and
asphalt.
• Green community. Bike lanes, walking paths, more connection of these, recycling opportunities,
keeping farmland and community gardens and markets.
• “A community that adheres to tasteful traditional architecture of our area, both commercial and
residential.”
• We need a direct link to the green belt.
• The growth and spending. Reds to slow down now- our kids are not going to get proper education with
the rapid expansion and lack of schools.
• A community with character. We are so tired of seeing sprawl that includes every fast food joint and
chain store known to man. How about some vibrant and unique businesses and restaurants.
• “Controlled growth. Let development pay for itself. “
• We have a million car washes. We have tons of small chain restaurants. Where do the West Meridian
people go to eat? Why are almost all the real restaurants only off Eagle?
• A community that can proactively have a chance to do what’s best for growth, not relying on another
government entity to decide
• There is WAY too much building without sufficiently expanding the roads. This has created too much
traffic. The result is less time with family, and decreased safety on the roads.
• Keeping residential and industrial/ commercial areas separated for a lower crime rate
• However a livable community that’s not overcrowded and has an efficient commuting road structure
• Limit high density residential housing.
• An Efficient- Community which is a community with well planned infrastructure including: efficient
roads, schools that accommodate the population and forecast growth 5-10 years out, safe and
available sidewalks and bike paths.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 33
• STOPPING TIMBER CREEK RECYCLING EXPANSION
• A community with thoughtful organization. Keeping large box stores out of our neighborhoods.
Keeping our neighborhoods safe for our kids.
• All of the above reference Meridian as a “Community”. This is accurate until the population density
becomes too large. Boise is what I would call a medium sized City, it is not a community, as it is so
large that different parts of the city identify with different things. In fact it is now a grouping of diverse
communities. When Meridian grows to the point that different areas Northeast, Northwest, South,
etc develop individual interests then the City as a whole no longer maintains a singular community
identity. The City is already becoming too large, this survey is treating Meridian as though it was still
small with a singular identity, when in fact it is outgrowing this concept. City leaders need to get their
thought processes in sync with where this City actually is.
• Focus on schools being able to handle the influx for the growth and roads to handle the traffic
demands
• I would slow the growth down make sure there’s a firm plan to assist the transportation needs to be
fixed in the next 1-2 years and then allow the west Ada school district to also catch up with the growth
and be able to get time to build out new elementary, middle, high school.
• I would add: and vibrant activity centers for all ages. So very important that we have centers in which
people can interact to enrich their lives culturally as well as physically.
• I don’t think anything is missing
• Open space and historic character
• Needs infrastructure improvements before rampant growth.
• “Limiting growth/responsible growth. We have lost our identity as a farm community and the open land
is missed. But that being said, growth without enough support to care for the residents is irresponsible.
Road snow and ice clearing, road widening, and road cleaning are not what they should be for such a
large city! The demand outpaces the
Impact fees, while taxes are much lower than in Boise and Eagle. Our roads, schools, etc. are
perennially overloaded because of out of control growth rates.
Even when the new high school opens, it will be overcrowded.
This is the responsibility of the city as much as the school district.”
• Traffic flow planning
• “A community that is brought together, and respects one another. More events that bring people
together, team-building.“
• Culture and diversity
• Unique. A community that strives to not be Boise.
• Improve transportation routes to protect subdivisions. Specifically we need an alternate route to
replace Woodbridge between Locust Grove and Eagle Roads.
• I don’t think they capture the idea that infrastructure development needs to keep up with growth.
LOGAN SIMPSON34
• I think that our schools are a public resource for families and as a gathering place for a variety of
community events are very important part of our community. I wish that they were represented as
either a part of the Evolving Community or Connected Community theme.
• I love Meridian. The parks, the trails, the communities and the friendliness at the businesses. However,
I do not feel safe on the roads here. Traffic is out of control and road rage is high. Too many distracted
drivers and accidents. I have two young boys and I am concerned about their safety even though they
are secured in their car seats. Makes me nervous for approaching winter conditions.
• A community that has affordable housing for all its citizens. From business owners and executives to
the workers in your favorite fast food restaurant and janitors in your kids schools.
• A small, livable community.
• I would like to live in a community that truly values opportunity and equality. Meridian should lead the
way in improving wages for the lowest incomes, fostering healthy communities and preventing the
obscene accumulation of wealth that is so present these days.
• Reality
• Economically diverse community. While small businesses and big box retail serve a need they do not
serve as a good model for future purchases economic growth. High tech is the way to go. The medical
school was a start but we are lacking behind Boise in this highly competitive area.
• Please stop building
• The City Council doesn’t care about the average citizen. There’s a clear buddy system in place that is
ruining our beautiful community.
• Missing: Affordable Cost of Living. Look for ways to keep city cost of services more effective and
sustainable
• Responsible growth, building appropriate roads with turn lanes and signals which makes us safer and
less stressed and happier.
• Costco and winco!
• Growth. Our roads do not accommodate the size of the surrounding communities, neither do the
schools, which all are over populated. We need to slow down the expansion.
• Science centers. I would improve them by telling everyone they are worth it. There’s way too many 2nd
hand places.
• Preserving what makes Meridian what it’s is now and what it once was. Let’s slow down a bit.
• I believe that Meridian needs improve its roads and transportation. Wee have some nice intersections
but then two lane roads you can’t get around in this city. Please make our roads large enough for the
people that have to get around.
• I would combine #1 and #2. The only reason I didn’t pick the first one is that it is too static. People and
needs will change. Evolve or become a dinosaur! It would be good to include change and response in
the vision statement.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 35
• I like the themes. We’ve lived in Meridian for 13 years and it’s the family-friendly atmosphere that
keeps us here.
• Affordable
• A “Livable” Community allows for the existing Old Meridian historic character and merges the New
Meridian changes.
• I think safe should be added to Livable
• For the connected community I would change the language to say safe and efficient transportation
“infrastructure.” For example, cycling doesn’t need a new facility--but it does need better/safer
infrastructure on the roads.
• I think the themes are well put together. The one area I didn’t see addressed was education either
through our school systems or having STEM centers for kids to have more opportunity about learning
outside of the classroom
• A vibrant community would also be one of people outside, walking, riding bikes, using public spaces,
eating at outdoor restaurants, walking to coffee shops. It’s seeing actual people, not cars with people
in them.
• Downtown needs to be revitalized with restaurants and boutiques.
• While a “thriving” community is vital, rapid growth that seemingly lacks infrastructure is a major
concern and needs to be addressed. Developers must be held responsible for paying their fair share
for the impacts their developments create.
• “I would like to see the police and fire dept continuing to increase their presence in and around
communities so that our youth, teens, young adults, adults and the elderly see them as the everyday
heroes that risk their lives for us as well as seeing that they are just like everyone else.
I would like to see the planning and zoning take a better role to ensure that all communities that are
approved are going to be be safe and healthy. I live in a community where the water table is so high
that the houses are full of water if the irrigation is ran on the common ground. The city approved it as
it’s in the city limits but no ones wants to help fix it. I also understand that there are 3 subdivision just
like mine.
I believe that we need a community that is kept with it’s history and not allowed to just become a
sprawled out bunch of houses but a true community. “
• Faith. Encouraging our faith communities and their continued involvement in our great community.
• Less apartments. Someone approved too many Apartments and in 20 years the crime will be out of
control. Meridian will no longer be safe and vibrant. Don’t let builders put tons of houses on too small
of lots. Approve only bigger lots for subdivisions to keep better quality homes and higher property
values. Business parks are good and that was a good idea.
• A community that retains its quality of living, where checks and balances are maintained to ensure
that growth does not outstrip current financial resources or its transportation infrastructure.
LOGAN SIMPSON36
• I believe there needs to be better control of the rate of growth in residential areas.
• I think the Premiere Community theme is pretty all encompassing - almost too much. Trim it down to a
thriving, safe, and clean community...
• It was a tough choice as I do like the historic value and activity centers for the kids (I have 4) but
biggest concern is traffic in our residential areas, especially pine ave. People speed by our little house
and it scares me for the kids safety.
• Safe and efficient transportation facilities should be included in the other 4 choices.
• A community easy to drive around in.
• Hometown values and respect for existing citizens and events ie Meridian Speedway and folks that
move here and complain about it
• A slow growing community.
• “This really made me laugh...Do we really have to choose between all of these? The vision theme
should contain all of the above. It should be a community focused on past (historic--staying true
to our roots), present--current values that make us a community that so many people accross the
US seek to join, and future (evolving to be on the front of the change that keeps our community on
thriving).
The way it is written do you really think anyone will choose “”evolving community?”” “”Connected
Community?”” Could you really write a vision theme off of those last two? Look at how “”premier
community”” was written and see if you have not presented this as a leading question. There are seven
attributes, all mostly different--except safe and secure which by all general meaning is redundant and
cliche, versus “”evolving community”” or “”connected community.”” It’s pretty apparent the top one
is your go to theme as if you already have it in the bag and then came up with a few other poor basic
themes to make us feel as if there was really a choice here.
I think we should let the community decide the characteristics they value most and then focus on
writing a theme statement (not the other way around as it is currently written). “”Livable Community?””
Yes I value a family friendly community but I think there are better words to describe this option than
“”livable community.””
Try something like this:
Please rank, in order of most important, those attributes you hope your community embodies. Clean,
Safe, secure (kind of redundant), adapting, diversity, family friendly, historic character, vibrant etc.
Then you can focus on drafting the actual theme statement. But the way you have it written it’s as
though I have to choose a few random things but can’t have any of the others.
My vote is a vision statement that is all of the choices above.
• Responsible planning and zoning approvals that harm residential areas that are obviously not
appropriate for commercial development and that doesn’t maintain our rural history. Listen to your
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 37
residents.
• Development of a central “downtown”. Meridian has no “there”. We’re simply a sprawl of cheap
neighborhoods of starter houses with no center. Continuing to build and build narrow streets in
“downtown” meridian is hindering any attraction to itself.
• More focus on ensuring safety. More precautions in communities such as gates/gated communities.
More safe areas for young children to play. More family friendly suburban areas like we have now so
that when the city grows with more people and bigger streets, the suburban community does not turn
into an ugly, urban wasteland for the homeless. Increase beauty in the roads such as regular trash
clean up on the side of the roads, regular lawn care and maintenance around the roads, trees and or
flowers in the middle of roads/medians. Keeping it clean, safe and secure. Not allowing the suburban
areas to become urban/city life.
• These are slogans. It’s the planning & implementation that matter.
• Approve the new high school, address traffic, stop green lighting building until infrastructure problems
can be addressed, stick to the master plan.
• Premier community to me implies an upscale description that would not include large multi-family
buildings (which is good). Missing is quality of life (less stress) which would include reduced commute
times (less traffic, better infrastructure, options), more open areas for activities, connectivity between
subdivisions (bicycle friendly), and less crime.
• Full-coverage public bus routes.
• We need to keep Meridian as a family-friendly, it’s historical character to include family farms along
with keeping up with our growth.
• I don’t see any overt references to the environment. I’d like to say I live in an environmentally
progressive or at least environmentally responsible city.
• Economic Development
• Outdoor spaces to hike and bike
• Maintain the faith based community that appears to be the foundation of what brought so many
people here to begin with
• Managed growth. We can’t get so focused on money that we are blind to what’s going on in our
community
• Community Pride
• Walking overpass or two for the jewel of Meridian/ The Village. Cars can’t even begin to be
accommodated knowing what the future of Meridian will bring!
• We need less traffic problems and better help for poor and homeless.
• A PROPERLY PLANNED COMMUNITY WHERE THE PLAN ACTUALLY IS USED TO ENFORCE BUILDING
CHOICES APPROPRIATE TO THE AVAILABLE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
IS REASONABLY AVAILABLE SHORTLY AFTER THE BUILDING OF ADDITIONAL HOUSE AND RENTAL
LOGAN SIMPSON38
COMMUNITIES THAT ADD MANY HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES TO NARROW 2-LANE ROADS
• Too much development has been rubber stamped in with no money demanded for roads. Meridian
has done a piss poor job of thinking ahead to the future. Houses are packed in like sardines. We
personally plan to move away because Meridian has become unlivable for peace of mind.
• An actual community center along with roads that can handle the traffic by making the developers that
are putting up all these subdivisions widen the roads rather than waiting for funding that will come 20
years down the line.
• Community that does not outgrow its roots and long tradition of being a safe, friendly, place to raise
your family. Let’s always remember this is Meridian, Idaho. Simple, safe, happy, and friendly.
• I think the board needs to consider what is already existing in a community such as a development
of 5 to 10 acre lots with homes existing that cannot be split to less than 5 acres (east of ten mile and
victory: Stetson Estates) and the master plan is considering placing medium density housing to the
east (3-8 houses per acre) and MU-N (6-12 units per acre) to the west. This leaves this community of
5 to 10 acre houses as an island. Wouldn’t it be best to transition the rural/estate housing into low
and then medium housing as to not create an island of expensive houses in the midst of possible
apartments or condominiums? Even though we understand the area is growing please be respectful of
existing property owners and lot sizes and transition to make the community well thought out.
• A community that fosters great relationships with small businesses and provides incentives for them
to live and work in Meridian.
• A responsive city of government that listens to & supports the people that live here.
• Light rail and bike systems
• I want to make sure that we include extra park places with perhaps an interconnecting bike path
where we can ride and exercise, a science museum for kids and adults, perhaps an aquarium, and a
performing arts center, and a community Rec center that wouldn’t be as expensive as the YMCA. We
need a nice indoor/outdoor community pool and rec area that could be a great addition especially for
the winter months.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 39
• Alternate traffic routes for Woodbridge Description: I believe we need to have alternate routes for traffic
around Woodbridge. It’s a nice neighborhood with many people out walking and plenty of kids playing— not
a cut through. More road planning with families and established neighborhoods in mind.
• Network of hiking/biking paths connecting Meridian’s Parks Description: I’ve enjoyed the Bud Porter
Pathway many times, why not similar pathways that connect all of Meridian’s parks??? There are numerous
irrigation routes that could be used.
• Alternate Traffic Route around Woodbridge Subdivision Description: Woodbridge Street is heavily used
as a thoroughfare between Locust Grove and Eagle Roads. Meridian desperately needs an alternate route
to connect these two roads that does not cut through a subdivision and endanger the lives of people living
there.
• We need higher impact fees from new builds, covering increased needs for infrastructure. More snowplows,
better roads & libraries, please. Description: The use of these things and schools and sewers and utilities
and road updates and repairs doesn’t keep up with so much new housing. Take notes from Boise and Eagle
to help strengthen and balance the community as it grows.
• Woodbridge Description: I would like to speak out as well in regards to the Woodbridge neighborhood.
There are far too many cars that come racing/cutting through our neighborhood, creating so much more
congestion and traffic that is not needed. Drivers think they can save a bit of time, but it just creates a
negative impact on our neighborhood and forces that much more traffic trying to get onto Eagle Road or
Locust Grove. It is frustrating for us homeowners to wait for a line of 7 to 10 cars to by just so that we can
then wait behind them all at stop signs. We moved to this neighborhood For the convenient location that
was once “tucked away”.
• Road infrastructure Description: Need to widen many of the roads to deal with all the growth, before
continuing to allow more subdivisions.
• Town areas with Ambiance, Not just restaurants in strip malls Description: Areas that have the feel
of a “town square” w/ a gathering place for small local concerts, festivals, art shows, etc. surrounded by
small local restaurants, & artisan shops. No ambience to sit in strip malls and have dinner on date night.
Restaurants always do well if there is someplace to “stroll” after dinner to be among others, shopping,
listening to music, etc. Maybe something with a gazebo for musicians like the small one in old downtown
Eagle.
• Bus transit along Fairview to Downtown, Boise Town Square and St Luke’s hospital. Description: Would
prefer mass transit as the population grows and the traffic along with it. At least providing bus service
would alleviate some traffic until a more comprehensive transit plan is in place.
• City Comprehensive/Zoning Plans Description: People use the Comprehensive and Zoning Plans to
decide where they want to live. While there should be a mechanism to make changes, people should be
able to use them to know what to expect in their vicinity. Currently, zoning is too easily changed resulting in
residents being impacted in ways they never expected.
WEBSITE “IDEA WALL” POSTS
LOGAN SIMPSON40
• I would love to see a community recreation center. Something that could be used for classes getting youth
involved. And also could be rented Description: Something for everyone
• More consistent bike lanes and paths. Too many current bike lanes start and stop making it difficult to find
a safe route around town. Description: Become a bicycle friendly community
• A New Pool for Meridian Description: Personally I love the pool and the one public pool we have now is a
great start and definitely a great place to spend a hot summer day. Although I would love it we built a new
pool for the public to use for recreation and also use it for swim teams as well as possibly being able to rent
it out for parties. It would also create more jobs in the city while making a pool more accessible to people in
our community
• Conservation Districts Description: Conservation Districts help retain the character of Meridians older
subdivision and home. Not allow larger buildings be constructed next to smaller homes or businesses.
Retain the character of Downtown Meridian
• MORE POOLS PLEASE...accessible by ALL. Description: Community Pools with access for all. Decrease
drowning rates, decreases crime, keeping youth involved and active. Boise has 7 pools for their community
with 2 more being planned to be built.
• More cohesive look to structures Description: It would be nice if we could give Meridian a more unified
look. Right now it looks disjointed and pieced together. If we could mandate some architectural standard for
future public buildings and commercial buildings, I think that would add to our community.
• More Community Spaces! Parks and Pools! Description: Our family loves Meridian! However, considering
the size and continued growth it is unfortunate that we have to travel to other cities to find places to swim
(lessons, teams, recreation) and that there are NO City supported pools. The WARD pool is not sufficient!
Last I heard Meridian was the “driest” city of it’s size in the Pacific Northwest. Southern Meridian is also
greatly lacking in community parks for such a densely populated area.
• Affordable housing for young families Description: Our kids, now adults, would love to live in the city
where they grew up! They all love Meridian but can’t afford to buy here! I would love to see that change!!
• Fast growth with more and more high density developments is ruining our town. Description: Developers
do not have unlimited rights, and our elected officials need to change direction.
• Please stop the “stepping” up densities in the neighborhoods. It looks like your giving up too easily to big
development. Description:
• Family friendly developments Description: I would love to see an indoor children’s museum or large indoor
play place go in where you can get a season or annual pass. This would give an option for the winter and for
younger kids who aren’t in school yet. There are amazing parks in Meridian and I think putting one further
North would be a great addition. Another library branch on the North side would be great too since so many
homes are going in.
• We need more internet/cable choices. Cable One and CenturyLink know they are the only choice so no
incentive to improve their lousy service. Description: Quality internet needed
• Spend money where it benefits the community and not just government officials. Have new, better
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 41
community facilities for the public. Description: We spend too much of our budget making city hall and
government offices pretty versus community parks, activity centers, and other various venues that are
actually beneficial to the community as a whole, not just the elected or appointed few. Take more care of the
community and not just the “princess in her castle”.
• No More Car Dealerships Description: We have way too many car dealerships (for example on Fairview)
and they are complete eye sores. I suggest we also require that existing dealerships not be allowed to have
outdoor show lots and that any car/vehicle displaying be done only within showrooms
• Have the water nazis lighten up a little bit Description: One of the worst parts about dealing with the city is
the utility department and their shut off Crew. $30 ripoff if you’re 1 day late on bill
• Water pressure is real low and needs to be improved. As the city grows it gets worse. Description:
• Property along the tracks Description: Can we make use of the properties along the tracks? Mostly they
have sat empty and would be great places for weekly flea markets, artisan booths, etc. Farmer’s Market it
great, make it bigger and make it walkable along the tracks (so to speak).
• Centennial Park on Idaho Description: Make better use of this park, and the community center, to bring
people in. Outdoor concerts, kids days, etc. Great little park that could be put to better use for the downtown
folks.
• Walkable downtown Description: Make Franklin to Fairview/Cherry and Meridian to E 2nd St completely
walkable (or as much as possible). Make it a place people want to come hang out, can walk around easily,
eat lunch, have ice cream, look at shops, artisan creations, concerts, etc. I’d like to be able to spend a day
downtown, have plenty to do and want to come back and do more.
• The higher density housing should be in the core of the city, not scattered about the city please.
Description:
• The required garbage service is a stealth tax, primarily affecting seniors. Those who don’t want service
should be able to opt out/cancel. Description: Allow option to not have garbage service
• Controlled Development, Communication Among Cities and Agencies, and Developer Contributions to Public
Funding Description: The areal development is out of control with no regard to impacts to citizens’ way
of life. This used to be a great area to live; however, with all the uncontrolled growth, the traffic, crime,
over-crowding of schools, and overuse of medial services has increased tremendously and destroyed the
community. There needs to be communication among the Cities and agencies to address the ever growing
problems and developers need to pay for a large part of the solution costs. Developers should contribute to
public funds to provide for roadway and public school improvements.
Traffic: There is no apparent evaluation of traffic impacts in regards to addition of new homes and
businesses. Travel times and accidents have increased dramatically. The infrastructure cannot handle the
existing vehicular use and currently there is no room for improvement without major restructuring. The
Cities and agencies (ITD, ACHD, etc.) need to meeting to address this issue before more development is
approved.
Schools: Idaho is already rated at the bottom in regards to scholastic performance. This is in part due to
LOGAN SIMPSON42
the over-crowding of schools. More schools need to be built and housing development suspended pending
the reduction of classroom sizes. Recently Meridian planning is recommending to deny the application to
build Owyhee High School.
Medical Services: The medical services for the area is being overloaded. With the explosion in growth,
the existing medical community is having a hard time keeping up. There are much longer wait times to for
appointments, reduced in-person visit times, and increased unavailable medical equipment shortages.
The Comprehensive Plan should include guidance to control growth and preserve what is left of what the
community values. Essentially preserve what values put this City on the map as one of the best places to
live.”
• A place to post ideas that allow more that old Twitter sized comments. 140 characters is worthless to post
a serious idea. Are you serious? Description: More space for ideas
• Dedicated Pickleball Courts Description: I would like to see some dedicated Pickleball Courts in the
community. After all it is the fastest growing sport in the country.
• More vegan friendly food establishments! Description: It would be fantastic to have more places to eat
that accommodate more than just meat eaters. Most of the vegan friendly options are farther into Boise.
Would love some great new options closer to home!
• Public swimming pool Description: See https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/24373. I’ve seen this pool
and it is absolutely awesome! Something similar north and south Meridian would be a great addition. And
continuing to assist in enlarging the pool in Storey Park.
• Kids and Teens place Description: Meridian used to have the Rec Center downtown. Foosball, slot car
track, soda fountain, etc. Teens and younger kids hung out there a lot and had plenty to do. More of that
would be a great addition.
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 43
QUICK POLLS
The Telephone Town Hall event was held on September 26th from 6:00 - 7:00. During this
event, residents were encouraged to call in and answer questions about Meridian’s Future.
Approximately 200 people were able to participate in this phone event! Eight poll questions
were asked during the call. In addition to the telephone town hall, quick polls were also held on
Instagram and NextDoor. The results are shown below.
Telephone Town Hall Participants (participated in all polls): 200
Total NextDoor Participants (participated in polls 4, 5, 6, 7): 1597
Total Instagram Participants (particapted in polls 4, 5, 6, 7 ): 133
24%
32%
16%
28%
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Northeast Northwest Downtown South
32%
45%
23%
IS THE RATE OF GROWTH ACCEPTABLE?
Yes No I don't know
1
2
LOGAN SIMPSON44
74%
26%
WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR
MOBILITY NEEDS?
Sidewalks Public Transit
13%
44%23%
20%
WHICH PROJECT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
DOWNTOWN?
Conference facility Performance arts center Both Neither
13%
85%
2%
WHAT PART OF GROWTH IS IMPACTING THE QUALITY
OF LIFE IN MERIDIAN THE MOST?
School capacity Road traffic Safety
3
4
5
MERIDIAN VISIONING SUMMARY 45
26%
62%
12%
WOULD YOU SUPPORT AN INCREASE TO YOUR TAXES
TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE A BUS SYSTEM?
Yes No I don’t know
52%
34%
14%
WOULD YOU USE THE RAIL CORRIDOR FOR
TRANSPORTATION IF IT WERE AVAILABLE?
Yes No I don’t know
38%
7%
36%
19%
HOW WOULD YOU USE IT?
Recreation Commuting Both Neither
8
7
6
LOGAN SIMPSON46
• I am opposed to a bus or a light rail system because is is outdated, inefficient, and light rail is inflexible. I
have seen the traffic mess Seattle created beginning in the late 1970’s because no one wants to ride the
inflexible buses due to routing and schedule. There is a better way.
I do support an automated transit system, rubber tired, electric with regenerative braking, and in it own
dedicated right of way which can easily be rerouted as population density changes.
This would be an modern technology based on the Morgantown WV system, federally funded out of need. It
operates 365 days a year in all weather conditions.
It is now feasible to move the guide-way sections with rubber tired cranes, use modern compact computers,
GPS, cell phone ticketing, and lots more technology is that system was built in the early to mid 1970’s.
I personally solved significant technical issues as an electrical engineer and part of a Boeing tiger team as
an outside vendor.
• Hello, Not having a bus system in Meridian has been not allowing me to live my full potential in this city.
I can’t drive due to medical reasons: blurred vision, extreme anxiety and narcolepsy. I choose to stay off
the roads for safety reasons. In exchange for that finding a job close to home has been impossible, getting
my daughter to and from school worse. Especially in the months with snow. I finally started to have my
daughter to online school, and I recently found a job from home. But she can’t attend any of the school
parties or educational groups because I don’t drive and we don’t have family here. Daddy works 10 hours
a day. So my daughter and I stay stuck at home on a daily basis. It’s very hard on us and I’m sure there are
more people out there with the same problem. A bus system in meridian could help better so many lives,
create jobs, cut down on unnecessary traffic. Why do people not believe in the bus system? Not everyone
can drive.
• But I might be talked into (a transit tax) for an efficient and smart light rail system.
QUICK POLL COMMENTS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
#MyMeridian #MyMeridianValues
MY MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
As part of the community outreach process
for the Meridian Comprehensive Plan
Update, several public events were held
throughout June and July 2018 (see page 2 for
a list of events). Between listening sessions,
informational booths at community events,
and an online survey, approximately 1,500
people were able to participate, including
residents, employees, business owners,
community leaders, youth, and other
stakeholders.
The purpose of the open listening sessions,
survey, and booths was to give interested
members of the community an opportunity
to ask questions, let us know what they love
about Meridian, and share their big ideas for
Meridian’s future.
CONTENTS
Introduction...........................................1
Where We Went.................................................2
What You Love...................................................5
Areas For Improvement.......................................6
Comment Appendix............................................7
Online Survey Appendix...................................14
LOGAN SIMPSON
IN PERSON OUTREACH
Coffee With The Mayor
• June 12
• ProService
• East Meridian
Hillsdale Park Grand
Opening
• May 25th
• Hillsdale Park
• Southeast Meridian
Public Works Day
• June 07
• Meridian City Hall
• Downtown Meridian
Main Street Market
• June 30
• Main Street
• Downtown Meridian
CableOne Movie Night
• June 29
• Settlers Park
• North Meridian
2
Listening Sessions
• June 12-13
• Meridian City Hall
• Downtown Meridian
Concerts on Broadway
• Juy 14
• Broadway Ave
• Downtown Meridian
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W Ustick Rd
W Cherry Ln
W Pine Ave
W Franklin Ave
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Legend
Neighborhoods
Meridian-North
Meridian-West
Meridian-East
Meridian-Downtown
Meridian-Northeast
Meridian-Northwest
Meridian-Southwest
Meridian-Southeast Exact locations from pin maps
Percentage of participants from
each neighborhood
EAST MERIDIAN
20%
SOUTHEAST MERIDIAN
16%
SOUTHWEST MERIDIAN
10%
WEST MERIDIAN
8%
NORTHEAST MERIDIAN
10%
DOWNTOWN MERIDIAN
5%
NORTHWEST MERIDIAN
2%
NORTH MERIDIAN
28%
1 star = 1 - 3 pins
MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY
WHO WE HEARD FROM
3
Farm
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Marke
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LOGAN SIMPSON
Through written comments at public events,
notes from steering committee meetings, and
online input from our surveys, we heard what
the Meridian community loves and ideas for
future improvements. Below is a word cloud
showing what is valued most about Meridian
according to comments gathered from public
events we attended. Meridian residents value
the great parks and family oriented community.
The online survey results (shown in the
chart on page 6) show similar themes. Many
people mentioned the friendly, family oriented
community and the great parks system.
WHAT YOU LOVE
4
5 Most commonly used words when asked “What do you love about
Meridian?”
1. Parks
2. Community
3. Friendly
4. People
5. Family
MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY
Below is a word cloud showing what should be
improved in Meridian according to comments
gathered from public events we attended. The
written results and the online survey results
(shown in the chart on page 6) show very
similar results. Some of the most common
responses center around transportation. Many
people mentioned the heavy traffic, the need
for better public transportation, and a strong
desire for connectivity through sidewalks and
bike paths. Alongside transportation, crowded
schools and increased density were common
themes.
WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE
5
5 Most commonly used words when asked “What would you improve
about Meridian?”
1. Transportation
2. Traffic
3. Density
4. Preserve open space
5. Infrastructure
LOGAN SIMPSON
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MERIDIAN?
WHAT SHOULD BE IMPROVE?
6
ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS
MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY
VERBATIM COMMENTS FROM IN-PERSON OUTREACH
What do you love about Meridian?
Hillsdale Event
-A lot of parks
-Nice parks
-Family events and parks(X4)
-Movie nights
-Free concerts
-City staff
-Great parks
-A lot of play grounds
-The new YMCA (X2)
-Great community
Soccer Field
Family activities
Public Works Expo
-The dog park
-Friendly people
-Everything (mostly dogs and nice people)
-Dog Park
-Close to Linder and Cherry
-Property taxes are cheaper than Boise
-Efficient and inexpensive Parks, Trash, and Sewer
Listening Session #1
-Keep and preserve open space and history
-Family feeling
-Quality of life
-Family friendly city
-Construction in downtown
-Atmosphere
-Trails, open space, and bike paths
-Balance is needed
-Worry about new, big city attitude
-Concern is keeping pace of growth (infrastructure
before building)
-Great water
-Very green
-Love ruralness
-Fresh and new city/downtown
-Transparent government
-City events and concerts
-A great place to live
-Family friendly place to live
-Do we want to stay a bedroom community?
-Growth is happening, so plan for infrastructure
first
-Open air, room to breathe
-Open spaces and respect for history
Listening Session #2
-Small town look and feel
-Open space and elbow room
-Parks
-Sincere community and people
-Sidewalks and parks in a new development
-Livable city
-Senior community is strong
-Still has small town feeling
-Shops, new amenities, experiences, and upscale
restaurants
-Approachable city government
-Opportunity for agriculture areas around urban
areas(rare in central valley)
-Set a tone for city to follow, compromise
-Wildlife, flora, fauna, chickens
-Embrace agriculture
-Low crime
-Inter-connectivity
-Mayor has done well planning and working with
ACHD
-Has grown with good planning and make sure it
continues
-Development managed well
-Caring neighbors
-Connectivity
7
LOGAN SIMPSON
July 1st Weekend Events
-Education system
-How fresh it is
-The parks X6
-Sense of community X2
-Splash Pad
-Movie Night
-The Village (outdoor shopping)
-Farmers music
-People
-Relaxed and laid back
-Interactions of small towns
-Service industry
-Friendly people (feels like home)
-Balance
-Next door and social media notifications
-Downtown Meridian
-Restaurants and events
What Would You change About Meridian?
Hillsdale Event
-Dog Park
-Children’s museum
-Sidewalks on main roads
-Widen Victory and Eagle Roads
-Preserve more open space
-Hockey Rinks
-More bike and running trails/paths
-Indoor year-round pool
-More Pickleball courts
-More public art events
-Community pool and library bond should be
passed
-Keep power lines underground
-More concerts
-I don’t like the raise of houses
-More natural open spaces
Public Works Expo
-No recycling water bottles
-Waste of water/ watering when it isn’t necessary
Listening Session # 1
-Everyday life because things are changing so
quickly
-Planning and zoning (need economic center)
-Lack of concentration and focus
-Focus on main roads
-Still in the mindset of separating uses
-Connections are lacking
-Freeway should circle city
-City needs to control own roads
-Protection of resources (fiscal, functional,
natural, and historical)
-Common sense
-Schools and Transportation
-ACHD greenbelts, problem in winter
-Safety and Security (Vital, keep image of this)
8
MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY 9
-Schools running behind
-Prioritize education system
-Would love a heritage / Dairy park theme
-Schools are overcrowded
-Teachers are doing a lot with very little
-We are losing some of our heritage
-Keep historic and older buildings
-Zoning needs critical look
-Too many homes on the ground
-Need to have a little space
-Habitat for wildlife
-Mix/balance of lot sizes
Bridgetower subdivision does have space
-Noxious weeds and a big problem (public and
private)
-City and county relationship
-Big disconnect between vision and what is in plan
(need better predictability)
-Better pub education of plan process and how
planning works
-Inconsistent application of Comprehensive Plan
-Educate public that plan is a guiding document
-Septic / well sustainable
-Require a municipal treatment system, this will
help control growth^
-Align city and county plans
-Opportunity
-Time, need to react immediately, it has to matter
-Learn from our mistakes and
accomplishments(zoning application, weeds,
growth, etc)
-Collaboration, positive and a challenge
-Common sense
-No zoning exemptions
-Success in foothills campaign
-Rural by design (cluster development, utilities,
gardens, open space)
-Increase accountability, enforcement, and
implementation
-Comprehensive plan is a guide for zoning and
level. Council follows plan
-Gather ideas and evidence from experts
-Expand trail system
-Good water to drink
-Maintain own water rights
Listening Session # 2
-Making growth pay for itself (look at fees)
-Millennial involvement
-Appropriate balance
-Potential for a downtown
-Vacant, blight along rail corridor
-Infill is a concern, how to match character
-The village creating vacancy around the city
-Traffic congestion/ access control
-Be intentional about density
-Market guides
-Overcrowding in schools
-How to equalize growth and schools
-Water and sewage should be in place first
-Seems like we are using outdated practices and
plans
-Policies are not evolving as quickly
-Schools on 40 acres vs. on city blocks
July 1st Weekend
-Frontage roads with lights
-Nicer people
-Chocolate fountain
-Want a skate park
-More bike lanes X4
-Better public transportation X4
-Bike trails connected to Boise River green belt X4
-Schools X3
-Compost bins X2
-Wider road on Blackcat
-Sidewalks
-Continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street
with ore street lights
LOGAN SIMPSON
-Costco X2
-Schools
-More pathways
Steering Committee
What will Meridian Be?
-More diverse land uses/ zones
-Better regional connectivity
-Many diverse housing products
-Services and access is close
-Our city; great place to work, live, and play
-Economy
-Great downtown
-Quality development
-Maintain green space
-Mixed-use planning
-Job center
-Built out (plan for this)
-Make Meridian better than Boise
-Leader in Jobs and Economic powerhouse
-Good paying jobs for all
-Leader in education
-Cultural and historical progress/expression
-Powerhouse city
-Revitalized
-Beautiful hybrid of commercial and residential
-Balanced uses
-Culture - music, art, etc
-Balbod Park Museum / cultural district
-Have embraced history design (Dallas/ ft. worth
example)
-Distinct neighborhoods
-Avoid cookie cutter mass production
-Arch Guidelines
-High code standards
-Expansive green space
-Knows identity and has plan
-Promotes engagement
-Promote CBD
-Collaborative Efforts like hill and library
-Economic engines/ cultural centers
-An Expression of all thought and planning since
20th century
-Inclusive and diverse plans
-Economically diverse
-State
-Parks
-In n out
-Vibrant downtown
-Performing arts center
-Pride in community
-Education and planning for the right number of
schools
-Opportunity with new railway
-Entertainment on weekends
-Diverse housing and education
-Quality of life
Issues and opportunities
-Rail corridor
-Anti-growth and NIMBY mentality
-Create more identity, self contained community
districts
-Costco
-Be sensible on location
-Need predictability
-Help people understand planning
-Get people involved
-Talk more about redevelopment
-Disconnect between comprehensive plan nand
what is being built
-What does comprehensive plan mean?
-Geography and roads
-How to think big when bound by roads
-Balance between tools
-Create linkage between parts of city
-Gathering, High quality places
10
MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY 11
-Density - where is it appropriate?
-Concentrated centers or spread out?
-South of interstate
-Be selective in development
-Better mix of providing infrastructure
-Southill and Brighton corp started momentum
-Need ten more High Schools
The plan will be a success if...?
-Greater participation
-Eliminate roundabouts
-Easy to use
-Reliable
-Dependable
-From private development community too
-Comprehensive yet flexible
-Blueprint for unforeseen
-Creates places
-Good vision and collaboration
-Creates a lasting legacy
-Balance between happy and effective
-Growth is maintained responsibly
-Aware of market conditions and city’s bottom line
Stakeholder Interviews
Love
-Organizations/jurisdictions are aligned (makes for
easier process)
-Original city development pattern, historic pattern
-Go to the past and embrace it
-People value farm to table
-Get to authentic brand
-Clean, new (how do we maintain?)
- Like the look of scentsy building and campus
-Well planned neighborhoods
Challenges
-Growing so fast (how to keep it from being
cookie cutter?)
-Downtown Meridian character (needs catalyst
project)
-Affordable housing is missing(diversity of homes)
-Required to mix housing types?
-Roadways and ability for people to get around
-Hard for people to know about bike paths
-Meridian is too car-centric
-Better bike paths - get them off the main roads
-Connect sidewalks
-Utilize irrigation canals for bike infrastructure(in
process)
-Commuter Rail (Austin example)
-Priority to work with UP (get all mayors and
government together
-MDC/UPA (look at new laws)
-Utilize resources like ULI so we don’t waste time
like before
-All the little downtown projects are bringing life
back, there still a ways to go
-What is the next step for downtown? City
incentives for catalyst project?
-Utility downtown report
-Recommendations (pine street connection and
business alliance)
-City should follow and be accountable to
LOGAN SIMPSON
comprehensive plan
-Schools need to keep up with growth
-Cooperation/partnership for benefit of community
-Growth of huge apartments seem to be out of
character
-Village is model of what we could be
-Utilize rail corridor
-Nothing historical or great about downtown
-No destinations but the village
-Art anchor is village mew
-Infrastructure isn’t keeping up with growth
-Bike routes
-No money to implement vision
-URA didn’t fulfil vision - expires in 2026
-10 mile subarea will be major employment and
office area and support local retail
-Traffic - primarily children
-ACHD has good relationship with city but not
state
-All ACHD pressure goes to county / city roads
-HWY 16 dead ends at Meridian. Need to build to
highway
-Bus system doesn’t go anywhere, public doesn’t
know how to use it
-Don’t have a consolidate hub for public
transportation, city is too spread out
-Keep widening roads but it doesn’t help
-Build sense of community (family, people,
church)
-City council and mayor drive vision and work hard
-Meridian sees itself as a bedroom
community(they need a core business hub in eagle
or Fairview)-Different interests in different areas
-Needs destination points
What to include in the Comprehensive Plan
-Zoning changes and annexation issues
-Density
-Compatibility (commercial next to residential)
-Keeping up with growth(sewer water fire schools
police)
-Solution to growth issue ^ is funding; who pays,
impact fees, public wants business to pay
-Transportation system needed if we have mor
density
-What is the # where we aren’t a bedroom
community anymore? residential vs. commercial
-Create places to work near home
-Continue to build up infrastructure
-Educate public on new comprehensive plan
-City doesn’t follow uses in comprehensive plan
-City council won’t approve needed infrastructure
(larger sewer lines)
-Need predictability in process
-City council doesn’t like apartments
-Enclaves create lack of continuity in
infrastructure(We can only annex a certain size,
week need a policy on annexation enclaves)
-One hill on house where you can’t connect
(picture)?
-It becomes cost, you wont get trails, etc
-IDEA: nothing outside of boundary until enclaves
annex
-Need more public involvement
-Patchwork development
-Lack of sidewalks
-Pathways building is too slow
-Young families are too busy to be engaged
-Grew so quickly that people don’t have the
love for this place which is usually what drives
involvement
-Land challenges - railroad prop
-Intersections at C street at 5
- Need a contrast from downtown (parks)
-Create HOA’s
-How do we measure success?
-Keep doing the things that are already going well
(small town feel)
-How do we create a great downtown with our
12
MERIDIAN VALUES SUMMARY 13
own character that reflects 10 mile?
-Define culture (Roger Brooks)
-Affordable - keep our children here
-”Growing or dying”
-Plan for mix of homes
-Older Land uses might not be right
-Seeing success in SFR at high density
-Zoning code matters to get the right type of
product
-As move to fringe, services will be harder to
provide
-Trip capture / hurdle of being a bedroom
community
-NIMBY - challenge
-Transportation
-Same Look/style (Lacks diversity in character)
-Need more housing choices
-Downtown needs revitalization
-At a tipping point where there is interest in
redevelopment and backing
-URA expires, can’t bond doing a shareback right
now
-No opportunity for restaurants
-Quality - not over the top, but nice
-Family friendly
-Growth can be a good thing (have all the services
you need)
-People feel comfortable being involved and
engaged
-Negative impacts of growth: other jurisdictions
role: we don’t have control over schools and roads
-Maintain identity and values as we grow
-Need mechanism to fund
transportation(Partnerships?)
-Can’t provide system for riders of choice
-RTA Funding comes from cities
-Lack of public understanding
-People use comprehensive plan against
everything but it’s too dated
-Don’t want subsidized housing, but need more
diversity
-Area on map to more opportunities otherwise we
will need to change plan all the time
-LV Road example of ”T” intersections to right lane
doesn’t stop (Good along golf course and state)
-Property rights vs. Crowd
-Meridian today is same as past, just larger
-Like focus on business centers around town to
help provide services and reduce traffic
-Choose live, work, and play in one spot
-More than capturing trips, stop trips
-Concentration/intensity
-Vegas roadway example / belt route
-Be Mindful of what government can actually do
-Allow choices and diversity of housing
-Need to attract some youth
-Plan should be blunt, fresh, understandable
-Difficult to match growth and roads (two
governing bodies)
-Concerns with traffic
-We need transit
-Map Land locked nature
-Meridian is center of Treasure Valley
-School boundaries effect other cities as well
-Land locked
-Keep values
-Connect long time residents and newcomers
-How do we attract the right businesses? Want
amenities and services, what can we use to
leverage?
-What to attract to maintain demographics
-Keeping up with level of service (police, fire, etc)
LOGAN SIMPSON
ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS
14
Report for Meridian Comprehensive Plan
Survey #1
Completion Rate:79.5%
Complete 883
Partial 228
Totals: 1,111
Response Counts
1. What do you LOVE about Meridian?We've provided a list of multiple choice
selections based on feedback we've already gathered. You may select these
options if you agree, or provide your original answers in the 'Other' box
provided. Please select no more than 5 options.
1
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:
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Value Percent Responses
Safety 63.3%594
Parks & Recreation 54.4%511
Schools 24.0%225
Jobs 5.4%51
Shopping/Services 29.7%279
Housing Options 13.5%127
(Public) Transportation 1.2%11
Family Friendly 59.9%562
Overall Quality of Life 68.3%641
Other:10.4%98
2
Other:Count
City Staff Helpfulness 2
Location 2
3. Open space (e.g. farm lands, but it's being lost daily), 4. Proximity to great outdoors
and opportunities it provides.
1
;Mayor Tammy 1
Access to the outdoors, seasons.1
Adding addition comment I missed adding to my original survey (thank you for the
opportunity of this survey too): Already submitted survey and missed adding the need
for more safe bike lanes and pedestrian crossing and enforcement of the safety for
riders and pedestrians. It's astonishing the number of infractions I see regarding this and
driving safety.
1
Affordability 1
Amount of remaining farm land/ranches 1
Arts and Culture 1
Certain shopping is fine no more big chain stores 1
Churches 1
City leader's showing that the people(residents) matter 1
Costco 1
Effort to be great 1
Elementary Schools, but not impressed with Heritage Middle School 1
Farming, small acreages.1
Friendly people 1
Good central location. My job requires me to travel often using I84. I'm right between
the 10 mile and Meridian rd interchanges.
1
Totals 95
3
I grew up here 1
I use to like the community. Now making subdivisions on top of each is ridiculous. Hate
it!
1
I used to love it here. Now it's like a mini California. Hate the way it isgoing 1
I used to love the "country feel" and openness.1
I would say safety but the police just shot a man so that wasn't good.1
Idaho Values 1
It used to feel small; not any more.1
It was a slower pace of life 1
It was a smaller community 1
It's not Boise 1
It's not Boise 1
Keeping the original feel of downtown Meridian 1
Landscaping 1
Library District 1
Location in the valley and state 1
Love the small town feel! Hate all the new housing and developments taking over.1
Low density 1
Low density population!1
Meridian is a very nice community 1
Mostly White 1
Other:Count
Totals 95
4
Nature 1
No Californians 1
Nothing anymore. The infrastructure does not support the approved developments.
Crime is getting as bad as other big cities. It's no longer a safe community.
1
Open spaces, cleanliness 1
Open spaces, like farmland and pasture.1
Open, undeveloped farm land, less traffic south of I84 1
Proximity to good Catholic Church 1
Quiet, country atmosphere. Farming, small acreages, but easy access to the interstate
to get to Boise.
1
Reasonable cost of living 1
Reduced number of housing permits 1
Relieve the traffic congestion that has become awful. We need a North-South extension
to the freeway to take traffic off the streets.
1
Restaurants 1
Roads 1
Roads and traffic 1
Rural feeling 1
Rural roots, love the old barns and farmland 1
Small town feel with access to city amenities 1
Small town life. Which is rapidly disappearing 1
Some open areas where there is still agriculture 1
Other:Count
Totals 95
5
Still has small town atmosfere 1
Still some open land for agriculture and raising animals.1
Stop the massive in phloem of people from out of the state. These people move here
from California because they complain about how bad it is down there and all they want
to do is turn Idaho into the same thing. We are expanding at such a rate that the
roadways can no longer sustain it. All these people with high paying jobs out of state
are moving here and pricing people from Idaho out of the area. When they're willing to
pay $500 + every month in rent over what the average house rent for that is taking it
away from an Idaho family.
1
That there is still a rural feel, although it is quickly disappearing with the out of control
development.
1
That there was farmland and country left. Too bad the mayor and the city council had to
ruin that for everyone.
1
The Growth 1
The People 1
The greenbelt between Meridian and Ustick roads, except the weeds detract and cause
problems for dogs.
1
The more people you bring in, the less if feels like a community. A lot of people move
here because it's cheaper and they just want to have more stuff, not be a part of the
community.
1
The open spaces and the areas that are still zoned county and have animals. The areas
that represent the true Meridian
1
The small town feel that is going aways too quickly.1
Walking paths, ponds, and fountains need to continue to be part of the growth..1
Want to slow down the pace of growth so we don't become another busy metro area.1
We need entertainment venues for sports & music for adults. Meridian is the only city
left in the valley that does not have an entertainment area.
1
Other:Count
Totals 95
6
Your comprehensive plan is useless. You change to suit the money you can get. Costco
is a great example. You diffently couldn't care less how you screw the people
1
beautiful city 1
clean streets, there is lots of trash with the influx of people this year 1
climate/weather 1
close to work 1
community 1
farmland 1
friendly neighbors 1
hopefully non congested cookie cutter spacious neighborhoods 1
less densely populated 1
location to Boise 1
majority-Caucasian 1
none 1
open spaces 1
rural nature of where I live 1
rural space 1
sidewalks 1
slower pace and open spaces to breathe 1
Other:Count
Totals 95
7
the growth and development is completely out of control. I had to move out of the city
for 4 years and when it came back, I felt like I was in Southern California. And that is not a
good thing. The traffic is horrendous. Every square inch of land is either going to be
developed or is up for sale. It's ruined. I don't know what you people are doing but
please stop it.
1
the village 1
used to be the open spaces/affordable housing options 1
value of home going up 1
Totals 95
Other:Count
ResponseID Response
14 too crowded
2. Finish this sentence: In 2040 Meridian will be....
8
15 Overcrowded and too much traffic
17 The best place in the region to live.
18 A livable Community
19 Have disproportionately high amounts of houses and traffic without enough
services and jobs.
20 vibrant, economically diverse, and thriving!
21 The envy of other cities in Idaho. With large corporations coming in because of
the family friendly environment with schools second to none. Unemployment will
be almost unheard of.
22 Loved Meridian before all the ridiculous growth was allowed. Police, fire depts
and schools can't keep up. The traffic is horrible but let's keep growing and
being greedy!
23 A great city that didn't loose it's identity...
26 Beautiful. There will be parks and lots of opportunities for recreation and
learning.
28 sprawling and congested;
29 filled with parks that have gorgeous scenery and lots of open space for families
to gather and play.
31 Too big with not enough green spaces if we don't continue strategic planning
32 a progressive community with downtown shopping, restaurants, and go to
destinations; while remaining safe and family friendly.
34 a more racially diverse premiere place to live, work, and raise a family
35 come an equivalent to Boise in job opportunities.
36 Too Big
ResponseID Response
9
37 I would like to see diversity in housing not just a sea of subdivisions. Good
paying jobs with benefits. A variety of shopping services from big box to smaller
private owed stores. Downtown Meridian needs serious help with
redevelopment. More City parks but also sports and music venues. Meridian is
sorely lacking in adult entertainment such as concerts, sports, rodeos. Looks at
what Nampa, Caldwell, Boise and Garden City have done in terms of
entertainment.
38 A relaxation destination, Have a sports team, Breweries, Walking paths
39 busy/ populated/ sunk in traffic
41 much larger, and sprawling unless good/better planning is done now.
42 overcrowded.
43 even larger
44 overdeveloped with too many people, too much traffic and too many homes if
we don't change things NOW
47 Meridian two years ago with some added connectivity via walking paths would
be amazing. I see the quality of live going down the tubes as more and more high
density housing goes in. There was a need, now its filled, time to stop approving
the requests to build more.
48 Wide open spaces and communities where houses aren't too close together.
49 I hope it doesnt grow much bigger than it is I value the rural feel it has.
52 accessible by rapid public transit, have a vibrant pedestrian-friendly downtown
district, and have more and safer bicycle routes.
53 A family-oriented community with a variety of job opportunities and housing
choices. Affordable to live in for all.
54 Bigger,Better and even more family friendly
55 Overgrown and congested, out-priced for those born and raised here.
56 A place where my children will want to raise their family.
ResponseID Response
10
57 Overcrowded with terrible traffic. I'd hope they'd be careful allowing so much
building to take place prior to having the traffic patterns figured out. Meridian is a
beautiful city with wonderful families, let's not let it get out of control.
58 The best place to live in Idaho.
59 a place that I hope is as family friendly for my grandchildren as it is right now for
my children. I hope Meridian doesn't get too big with too much traffic.
60 Huge.
63 the Premier place to live in the West.
66 Overcrowded with terrible roads. The entire Treasure Valley is doing a terrible
job of keeping up with infrastructure. All funds for new roads and sidewalks
should come from the builders & companies that want to do business in
Meridian. When a builder or company wants to build in Meridian the road
widening and sidewalks should be part of the building plan and paid for by builder
and company.
67 Fun place for our kids
68 Environmentally friendly, offer more public transport, multiculturally competent
69 A little more modern with shopping/restaurant options and hopefully more
options for upbeat bars and larger pet friendly parks. (Speaking for the
downtown Meridian area)
70 Overcrowded, overpriced, underserved.
71 Caring but conservative. I don't want my state turning into a California
73 Hopefully, not a Meridian only with wall to wall condos and subdivisions that has
eaten up all the open land and not keeping up with city services like clean
drinking water and filling potholes.
74 the best suburb of Boise and a great place to live if we plan for it.
75 very crowded with terrible traffic unless good planning is accomplished.
Hopefully there will be a number of walking/biking paths and better public
transportation also.
77 Overcrowded and not prepared.
ResponseID Response
11
78 recognized as the best city to raise a family in the United States.
79 Probably too big and expensive for most people. Taxes will be too high.
80 Clean, safe, financially fiscal, citizen focused, and a great place to live.
82 a minor metropolitan city with a growing service, tech and professional sectors
where planning and development have allowed for smart adaptations to the fast
pace of growth where health and education are vital factors of the city's nature
84 Touching Nampa
85 an overpopulated city with a nightmare of a traffic problem
86 The best place to live, safest place to live. Public train system with bike trail.
87 Meridian should work to create a second city center to that of Boise. Meridian
should definitely leverage and utilize the success Boise has found and use it to
create a second major business hub for the treasure valley.
88 a megalopolis unless there is planned, managed growth with better street and
highway improvements.
89 will still be a safe city for families with great schools and wonderful park and
recreation opportunities. Policies and planning safe guard the small town feel
and culture we have always had.
90 Will still have farm land!! I hope we truly stick to core values and don't let
developers continue to buy their way through the city.
92 History. Destroyed by the communist-mentality within the city hall, which does
not even understand American property rights and the Constitution.
94 Way too overcrowded with no more low key rural feel.
95 a vibrant city
96 More connected and aligned with the adjacent cities values and visions.
99 a thriving, interconnected, family friendly community that's maintained the small
town, neighbor helping neighbor, values of the founding farming and dairy
families.
ResponseID Response
12
101 Too dang big and will have lost all its charm. People moving in from other states
will totall change the pleasant make up of this town. They already have done so.
102 A city that can keep up with the growth, traffic, housing, jobs, shopping and
beautification. We don't have to be a big dirty city.
103 Way too crowded. When this happens many of us will move to out lying towns.
104 Too crowded and will lose it's appeal to those who value small town life.
105 north of the freeway. There needs to be more attention paid to the families living
south of the freeway.
106 Spread too thin.
107 Overrun by houses and high taxes unless we apply more conservative values.
108 crowded. Hopefully still affordable and family friendly.
109 more populated
111 a metropolis.
112 137 years old and will continue to be the best place to live and raise a family.
113 A great place to live and rise a family.
114 California and a disaster IF we do not SLOW down and address SERIOUS
infrastructure issues! STOP approving zoning changes for MORE tiny lots,
apartments, AND neighborhoods that will continue to overcrowd ALL the
schools that are already busting at the seems with ONLY the tax payers to help
(and that help is VERY little based on actual needs).
115 A safe, vibrant, affordable and low commute time city.
116 Not be growing as much with reduced apartment buildings.
117 A disaster! Too many high density projects that our infrastructure isn't keeping
pace with.
120 Have better roads that accommodate the influx of new people
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121 Overcrowded with poor roads and lack of public transportation to Boise
downtown.
122 Overpopulated.
123 The best thought out, and best planned community in the Treasure Valley.
126 Too busy and my family will move!!
128 crammed full with strip malls, apartment complexes, even more ineffective two-
lane traffic grids, and subdivisions.
129 The new Boise. New shopping complexes, a revamped downtown and
affordable housing will draw people not only within the community, but from
surrounding areas to enjoy what Meridian has to offer. Several cute and locally
owned shops will draw attention to make downtown more active.
133 Safe, beautiful, bustling yet quiet, logically planned and cautiously expanded.
134 Very over crowded and not hold the same values they do today. It is inevitable.
We need strong conservative leadership that is not afraid to take on the
unpopular topics, issues or positions and hold fast to who we are now. So that
we can be that in the future.
135 overcrowded. We need to invest in infrastructure and slow the building process
- especially the schools & roads. There are way too many crappy cheap houses
and neighborhoods going up - too many people and not enough resources.
Raise building standards, make quality builds, and no more cheap crappy houses.
We need more schools, better teachers. Roads need to be widened. There are
way too many over crowding issues that need attention ASAP
137 I would like to see Meridian built up with a few more restaurants, and homes but
still maintain open land throughout. I'd hate for it to be too built up and crowded.
138 A gem community in the treasure valley with premier education, housing
options, urban /transit hubs and vertically integrated living. It will be a "place" that
people what to be to live, work, and raise a family.
139 A busy traffic ridden mini city. Turning a rural farm town into a busy city is a
mistake. Development is supposed to happen slowly so that all services and
resources in the community can keep up.
142 At this rate, overcrowded/congested.
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143 A place where people can raise their families safely, and also have the
opportunities for success in the work place.
144 A big mess
145 Safe- -not overly crowded community that focuses on family,schools,and quality
of life.
147 a nightmare. Too much traffic, not enough schools and no longer the small-town
feel. Very, very sad.
148 Total gridlock due to ACHD and the Meridian City Council's willingness to
approve any and all high density projects on every piece of vacant land within the
City of Meridian borders which will also probably grow, and schools will be
totally jammed and the city won't have enough water wells or waste water
treatment options and we will have moved to another city that hasn't allowed
this to happen.
149 An acedamic leader giving an opportunity to elementary students to perform
above grade level (see Legacy charter school in Arizona curriculum) and all high
school students to earn an associates or certificate through dual enrollment. A
family centered community with miles of pathways for biking and walking away
from main roads with trees to shade; limit high density housing; make mandatory
for developers to set aside green space and large park development with a
variety of activities like horseshoes, pickle ball courts, tennis, splash pads,
racquetball, etc; prioritize recruiting family oriented entertainment businesses
and limit, if not refuse to build, more payday loan shops, pawn shops, and bars.
Recruit businesses who can utilize local high school and college student talent.
A leader in road accessibility and transportation. Timed freeway entry lights to
avoid dumping 30 cars onto the freeway leading to further congestion. Leader in
college education. Partner with BSU to create a BSU Meridian campus.
150 so crowded and not the Meridian we know and love, it will be unrecognizable.
Idafornia.
151 Gown aND thriving
152 A disaster of huge traffic issues
153 Suffocating from too much growth. If we don't control the loss of farm land in the
Ada region, we will be Seattle. I don't want to live in Seattle.
154 Overcrowded with high crime
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155 bigger.
156 Still in the top 10 lists for best places to live, work and play.
158 Large, and a city of its own unique to Boise.
160 Safe and family friendly.
163 Much more populated
164 a clean, well ordered and organized city. It will be a model for other cities in the
areas of public engagement, civil discourse, and compassion.
165 just a bad as Salt Lake City.
167 Another big concrete jungle, with people piled on top of one another, higher
crime rates,which leads to people abandoning their neighborhoods, and the
decay soon to follow. Large shopping centers closing, schools falling into dis-
repair, drop out rates increasing as more and more students are piled into small
schools. Overpopulation to big to handle, like LA or Salt Lake City. NOT a pretty
picture!
169 a great place to live and raise a family.
170 Overbuilt and way too crowded. Time to slow things down!!
171 Very populated
172 The way it is growing, likely it will be crowded unless infrastructure roads and
schools are appropriately considered when budgeting. Right now it is growing
so fast
175 A huge city that will have lost its agricultural history.
176 Waaay too crowded and way behind in infrastructure. We will most likely left way
before that even though we love the area!!
177 Too crowded, too much traffic if growth continues uncontrolled as it is now. It
needs to slow down. Meridian used to be a quiet town with family values. Now
it's all about making lots of money by building houses on the beautiful farmlands.
178 A mess if the planning does not improve.
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180 Clean city with great amenities and friendly supportive neighbors.
181 More crowded with traffic. Strongly feel that there needs to be North-South
freeway extension from the I - 84, to take traffic off the streets Traffic
congestion changed the quality of life in Meridian.
182 An overdeveloped, sprawling, congested area. It will no longer be a destination
area; instead, it will be a place that people are leaving. Development dollars will
have dried up, replaced by high taxation to keep city services in place.
183 more crowded, less attractive to live in.
184 Paralyzed by traffic challenges.
187 A place where there is a balance between development and nature
188 I think it will have more of it's own identity instead of just being knows as a
suburb of Boise. But it will also be very congested if we don't address
transportation.
189 a much larger city - no longer a bedroom community.
190 devoid of open space and full of crowded streets if growth isn't managed
properly
191 Just like California. It will be over populated, too much traffic, too much crime,
there will be no beautiful farms and land left. It's sad to see what's happened to
Boise and Meridian.
192 A rural city, no tall buildings, a great place to raise a family.
194 Busy.
195 to populated.
196 Neighborhood-centric with many well maintained parks or and other central
gathering places for socializing. Meridian will not have lost its rural charm, having
left some farmland undeveloped.
197 a complete community; one that has ameliorated it's past traffic woes by
investing in it's industrial, office and commercial economy by planning to be an
employment center, and not a bedroom community.
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198 recognized as the fastest expanding city in Idaho.
199 Very crowded. Meridian will have excellent public transportation options
throughout the Treasure Valley, with buses and light rail. With the freeway
expansion and public transportation, traffic congestion has decreased
dramatically since 2020. (I should be a writer, LOL)
200 A city that had seen too much growth with no planning and no rural
areas/farmland/open space, traffic congestion, over crowded schools, etc. etc.
202 more densely populated than today.
203 Much bigger as people will continue to move into the area.
204 In gridlock.
206 the spitting image of Orange County, CA.
207 A city with great public transportation and family friendly areas to connect with
others in.
209 over populated
210 more vertically integrated in downtown and along the interstate corridor.
211 Different than Boise, as Boise will be just like Portland.
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212 Ahead of the times in regards to infrastructure and maintaining the proactive
versus reactive standards of living. Meridian continues its policy of all parks and
trails being open to all residents and not shut down by any community. The
expectation and adherence of high quality landscaping by all developers and
homeowners have come a long ways since 2020. The development of the green
belt trails have been a stunning success with users having the ability to shop and
eat while using them. Since Meridian didn't have significant exposure to the
Boise River, they smartly used existing canal right of ways and the extension of
parks and ponds from them. Public transportation options especially for the
aging population has helped older folks stay in their homes longer. They took
cues from Boise in regards to sustainable growth and environmental concerns
for recycling, renewable energy, and healthy lifestyles. Since being called out for
it, Meridian also finally broke the traditional Idaho model of its not who you
know, and attracted talent by hiring people with what you know processes. This
finally overcame the problem of youth and talent leaving Idaho for better
opportunity and wages. This also helped close the income gap so prevelant 20
years ago as well as various group and community bias in regards to employment
and just being friendly to your neighbors regardless of race, color or Religion.
214 Extremely crowded with increased crime due to the continued building of
homes, particularly multi-family units such as apartments. We have over-crowded
schools, so the district redraws the boundaries to help. What happens
immediately thereafter? A three story apartment complex is built across the
street from the middle school. Maybe I should run for Mayor?
215 overpopulated.
217 The safest, cleanest and most family oriented community in America.
218 struggling to provide services and infrastructure to maintain the quality of life the
has driven the continued influx of families moving from other areas, balancing
growth, schools, road, and transit will continue to be hot-button issues.
219 I am not sure
220 more modern and sophisticated
221 Too congested. I'm afraid it will be overrun with subdivisions and apartments.
223 a nightmare of sprawling housing and horrible traffic unless a better plan is put
together. Approving everything a developer requests (including a CostCo in a
residential neighborhood) is not going to lead to a better City.
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228 To big for our small dinky 2 lanes down Main St..wait forever to cross Main St
from the side streets unless you go to ones with a signal.
230 Looked to as the new standard for community planning and development
because of its forward thinking approach to parks and roads and transportation:
preparing for families to come.
231 Too crowded and busy
232 a place where kids can safely and easily walk or bike to school and the corner
store, a place where adults can live, work, and be entertained and a place where
senior citizens have attractive housing options and feel part of the community.
233 Paved with walking paths throughout. Have a real shopping mall with Dillards,
Macy's and Nordstrom. Have more boutiques. Have unique restaurants, not
chains. Have trees everywhere like Eagle. Have ponds with access to all, no more
ponds owned by subdivisions. Swimming and paddle boarding allowed like at
Legacy in Eagle. Be on level with Eagle as a place to live. Have excellent schools
with well paid teachers so the best want to come here. No more common core.
Have a cool downtown that impresses. Have jobs for those not from Idaho.
Serious prejudice here for outsiders. No more minimum wage population. The
wages are ridiculously low here. The only way to get a good job is to work for a
national company. But most companies do not look at Idaho as a place to do
business. There are two classes here, the high and high middle and the poor. I
am republican but this state is too conservative even for me. It is detrimental to
growth. Oh and the Mormons. Seriously, why should a decptive religon be able
to run a state and a city like Meridian. That is wrong. Really the only people who
do well here are the rich and retirees. There is little room for middle class. We
moved here and once the neighbors met us they had nothing to do with us cuz
we were not Mormon. The neighbors will not allow their high schoolers to
socialize with nonMormons. God did not tell Joseph Smith to create a new
religion because people were being evil. God's true word is forever. This is
ridiculous they are trying to flood Meridian culture. They wont win cuz California
is flooding in. We didnt like it when California moved to our old state and
liberalized it. But here it may do some good. Bottom line, jobs for those who are
not Mormon. The prejudice here is ridiculous. This can be a beautiful town. But
people need better wages to improve the quality of life.
234 a traffic night mare, and not enough police.
236 The city to emulate.
237 Too crowded.
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239 a lot like Boise
240 Just like Boise
243 Up until the rapid expansion of large footprint multi-story apartment housing,
Meridian was a very high quality of living city, but now it's clearly the developers,
not taxpayers, are driving the unsightly apartment building. It's time for city
leaders to create and hold fast for a SLOW GROWTH policy. Property Tax
burdens are inexcusable for many, especially senior crowns in limited income.
244 Overcrowded, rapidly increasing crime, schools spilling over of students and
roads that will be even more congested.
245 A great place to raise a family.
247 Bigger and more populated. Hopefully traffic flows better and there are more
public transportation options.
248 The place where folks that can't buy in Boise but have won't live in Nampa go.
Same as it is now. Can't afford Boise but can't do Nampa. If not, then it will be the
other side of the tracks for Boise.
249 Extremely overcrowded, far too expensive for the average person to purchase a
home, huge traffic jams and the vast majority of the citizens will be from
California.
251 way overcrowded and not enough improvements on the roadways.
252 a mess if they don't stick to their comprehensive plans..i don't even know why u
put so much effort into these things if you don't follow them..shame
253 Developed in a meaningful way. Not all strip malls and apartments. Walking paths
and parks. Wide roads. Businesses brought in in a way that gives the area
character versus strip malls and gas stations on every corner. Stop putting in
giant apartment complexes.
256 Probably much larger than today. It will need better planning, expanded roads
and a much larger police force.
257 Hopefully the same quality of life that we enjoy in 2018.
259 Gridlocked with traffic and schools will be so overcrowded, temporary buildings
will fill the athletic fields.
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260 The great city it is today with frequent events and activities for the entire family
and all ages.
262 Over run and choked with traffic.
263 larger in population than Boise, Id.
264 Big
266 In total financial crisis due to the lack of the inability to obtain a job, not just to
mention the wages ARE NOT even close to the housing costs here. I love living
in Meridian and have lived here for 16 years, born here in the Treasure Valley;
but this is obviously a serious crisis people!!
271 densely overcrowded, schools bursting, and not the small town I used to love.
272 overcrowded with neighborhoods with small lots, schools bursting and not the
quaint small town feel I moved here for.
273 In 2040 Meridian will be my former home. Why would I want to live in a place that
doesn't follow it's comprehensive plan, ignores the concerns of residents, fails
to hire professional planners, is in bed with the big developers, passes on taxes
to the voters without their consent, the list goes on an on......
275 Degraded by increased multiculturalism (deliberate) and too much population,
which will impact traffic, crime, and schools.
276 a complete nightmare to do lack of infrastructure improvements to handle the
growth.
277 Gridlocked in traffic.
279 ...more developed than Southern California. I lived there for 21 years, and I know.
Actually, heck, most residents will probably be from CA by 2040.
280 Even more overcrowded and far less safe.
281 WAY to big!!!
282 Built out and totally urban.
283 Balanced and in harmony with natural surroundings
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284 way too big.
285 Large and having evolved from a sprawling rural suburb to a taller, sister city of
Boise.
286 way too crowded and it will be impossible to drive somewhere in 30 min.
287 Meridian should be, if growth and quality of development is successfully
managed, a desirable city of distinct and unique districts in which to live, work
and recreate.
288 Over grown, congested with traffic, personal values will diminish, value of
housing will be over priced, conglomerate housing projects that will diminish the
quality and safety of life in the city, and create many traffic issues. Building
moratorium should be a consideration until our infrastructure can catch up. Just
to note, the infrastructure has never been comparable to the growth of the city
as it is.
289 too crowded.
290 over-crowded
293 close to size (population) to the City of Boise.
295 not Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver or any city inCalifornia
297 Our City is a great place to live, work & play.
298 Our City is great place to live, work & play.
299 An easily accessible community with good traffic control, open (rural) space, and
schools that aren't over crowded,
301 Like every other big city.
302 Overcrowded!!! I'm scared we're heading towards urban sprawl just like
California. Too many open spaces, i.e.: farmland is being turned into apartment
complexes and subdivisions. Too much traffic on two-lane roads. It appears to
the lowly resident that it's all about money, and NOT the quality of life that we
thought we bought into when we moved here a few Year's ago from Boise to
get away from rapid growth.
303 Overpopulated, but hopefully will maintain the same values that it has today.
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305 Extremely overcrowded and just like California
306 grid locked without the addition of improved transportation corridors.
307 Over crowded with failing infrastructure.
308 Too much traffic.
310 Without enough public transportation. This will be a huge issue ifvwe don't
address it now!!
311 run by visionaries who have made it the best little city in the US. It will have the
best roads/traffic control, schools, parks, hospitals and will be very safe. The
infrastructure will have been put in place 20 years prior by city visionaries.
312 A population and commercial center
313 Meridian is a wonderful community to live in but seems to be growing at an
alarming rate with little thought to quality, infrastructure and needs for our
future. In 2040 I see this community being over run and people leaving as quickly
as they are arriving today. Please look at other communities where many of
these people are coming from and Don,t make the same mistakes. I feel if we had
a better comprehensive plan for the current situation and slow the roll we as a
community could grow more gently and hugely benefit for all of our future.
Thank you
314 A lot more densely populated
315 I HOPE, not turned into a suburban nightmare with residential sprawl
uncontrollably ruining quality of life and freedom of movement. Don't let a
beautiful City and community turn into California. Be the stewards of the people,
not big business.
316 Overpopulated with poor infrastructure
317 still rated as one of the best cities in America due to low crime, managed growth
and job opportunities.
318 Over populated!
319 I hope still a nice place to live. We must be smart to develop quality housing with
good road and school planning.
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321 Safe, clean and family friendly place to live.
322 Mostly a family community with some business. Lots of trees, parkways, parks
and the best schools in the state
323 Larger, which is sad. It would be nice to slow the growth and specifically the
density.
324 Overpopulated and congested.
325 Hopefully a slower growing community with enough infrastructure to actually
support itself.
326 same as it is today. hopefully! (but I doubt it). If our polititians, representitives will
quit spending our tax dollars on things we don't need (or want).
327 wishing it had developed differently. Car dependent residential and vacant
commercial.
328 Family friendly, with a small town feel, reasonable property taxes and less road
congestion.
329 I want Meridian to have a wonderful quality of life feel. Have a more relaxed
environment and not be rush, rush and rude. Our traffic needs to be better
controlled and not let out of staters turn us into another CA, WA or OR big city
with no consciousness.
330 Easier to get around without a car—more bike lanes and paths. A city in which
the growth has not exceeded the capacity of roads, utilities, etc
331 A safe, family focused community that isn't too large and crowded
332 A traffic disaster
334 a city that planned well for growth by investing in infrastructure while holding on
to it's small town values.
335 Better wider roads. These farm roads hamper growth and quality life.
336 A diverse, family oriented community.
338 The second largest city in Idaho, but with a more family friendly, community
oriented feel than other cities or a similar size or larger.
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339 A large city with lots of problems unless they are addressed NOW.
340 crowded.
341 vastly overcrowded and probably a larger city than Boise.
343 A giant city extending in miles to the north, south and west. Traffic will be similar
to the California bay area or southern California.
344 Overcrowded with inadequate roadways.
345 Over populated, under resourced and poor infrastructure.
347 Overcrowded due to lack of future planning for roads schools and recreational
opportunities. Future planning starts now and it isn't planning for a little bit it is
planning for the huge population growth that we will have in 20 years. Meridian
is already behind with the growth that it has seen planning now to catch up and
get ahead of that growth is crucial
348 Full of great local businesses with an urban feel downtown. A great place for kids
and family.
349 Overcrowded if growth is not managed.
350 Gridlocked
351 A beautiful and family friendly community.
353 Easier access to shopping areas and businesses downtown. Better roads are a
MUST have since the city is growing.
355 A big metro area similar to Minneapolis, or Houston. But not California like some
think
356 Too full to go anywhere
357 Too crowded and still not enough roads to manage the growth
360 Well planned with infrastructure first and then building.
361 Way overcrowded & congested.
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362 An affluent friendly community with beautiful streets, neighborhoods, and parks,
full of opportunities!
363 An absolute nightmare with all the growth & very poor planning in every
respect......poor water quality & insufficient availability, old two-lane roads in the
rural areas, small 0-lot line houses all jammed together with traffic backups in
every subdivision for morning & evening commutes, only parks for children to
play in & only crowded streets & sidewalks to ride their bikes! I have lived here
for 10 years & it has been like heaven but this last year it's been starting to
resemble hell & I don't even want to think about where it's headed! Thank God
I'm 74 years old!
364 As large as Boise
365 Less Portland Oregon like, keep the mix of neighborhoods and farming fields
that made meridian unique.
367 Safe place to raise my family.
368 A parking lot.
369 to large
370 a suburb of Boise
373 An overgrown Toilet.
374 Still having that small-town feel. Still be a safe place to live with wonderful law
enforcement officers who show they care. Meridian will reject the greed and
demoralizing values that have ruined other cities.
375 The New Portland with trash, homeless and all over California's values.
376 A great place to have raised my family. I hope to keep a lot of the old town of
Meridian preserved with what plans the city has in the future. I work in
downtown Meridian and it would be sad to see it change a whole lot. I think
some new projects and remodels are necessary.
377 Too large if we keep building
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378 I used to value the small town feel and the closeness of the community. I would
love to see a hault in the expansion of our beloved city. It's so sad to so much
torn down. It looks like a lot of greedy people have come in and have taken over
all the farm land and traded it for homes and shopping centers. The crime rate
has gone up substantially. I remember the days we didn't worry about leaving the
front door unlocked or the car parked outside. The overwhelming population
has turned this city into a place I do not even recognize. In 2040 I see Meridian as
a place I probobly will no longer want to live in if the changes continue as they
are. It SHOULD be better respected and have been better preserved as to why it
was so amazing here. My hope for 2040 is that there is still farmers and close
communities within this fast frowning city. I hope that what's left is preseved and
that those in office do not continue to be greedy and let the land be developed
into something that does not serve a purpose beside some revinue. It will
probably become a less attractive area with the growth as well as somewhere
people that grew up here can no longer afford to live. There has been so much
accommodation from people moving here and an overwhelming neglect for
those who grew up here.
379 Over crowded with too many cars, houses, and people. In 2040 I would love for
Meridian to have lots safe bike lanes, shady places to go for a long run, and less
people ;)
380 I wish Meridian was not growing at the pace it is. With growth brings crime,
worse traffic and higher housing costs. I miss the farmland.
382 over crowded, with horrible traffic. That is if the growth is going as it is now.
383 A thriving community that values individuals and families by encouraging growth
community wide. Businesses and shopping together in a smaller version of The
Villiiage in different areas city wide will lesson the traffic on major thouroghfares.
Parks, swimming pools and libraries for a healthy community.
384 A community that continues to engage families in events with more walkable
gathering spaces
385 Way too big and busy. If we want Meridian to be wonderful for years to come
then we need to plan and prepare. An elaborate green belt connecting the city
would be great. Communities should be carefully planned with large lot sizes and
good building standards. Design standards should be high!! I feel the direction
Meridian is headed is not good. The sprawl, poorly planned traffic, and
overcrowded schools make me feel like I should move. I am born and raised in
Idaho- lived in Meridian since 2008.
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387 A family oriented city where the focus is on the residents we have - not adding a
ton of apartment complexes and bringing more people into the area. Streets,
schools, etc can't keep up with the growth and safety will be negatively
impacted.
388 Too big for the current infrastructure & the values that helped us to grow. We
need to plan very carefully to be the community of excellence we wish to be.
One important area for growth into this excellence is to have some sort of
business (manufacturing, perhaps) that can sustain our growth. We also will
NEED public transportation that provides more stops than what we have
currently.
389 at its population limits. Meridian has limited space in which to grow. I can only
hope that the City of Meridian, ACHD, and West Ada Schools work VERY closely
together to address appropriate growth needs so that life in Meridian does not
become a headache.
390 I don't really have high hopes... Everything is criminalized- you can't even take a
walk at night without police harassment.
391 A thriving city with a maintained focus around being a safe and family oriented
community.
392 To big and not conservative enough.
393 A significant driver of the regions economic viability, a hub for regional transit
and a leader in public communication.
394 Like Seattle or Salt Lake City
395 Easier ways to get around town. Complete sidewalks so we can ride our bikes,
walk and run without having to worry about the narrow congested roads. Eating
options really get off ten mile off ramp. More pathways that connect subdivisions
and major streets.
396 busy and overcrowded
398 as safe, family friendly, and beautiful as it is today, with the best schools in the
state, affordable housing, good paying jobs, and infrastructure and support
services to support growth.
399 Over crowded with homes stacked on top of each other
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400 A still small town that put residents before money...focused on schools and safe
open communities.
401 way too crowded with no more open spaces, no more quail or falcons or other
critters running around. Full of empty strip malls and 3 and 4 story apartment
buildings built in the middle of every subdivision because who doesn't want that
in their backyard.
402 So crowded I get anxiety just thinking about it.
403 More crowded with traffic issues and have a higher crime rate due to the large
number of apartment complexes being constructed and the rapid growth.
404 I highly value the safety and sense of family friendly community. I would like to
see less congestion in neighborhood streets, stores, and parking lots.
405 Dynamic and diverse.
407 Heavily populated but offer family friendly events at safe parks, while having
addressed traffic contain congestion.
410 Booming.
411 Over populated with not enough roads for people to travel on.
412 another overcrowded city with too much traffic, too many homes, farms all gone,
crime, and nothing special.
413 A place people want to move away from based on current lack of foresight. I am a
native of Boise but have spent some years in the San Francisco Bay are and I
watched San Jose change from one of the safest large cities in the US into a
chaotic poorly planned congested crime infested area that a large number of
people are either leaving or trying to leave. This is the direction I see Ada county
heading.
414 unrecognizable
415 have a vibrant downtown
416 Gridlocked with no open spaces or natural areas
418 Way too crowded.
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419 Overly populated and challenged with traffic issues, housing & schools. My
husband's grandfather told us 40 years ago that the beautiful farm land would
eventually disappear between Boise and Caldwell.
420 A large city that hopefully can retain its sense of community like a small town.
421 An inter structure mess!
422 A safe, wholesome, family-friendly, well-planned community that slows the
growth until the infrstructure is in place thus maintaining quality of life for the
current residents.
425 A much larger city and traffic will be what it is. But the city will still be safe, family
friendly with good schools. The average family will be proud productive people
who still believe in strong morals, manners, and self reluance.
426 Totally overgrown and take 39 minutes to get 3 miles down the road if we don't
change the direction this city is headed!!!!
427 A very full community hopefully all the people who move here will appreciate
how conservative meridian is… Friendly clean safe with large improved roads —
hopefully no bus systems will come to town and hopefully the bikes will go back
to the sidewalks —- so there will be plenty of lanes for cars !!
428 I'm afraid it will be ruined! It will be all developed! Can't you leave some areas the
country feel it currently is? Please don't change everything to houses squished
together or apartments.
430 Too big but holding to its values as a geeat place to raise a family.
431 A large but tight-knit community!
432 less congested due to fixing our roadways giving us back the things we love
about meridian. a wonderful place to raise a family because of the small town yet
modern feel. access to any kind of activity within 30 minutes. a place where
people can live within their means and afford to raise their family instead of
suffering the consequences of an over populated area like how it feels now. i
hope these things will be resolved by 2040. or sooner.
434 A strong comunity that is not too big.
435 the most family friendly city in the northwest.
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436 Very overcrowded with no real infrastructure to support the population - if we
proceed as we have been.
437 an overcrowded, big mess.
439 be an over crowded slum with no open spaces, farms, or green space and have
no quality of life if the uncontrolled developing continues.
441 an overcrowded, high traffic, noisy, slum if the current uncontrolled over
developing is allowed to continue.
442 I want there to be smart growth. Lots of green. Maybe artisan coffee and a trader
joes. Beautiful local places to eat and relax and feel at home. Keeping the green
and beautiful country side. We are meridian not boise.
445 bike friendly.
446 The same size, or smaller than it is now.
448 miserably over crowded
449 A place where people are not stacked upon each other. The transportation
system has been developed to handle the number of people throughout the
area. The city council is more concerned about keeping the area open and family
friendly than increasing taxes by stacking people into small areas. Schools are
able to handle the number of children without being over crowd like they are
currently. The council sets s reasonable level of growth that can be supported
to msintain our current way of life.
450 A great place to live. It will be up with the trends that fit our area. I'd like to say it
won't be overpopulated. I don't want homes and apartments to take over the
land. I enjoy having some country feel to the out skirts of Meridian but still close
enough to stores/shopping.
451 more crowded
453 One of the safest cities in America, hopefully. Family friendly
455 A safe, clean, city that caters to sustainability, diversity, responsible growth, and
families.
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458 full of overcrowded schools, fighting a crumbling infrastructure, and wondering
why all that uncontrolled growth in 2020 didn't result in a perfect utopia like we
were told.
460 Crowded and less desirable unless we aggressively design our community for
populations growth.
461 Much bigger than it is today
463 gridlocked
465 The top metropolitan area in Idaho.
466 In 2040 Meridian will show tremendous but managed growth. Traffic will
continue to be an issue, however new subdivisions and businesses will have
proper turn lanes and sidewalks to allow traffic to flow and minimize accidents.
By now, Chinden Blvd. will have 2 lanes in each direction with a turn lane in the
middle from Eagle all the way to Caldwell. The Meridian police department will
have added the appropriate number of officers and specialized equipment to
handle the growth and yes, the unfortunate crime which comes with it. As
Meridian has grown into 2040, the city has strategically added new schools to
handle the additional families who will need to put their kids in school. Growth is
inevitable, and hopefully by 2040 Meridian will look like a city where the city
government took the time to manage the growth and assure it does not look
like LA, SF, Seattle, or Portland. Our Meridian should be a safe and attractive
place to live both families and retirees.
467 even worse from a traffic perspective, since they do not adhere to past
comprehensive plan agreements, and approve new developments before
appropriate infrastructure is first put in (ass-backward from how things should be
done in this City).
468 horribly over crowed with traffic jams, high crime and drug use running rampant.
I'm concerned about losing the family friendly safe environment and quality of life,
it is already getting worse.
469 Very crowded
470 overcrowded with poor infrastructure and overburdened roadways, too many
empty homes and very little 'countryside' available.
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472 overrun with homes, not one blade of grass, not one open field and wall to wall
gridlock on the roads because ACHD is accountable to no one. And all the cities
want is to fill their coffers with no regard to quality of life.
473 over 200,000 in population and no roads will have been widened.
474 A safe, family friendly city full of friendly people with good values and
opportunities for family appropriate recreation and community service and
involvement.
475 Too sprawled out
476 much bigger and more congested.
477 Well thought out in terms of growth. Our schools will be recognized for
providing superb educational opportunities for students without the
overcrowding of schools.
478 full of open space, natural habitats, slower, and controlled growth.
480 Too big unless housing developments and other building have limits. Residents
move here, not to be in overcrowded areas, but to have all resources available
without the terrible traffic and overcrowding found in other states. We
desperately need better traffic patterns, especially north/west. Eagle is
unbearable most hours of the day. We need another on and off ramp either at
Cloverdale or Five Mile.
481 WAY TOO OVERPOPULATED! Traffic nightmares are even worse! We really
need to put a moratorium on growth until we get the infrastructure.
483 A safe, thriving, uniquely Idaho cimmunity that is family friendly and community-
focused.
485 over crowded, less community and clogged roads.
486 Over crowded. It already is! Too many people & not enough roads or
transportation like buses to take away all the traffic. To congested
487 much larger with more community activities, "greener" (construction, waste
collection/recycling, noise and air), easy and affordable public transportation to
Boise, road infrastructure eases congestion
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488 Not a good place to live if our leaders do not look out for the interest of the
people. So far so good.
489 overgrown with increasingly worse schools and no longer a desirable place for
families.
490 Gridlocked by out of control traffic beacause there are no public transportation
choices for residents
491 Known as a destination location for those looking for amazing restaurants,
beautiful scenery (do not get rid of the farmlands - beautiful), unique
experiences, top-notch schools, clean & safe cities, where fun is to be had!
Where people really know how to LIVE life to its fullest!
493 The new Boise
494 the largest city in Idaho.
495 The best city to live in. Very safe, lots of restaurants and shopping, public lakes
to fish in. Hopefully small growth, keep the roads up
496 Too crowded! The roads will be inadequate!
497 over developed and overcrowded without proper care today in planning and
zoning. Currently growth is happening faster than the infrastructure.
498 So congested with traffic. You think Eagle is bad now wait til 2040
499 even more rampant with Californians and Washingtonians. And hopefully
capable of housing and schooling them all.
500 Too big if we keep building commercial and residential things. We will lose the
small town feel.
501 More pedestrian and dog owner friendly with more dog parks and dog swimming
areas
502 a traffic nightmare. Especially with Costco going in at Ten Mile and Chinden
(bottle neck location with entry through neiborhood streets)
503 one of the safest cities in the US with advances in education, trade, and
technology.
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504 An example for cities across the country.
505 gridlocked and screaming for public transportation from Boise to Caldwell, either
light rail or a decent common-sense bus system!!
506 Another concrete jungle, over crowded, high crime,worse traffic mess than now.
Schools decaying from overcrowding, higher and higher taxes, and a loss of
friendly neighborhoods, turning into another L.A. Pollution of air and water, a
loss of all farmland, consumed by closed antiquated shopping malls.
507 covering a lot of land space. Many agricultural areas will be turned into housing
and commercial spaces. The school district may need to be split in two as it
covers so many buildings and students.
508 A family friendly city with little traffic and mom and pop type stores. No more big
box stores
509 the major suburban city in the Treasure Valley with little to no public
transportation and urban-sprawl type development from Kuna to Eagle and
Boise to Nampa. Quality walking and biking facilities are few and they are not
connected in way that makes sense. The downtown area will continue to
languish in mediocrity as it takes a back seat to the development along Eagle
Road, Ten Mile, and Chinden.
511 Worse if the comprehensive plans in place now are continuing to be ignored and
the current mayor and staff aren't replaced now
513 over run with California Idiots and trying to straighten out mistakes made now.
514 Gridlock and way over populated if we don't grow smart.
516 a big city that I will move away from
517 overpopulated and the quality of life will lower if things keep going as is.
519 a large city, hopefully still safe and family friendly.
520 exactly like California.
521 behind on building infrastructure to the point that people will not want to live
here.
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522 still a great place to live because there was a slow growth plan put into place in
order to address the concerns of the residents and maintain or improve the
quality of life for those who live here or come to visit.
523 suffering from overcrowded schools and lack of infrastructure unless these
items are addressed now. Also, new companies need to be encouraged to move
their businesses to Meridian.
524 A "small town" feel city that has many things to offer: shopping, dining, great
schools, the roads are wide with sidewalks and bike lanes. The city is safe for our
children to play outside. The families are the heart of this city
525 Composed of ex Californians and Washingtonians If we are not careful we will
become a place to rum from instead of to
526 Overgrown and no longer reflect what I moved here for in the 1990's.
527 Just as family friendly as ever, and a great place for technology jobs without
being nearly as expensive as Silicon Valley.
528 too overcrowded with massive traffic issues, crowded schools, and ever-
increasing housing prices that local Idahoans will not be able to afford. My vision
for Meridian is for family values and quality of life to be maintained south of the
freeway. South Meridian has a different vibe, which is why we chose to live in this
area. Our hope is for our relaxed side of the freeway to remain relaxed, giving us
a reprieve from the hustle and bustle. Meridian has been a great place to raise
our children. We hope our quality of life is maintained for years to come, allowing
for our grandchildren to experience the Meridian we've known and loved.
529 over grown.
530 Too crowded with not enough roads to accommodate all the traffic and not
enough schools to teach the children. Growth is already getting out of hand.
531 Too big and too crowded with poor roads.
533 California
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534 Way over crowded, with little to no attention to the overall infrastructure. More
and more homes will be built, and the streets will remain crowded and congested
because they are to narrow and fail to handle traffic effectively and efficiently.
Any work that has been, or will be, done will be piece meal further congesting
the traffic and making it miserable to get anywhere in a car. Chinden may have
been widened, but not enough to handle the traffic, and more work will need to
be done which will cripple more traffic due to the construction. Meridian and Ada
County are already way late in road construction, updating, widening, and
controlling the problem and it will only get worse. It is doubtful that anyone has
even thought about a beltway around the metropolitan area and by the time they
do the area will be so build up that the cost will be prohibitive. In 2018 TenMile,
Chinden, BlackCat, Linder are two lane for most of the their routes getting to the
Interstate. The Boise river to the north creates a natural barrier to Star,
Middleton, Eagle, etc and projects like Hwy16 that terminate at Hwy 20/26 are
just plain irresponsible!! It is going to be a mess!!!
535 a complete 180 of what we have today if we don't plan for the future! Our
roads/bridges etc. and infrastructure is terribly behind the amount of traffic of
today and it is only going to get much worse. The disconnect between the city
and ACHD/ITD with preparing for the future is going to make our once great
little city a place to avoid. The traffic on Chinden and all surrounding streets is
now way over capacity and will get considerably worse, there is no arguing it! I
am completely for business growth as long as it is managed properly and there is
forethought. The proposed COSTCO development is a perfect example of the
city not thinking of the residents in the area impacted but only thinking of the tax
dollars it will create. You took the comp plan and map that was last approved in
Sept. 2017 and totally disregarded it. People look at those comp plans when
deciding where to live and without thought you completely screwed the
residents in that area. Putting a business of this size, which is surrounded on all
sides by residential neighborhoods, parks etc. is absurd! Instead of looking at a
site by the freeway on 10 mile, still in the city of Meridian, the city completely
caved to the developers and let them call all the shots. They lied at the city
council meeting at every turn but the city council could have cared less. The
council members did not listen to the residents in any way or consider their
many concerns and had the project rubber stamped the day it was presented.
The council not once talked about or collaborated in the meeting about safety,
traffic, parks, environmental concerns, etc. or the many other concerns, they
only wanted to talk about the design of the building! Despicable! So you ask me
where we will be, if the city continues to act irresponsibly as it has in the past,
Meridian will be a place with lots of homes, a collage of businesses scattered in
with no forethought which will result in a mess! I hope, but with not a lot of trust
or confidence that the city will do what is in the best interest of the citizens who
live here going forward and not just for the tax dollars or for all of your so called
legacy's!
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537 an amazing, friendly community with outstanding public transportation to rival
Portland, OR.
538 Like every other city.
539 Ruined, if it keeps growing at its present rate.
540 Filled in and hopefully thriving though poor planning will likely continue to plague
Meridian well into the future.
541 Too big and too busy
543 Much larger than it is now and we need to put into action the property
infrastructure to support the rapid growth.
544 A nightmare if roads and infrastructure aren't updated asap. Meridian and achd
are years behind. The plan to widen streets AFTER Costco goes in is a huge
mistake. 4 Lanes North to ustick then back to 2 then back to 4 after McMillan?
How is that safe and responsible? There are already no sidewalks for our kids to
ride bikes on that connect neighboring subdivisions along ten Mile. Someone
will get killed on that stretch after Maverick. I just pray it isn't my child. Schools
cannot keep up with the influx of students already and yet hundreds of students
will soon be moving into the mass apartment complex at meridian and McMillan.
This is highly irresponsible City planning and disappointing. I don't foresee 2040
as a positive place for meridian.
545 Too crowded, stop the insane growth. Your policies have ruined Meridian.
546 A gridlock if our transportation system isn't improved.
547 much more difficult to travel on the streets if growth is not addressed
appropriately.
550 a family friendly community
551 Over crowded, traffic problems, more crime
552 A mess if the city leaders don't slow down approving all the development before
widening the roads and improving the infrastructure.
553 a traffic disaster
554 Way too big
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556 unaffordable for most
557 an overcrowded mess.
559 A highly desirable city to live within featuring plenty of open space for families
with children.
560 Thriving with exponential growth
561 Overcrowded with poor infrastructure, outdated schools, underpayed teachers,
lack of jobs and decrease in quality of life.
563 A highly desirable city to live within.
564 Overcrowded with horrible traffic issues due to poor current planning. Too
much growth too fast =disaster.
565 an upscale, hip place to live.
566 overcrowded and under planned
567 way to big and over populated
568 Mass growth is terrible in Meridian! Streets are so overwhelmingly getting
crowded that growth needs to be stopped or at least slowed! Quit rubber
stamping every subdivision that comes along!
569 The new Boise, very family friendly oriented with lots of schools,
shopping/village areas, etc.
570 A lesser city because of overpopulation, traffic and crime.
571 over crowded, traffic bound, weedy lots every where bought by developers who
aren't required to maintain them until being "developed" as now, no
consideration to cost of conservation of water use and work load of added
landscaped street dividers and subdivision entry ways with unnecessary
fountains and wasteful water features. Hopefully more consideration for
mandatory use of solar power and labor free features and surroundings.
572 Less of a suburb and more of a city.
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576 possibly gridlocked, and possibly overcrowded for peaceful existing
neighborhoods will be encroached upon by the wills and projects of developers,
though this can be avoided if developers are encouraged to provide and build
their own roadways into their projects without piggybacking and encroaching
onto existing quiet residential streets. Developers should provide substantially
larger buffer zones and landscaping between old and new development and a
smart transition that is complementary to the existing neighborhood is
important, ex. 3-4 story apartments do not belong next to homes on larger lots,
or high density development next to R-4 zoned residential. Under current
guidelines, existing neighborhoods may have to provide de facto highways into
these new developments which will therefore decimate the quality of life for
those who have invested emotionally and fiscally into their neighborhood. Our
neighborhoods and city have attracted residents for a reason, and continued
maintenance of a semblance of peace, low traffic loads in residential areas, and
maintaining a sense of calm is key, for that is what home is meant to be.
Furthermore, traffic needs to be addressed so Meridian can continue to be
attractive and welcoming to all--those who live here now and those who wish to
reside in our beloved city.
578 ?
579 A SAFE community, continuing to put families FIRST. A community mindful of
NOT over populating or allowing lots of housing units in small/condensed areas.
A community that maintains it's small town feel.
580 Where I retire.
581 Almost as big as Boise & many great places to shop. Plus the best park system in
Idaho.
582 Don't ask us. You will do what brings in the money regardless of what we say
584 Severely overcrowded without adequate roads and transportation will be a
nightmare. Too much growth, not enough infrastructure.
586 Indistinguishable from Boise. That may not be a good thing.
587 A very large city. Hopefully, with many opportunities for all.
588 Congested with traffic if a regional transportation plan is not developed.
589 Over grown and a trafic nightmare!
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590 Much larger
591 More a City than a rural farm town.Meridian will be much like the city of Eagle with
the eclectic mix of new and old to serve the community.
592 Based on continuing growth such as we have been seeing, a less safe and
desirable community. I believe we are seeing the out come of burgeoning
growth as I speak. Often those moving to this community are looking for a better
quality of life but end up bringing what they left with them. The burden this
places on our infrrastuctue not to mention first responder services is noticeable
by the day.
593 LA!!
594 Too big.
595 A family oriented city with parks and open spaces. We will have a revitalized,
quaint downtown that draws people to enjoy food, shops and music.
597 Far worse unless they start allowing more good quality growth such as Winco
and even Costco. There is far too much rental property being built, especially
that huge project near Meridian Road and McMillan. Wow! what a terrible
mistake that is, especially being allowed before streets and better traffic
controls. It is too bad that there was some conflict of interest there.
599 Much worse and less appealing unless some things change such as stopping
Winco and Costco and building too many rentals. Why in the world did you allow
such a horrible thing as the huge apartment complex at McMillan and Meridian
Rd?
601 Overcrowded, with farmland mostly gone.
602 an overpriced and over built city in Idaho that pushed out the middle to lower
middle class and catering only to the people that make over 100K a year. Let
alone city council approves everything to be built. If they would have slowed
down in 2018, it would be a city that it used to be known for in the New York
Times. #1 places to live.
603 Too crowded unless roads are steadily improved.
604 Sensibly developed. Public transportation to all points east and west.
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605 A lousy place to live with all of the growth. It will go the way of any other good
sized city in the U.S..With growth comes the good and the bad. Unfortunately
when you have only had good for so many years, the bad becomes magnified.
My wife and I are already figuring out where we will be moving to in the future.
606 hopefully still family oriented. Hoping it doesn't get to over crowded. The roads
are getting atrocious with traffic.
607 A safe haven for families.
609 Still a great City to live in. It will be safe, affordable to live, have great restaurants,
roads designed to sustain traffic. I fear that developers are convincing the city to
put in whatever businesses will make them money instead of businesses that
enrich the local community. Hopefully the schools will be placed and built so that
some of our already crowded school find relief. Let's continue to value the
outdoors and make it even more accessible with great paths and parks.
611 It will be impossible to drive around. It will be so congested.
613 Overcrowded with huge impacts on roads.
614 A livable community with minimal traffic, community activities, good parks and a
vibrant downtown area
616 A suburb of Boise
617 Way more overcrowded than I ever imagined.
619 An ugly version of California with congested roads, cheap strip malls, angry
drivers, and fat cat developers who choose to live in Eagle where it is attractive.
621 Well planned out. Infrastructure prior to expansion. Will have more green
space...parks and bike pathways. Traffic will flow.
622 Boise West
624 Family focused community with the top schools in the nation.
626 One giant traffic jam.
627 Overgrown and filled with Californians.
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628 hopefully still a great place to raise a family, without it being too big and over
crowded. Safe and friendly with a small town feel.
629 Way to overgrown and still waiting for the roads and services to be caught up.
630 unable to handle the amount of traffic on the roadways. We need to be planning
for moving traffic across and around town.
631 a very large city with uncontrolled growth. The city leadership does not listen to
the residence (i.e. the Costco debacle), as a result the builders (with money), will
have their way.
632 Hopefully a safe, secure, friendly place for everyone from the youngest of
children to those of us who are seniors. Control the growth so there are still
fields of crops to break the monotony of one housing project after another.
633 Overcrowded.
634 A safe haven in a frightening world
635 A family friendly community where there is ample green space and pocket
services with less apartments and strip malls.
637 Totally overrun with people and cars and it will be impossible to get around. We
will be a more conservative version of California!!!
638 A family friendly suburb of Boise but hopefully with a better layout and more
culture.
639 a mess if better growth planning doesn't start immediately. Developers need to
be held financially responsible for improved roads and transportation. Growth
needs to be limited in order to maintain the quality of life.
641 Overcrowded and suffering the consequences of allowing developers twenty
years earlier to ignore the current comprehensive plan.
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643 Hopefully, it will not be the direction it is going now. May Meridian leaders get
over being sold to the highest bidder. Why would Mayor Tammie be proud we
exceeded 100,000. May Meridian have slower SUBSTAINABLE growth. May we
have the small town values where family is the utmost important value. May we
stop high density housing so we can actually keep some small town values, open
land, knowing our neighbors, being kind and helpful. Meridian seems more
concerned right now in how many people it can encourage to move here instead
of making sure it's present citizens can actually continue to have a good quality
life. It has become crazy here. Even going to the grocery store can be a challenge
because they can't even stock the shelves anymore. Please don't sell our soul to
developers and everyone who wants to come here. It will slow down if they can't
purchase housing.
645 crowded, but growing, and the services will be caught up like the library and
stores
646 A nice quiet little city that you know your neighbors and feels like you are not in
an overcrowded town.
647 Over crowded and unrecognizable
649 too big! We are growing unchecked and we need to slow down the builders!!
Traffic is becoming a major problem.
651 Much bigger and more crowded hopefully with an infrastructure to support it.
652 Huge with a lot of traffic and long commutes.
653 Allot smarter about planning about planning from the center of Meridian out
instead or making all improvements around the perimeters. Our older
neighborhoods and seniors are totally neglected. It seems Meridian only families.
i.e. regarding the decision to move the YMCA out of central Meridian to south
Meridian.
657 too overcrowded with horrific traffic
658 Sprawled and over built if it going the way it's going now.
659 much too crowded.
660 able to handle the traffic, have good schools, a larger police and fire force.
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661 Overcrowded, traffic congestion,cheap strip malls on every corner because
Meridian was developed without an urban planner. It would be an asset if
downtown is revitalized. It was put on hold because of the recession but that's
been over years ago.
662 even better to live in. Green spaces, lots of choices in public transportation, no
congestion on the roads.
665 Lacking critical infrastructure if we continue to grow at the current rate; which is
too rapid.
667 a disaster unless we take the time to do a real master plan. Just letting
developers continue to build without focusing on traffic, roads, safety, etc. will
make this place just like Denver that I left for these very reasons! Developers
need to help pay for new/expanded roads, moving overhead power lines, etc.
Really disappointed in some of the mish/mash growth.
668 Safe, clean, open spaces, high end shopping, good roads
670 The city with the fewest apartments in the country!
671 a growth and traffic nightmare if smart growth and road building as part of a
comprehensive plan are not upheld by the City (refer to Costco at 10 Mile &
Chinden).
672 a big city
673 So far behind in building schools, hospitals, and far too many homes built on
what used to be our gorgeous Meridian.
674 Much better controlled growth where the city dictates to developers that if the
build a housing development, or God forbid, a 280 unit apartment complex they
would require the developer widen the road and improve the intersection, on
their dime.
675 gridlocked
676 A mess like Boise unless there is some planning and some reduction of runaway
building. Traffic is already out of control and there I no plan that I am aware of the
addresses the lack of appropriate infrastructure, in Meridian to Boise or on to
Nampa.
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677 Family Focused and adjusted to the times while maintaining some history and
heart.
678 a mess with a overcrowding and no clear leadership
679 over-populated and without much farm land.
680 I wish it was more planned out, pedestrian friendly.
681 Still considered on of the best places in America to live, work and raise a family.
682 Over populated
684 Overcrowded. Keep us rural. Encourage ag education and support our farmers!
686 A great place to live & shop. Family and pet friendly. Not too crowded, not too
expensive. But community and environment conscious. Safe, caring community.
687 to big
688 devoid of most of it's beautiful farm land and be a continuous string of
subdivisions at the rate it is going. Too much growth way too fast!
689 A community with too many apartment buildings that are aging.
690 a shithole! All open space will be filled with housing or other development and
traffic will be a nightmare, already is gridlock in the mornings and afternoon rush
hour. I'm a 2nd generation Meridian resident and I'm not at all liking the way it's
headed. It's all about the mighty $$$$. I will be 72 in 2040 if I live that long. My 2
sons will be approaching their mid 40's by then. I wish they could have grown up
in the Meridian that I grew up in.
691 A place where families can play in available green spaces, as well as find
stimulating cultural entertainment for "date night" (sometimes adults need a
night out too) and a revitalized downtown area filled with restaurants, art
galleries, antique stores, etc. and a theatre/music scene. A two week ( or
weekend) music and food festival in the summer would be great as well! More
things available that I have to travel to now is what I hope will happen in the
future.
692 PLEASE INPROVE THE LOUSY CITY WATER. LIVED IN SEVERAL STAESIN THE
LAST 45 YEARS AND MERIDIAN HAS BEEN THE WORST. WE LIVEN IN
SPORTSMAN POINT.
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695 high density housing and all the roads clogged up with cars just like california
696 A city that is clean, safe, affordable, family friendly, with a good public
transportation system for the young and old.
698 The bedroom community of the treasure valley, a vital link to healthcare and
professional services midway between Nampa and Boise.
699 A family friendly city, while still maintaining a small town feel. Traditions like Dairy
Days will continue. There will be environmental preservation, open land/spaces,
not buildings/lots stuffed into any available space. The city will remain clean,
buildings will remain pleasing to the eye, planning should include maintained
views of the mountains. Schools and safe environments for children will be top
priority. Police, fire, and EMS will receive support and training needed to be elite
helpers of our community
700 Too big
701 heavily populated but the infrastructure will not be adequate to take care of the
growth especially the streets and the traffic.
702 Too crowded and over commercialized. I love the small town feel and am sad
that is going away to big box stores.
703 fully built out and people will want to find existing housing there as they come up
for resale because they are having to live further out from their job than they
would like
704 one of the best places to live in the country
707 known as to many apartments.
709 Too overgrown.
711 Too crowded. Too many subdivisions taking away the open land that used to
have horses and goats and sheep and orchards.
714 Too big and busy for us. Crime rate will skyrocket with all the out of state people
moving in
715 Crowded, congested, and lack the infrastructure to support and accommodate
the citizens. Affordable housing will be a problem because wages are entirely
too low and stagnant.
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716 To big to be enjoyable. I know that growth is needed and good on some level
but we need to make some hard decisions now so that in 2040 my children will
be able to find housing in Meridian should they choose to stay here. We also
really need an overhaul of the school district (make it smaller) it is broken and it
will not fix itself even by 2040.
717 I'm hoping Meridian will have more affordable housing options, and not push out
the poor like it's doing right now. The more complexes you build and approve
that charge higher rent, the more the poor who have lived here for decades will
be pushed out. I'm hoping meridian will be more racially and economically diverse
instead of having one type of family...the white middle class heterosexual family.
When making decisions at City Council, please remember that your constituents
are not just white middle class. We are low-income and diverse and may not have
kids at all. I'm hoping Meridian will not be a big city, but if it is, it's one that plans
things with everyone in mind.
718 Full of people who help each other out and cooperate toward a positive life for
each other
719 LIKE CALIFORNIA --TOO CROWDED
720 An Arts and culture powerhouse
721 over populated with multi-family housing units that have not been maintained.
Middle class families will have moved on. There will be a larger percentage of
dogs in family parks, not a positive health situation for children.
723 A thriving city with the strong economy, competitive wages, great schools and
low crime rate.
724 much larger, with hopefully no worse traffic.
725 equipped with the infrastructure to handle the population; a beautiful and clean
go-to city in the treasure valley.
726 difficult to to navigate and the infrastructure maintenance will continue to lag
behind the needs of the community.
727 To BIG!!!
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728 In 2040 Meridian will be just like the hell hole I left in 2005. In 2005 I left OC and
fell in love with Meridian because it looked and felt like Anaheim when it still had
farms. My kids are almost done with high school. I plan on selling my house and
moving out of this city because of the uncontrolled growth and bad planning.
729 Overcrowded. Growth is important but taking all the farm areas to put uo more
houses is going overboard. By 2040 you won't be able to tell where Meridian is
will just blend with all the other towns ariund us. Not goid in my opinion.
730 Overcrowded, unsafe, impossible to drive in, and unaffordable to the native
Idahoan. I think most locals will have moved out by then, if they are able to find
jobs elsewhere, or commute back over for work. You can already see it
happening right now if you are keeping an eye on what's happening in Star,
Middleton, and Emmett. The homes in Meridian are being sold to out of state
move-ins, and the locals are headed to places they can breathe.
731 The place families come to have fun.
732 Overcrowed.
733 A great place to live
734 Not as nice as it was 5years ago.5 years ago there was no traffic, very low crime
and schools weren't crowded with unruly kids and had more teachers that could
actually TEACH kids the good OLD education instead of ridiculous common
core. It seems like we will have not enough businesses or schools in Meridian it
will be filled with ridiculous amount of homes and no roads to handle the traffic
that massive subdivisions will create.
735 too much traffic.
736 Overcrowded and still hoping for roadways that can handle demands. I am also
hoping the City of Meridian stays away from public transit design of Ada county
commuter ride and the bus service invoice. I see Meridian becoming a suburb of
aging citizens that will need to rely on public transportation services. Meridian is
becoming overpriced for young families.
737 a very unbalanced community with a great deal of issues with no affordable
housing for the working class. If this is not reversed, large homelessness will
unfortunately grow as will crime and drugs.
739 A large city with a small town feel; smaller neighborhoods will abound
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740 The next Denver CO in population and crime statistics.
741 Hopefully a circle free way down Eagle road/State street/Broadway/current
freeway.
742 bigger
743 Totally at gridlock which we are almost at now! Meridian has done an extremely
poor job in planning infrastructure solutions before allowing the massive
building growth. It is wonderful that people want to move here, but you have
created frustration for the current residents who have to fight the traffic gridlock
at more frequent times of the day. Road rage is becoming much more prevalent.
Responsible growth is much more sane than unlimited growth!
744 Hopefully not much bigger and more crowded than it is now.
745 a continued traffic jam unless the city addresses road expansion PRIOR to
development and either makes the investment or tax the developer.
746 my home and I hope there is still farm land remaining to keep it's charm that made
me fall in love with Meridian.
747 Beautiful within the individual neighborhoods, but too congested between
them. Every possible farm and field will have been converted into neighborhoods
and strip malls and backups at every major intersection. There seems to be no
planning, especially in regards to future public transport (trains) or getting quickly
from one place to another. The wait at every intersection is too long. Driving to
shopping and commuting to work will be even worse than it is today.
748 Stable, Economical, and still Family Friendly with a MORATORIUM on Building
along with more Parks and Greenbelts.
749 the place to live in the Treasure Valley.
751 A safe, family oriented community that has smaller dispersed shopping not big
box stores that make adjoining neighborhoods less safe and less desirable.
752 a dynamic leader in providing the highest quality of life for its residents.
753 Even more crowded.
754 crowded!
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755 a city that has lost it's hometown feel. Open spaces will be replaced by homes
and apartments.
756 At (potential) increasing risk of issues due to large influx of population - traffic &
roadways, water supply, lessening of quality of life in various ways. Note this is
not a KNOWN, just a CONCERN.
757 Overdeveloped and less desirable for families. The city needs to immediately
assess the amount of large developments that are being approved and built
(single and multi-unit housing). The infrastructure is not able to support current
growth.
758 suffering from a failing infrastructure unless chafes are made now to public
transportation, wider roads, better traffic control/flow, slow down in building (or
have the developers pay for the infrastructure) additional bike lanes, improved
student teacher ratios, etc.
760 A great place.
761 Hopefully, a mature, liveable community having benefited from a commitment to
planned growth. Th community leaders will be adept at developing long-term
growth plans reflective of it's citizens values and livability priorities and, most
importantly, the infraastructure required to support those priorities.
763 Larger, more complicated
765 Safe, vibrant and a self sustainable city.
766 Overgrown and congested with traffic.
767 Still the most amazing place to live the same as it is today
768 A completely gridlocked, paved over nightmare version of California. Thanks a
lot.
770 Uncontrollable Urban sprawl unless you start listening to residents and respect
their input.
772 very congested
774 Too much like Los Angeles, over building, cramping more apt. houses into a
smaller area.
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775 Way too big for the roadways that are currently present with way too much
traffic and an increase in crime from the increase of population and more
overcrowded schools.
777 A big city with a small town feel.
778 still maintaining it's mall town flavor, with big town services.
779 I hope it will still feel like a family oriented small-town with a continued sense of
safety and community.
780 200000 people and needs to put in the infrastructure now.
781 larger than the City of Boise,
782 Growing with low crime, down town revitalized, and public transportation via
light rail system between meridian, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell, Boise to downtown.
Meridian will set the example for the treasure valley for schools and set a
precedence for pre k education and post high school success with high
graduation rates. Parks will continue to connect our community with programs
for all ages. Meridian will be a community working with others in the treasure
valley to help our struggling citizens through homeless outreach, addiction
treatment and housing programs. Meridian will continue to offer affordable living
with access to stores to meet all lifestyles including a Costco. I can't wait to live
in our new meridian!
788 over crowded and a traffic nightmare
789 Will have done a better job thinking about and dealing with transportation, will
have retained open spaces / agriculture lands, and will be known for its family
friendly focus which provides safety, security, education opportunities, and well
being.
790 Still the safe ,active friendly community it was 15 years ago ,
791 A safe and family-friendly Community with lots of shaded bike and walking trails
and outdoor activities that don't cost money. The South YMCA that has a
fabulous pool even better than the Caldwell facility. Public transportation to
Boise Foothills, River and downtown activities. Affordable houses on bigger
Lots. A Trader Joe's. More walkable shopping and eating areas like Hyde Park
and Village type areas to shop and visit with friends. Smaller classroom schools
for our children
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793 ...enjoying the benefits of reasoned, rational, conservative planning and growth
decisions made now. It will not have opted for light rail or other historically failed
programs that increase taxes and are underutilized. Check Honolulu, San Diego,
Napa Valley, and Seattle for example. In 2040 Meridian residents will be thankful
for a safe city with a high quality of life while retaining a small city feel.
795 a large family-oriented community with opportunities for outdoor recreation and
a great variety of shopping options.
797 Still affordable, with infrastructure built to handle our growing population (plenty
of schools, widened roads, etc.) Also would love to see more if a community
feeling like what it available in the Northend and Bench areas of Boise.
798 NOT growing any more! NOT wasting taxpayers' money!
799 Much larger with worse traffic
800 Overcrowded. A giant traffic jam.
801 Another overcrowded California-like city if you keep going the way you are
going. More care must be given to listening to the current citizens who live and
work here.
802 much more densely populated with significant traffic problems. The city,
however, will continue to try to mitigate this with parks and other civic amenities.
803 Easy to navigate through, a leader in education, and continue its commitment to
family oriented events and recreation.
804 overgrown and crowded with highly-congested traffic, and unaffordable housing
805 A California cesspool. Please stop allowing all of the apartment complexes and
crammed subdivisions. Meridian is growing way too fast and the roads aren't
designed for the traffic we already have.
806 Still a place I enjoy living in. A place with great roads, open space, good air quality,
managed growth & low crime. A place that values people over developers & big
money!!!
807 Way too big, so I will have had to leave before then.
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808 Low density as it has been, although it seems like city leaders aren't invested in
keeping it that way with the number of massive apartment complexes going in. It
will also be more connected with greenbelt style paths.
810 The best city in Idaho
811 Too congested:( and unaffordable.
812 Too hard to get around in. The explosive growth is causing serious traffic
issues. Just going a few miles can take 20-30 minutes. Especially if you have to
get on Eagle Rd. We will probably have to retire some place else because it's just
to difficult to maneuver around here now; let alone in 2040!
813 As crowded as California!
814 We lovrd the low density housing, please stop approving all these high density
housing projects! Please require more space between houses!
815 over crowded
817 A leader in quality school options for k-12 and college options. A leader in
organic non GMO food options and conservative values while still advancing
technologically like Israel in medicine, wind energy and water.
818 if not the largest city in Idaho, one of the largest with an urban center that mixes
living, services, dining, and shopping to draw people to live, play, and visit.
819 The go-to City Inn idaho for arts, community events with ease of traffic.
820 hobbled by traffic and a lack of diversity unless big changes are implemented
soon.
821 At least in the 21st century, and maybe some road and infrastructure
improvements
822 If a meaningful plan is developed, Merdian will continue to succeed
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824 a ridiculously overbuilt, expensive area with under-developed roads for the
population & housing distribution. It already features the hostile driver & un-
neighborly, selfish characteristics of overcrowded Quasi-urban" areas such as
Orange County CA, but without the benefit of multiple, conveniently located
highways and many multi-lane roadways or well distributed, affordable food
shopping centers (e.g. large WinCos, Costcos, expanded super-Walmarts, etc.
Although we moved here in 2014 from Missouri and TX, we plan to vacate the
area before it becomes further inundated and further behind in its provision of
appropriate roadways & commerce!
825 Too busy, overcrowded and the infrastructure won't support the growth had.
827 The hub of Southern Idaho
829 A mess without improved growth planning.
830 A complete city
831 A very large city. Hopefully will still have many family friendly activities.
832 an amazing city that still holds a small town feel that promotes strong family
values and an amazing education system
833 I did value open space, what i thought would be a different kind of community,
low traffic levels, great shops. Its all messed up the area i live looks like a strip
mall hell and now a costco and anothef church, really Meridian. Im so
disappointed this area has turned out so horribly
834 a clean, safe and friendly community with convenient shopping and other
services.
835 Parks connected with paths systems; bus stops with park and rides; more open
green space or activities areas;
836 Too crowded and congested due to the lack of appropriate planning
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837 I would like to see better schools with lower teacher/student ratios. I like to see
teachers trained to adapt to each child individual needs and learning style versus
always expecting them to adapt to the teacher. I'd like to see safer residential
roads. There's so much integration of single family homes, with multi family
homes, with apartments that people park all over our streets. It makes it unsafe
for children and hazardous when there are poor weather conditions.
Pedestrians bridges over Eagle and Fairview might be nice and a safer way to
protect our runners and walkers.
838 Overcrowded and an absolute mess if the city doesn't start being more
thoughtful and responsible with the growth that is happening! The roads will be
a nightmare and the schools will still be overcrowded and underfunded. The
cities children will suffer due to the cities poor planning and disregard for their
health overall. Putting profit over the health of a communities youth is criminal!
839 Family Friendly with lots of green space and good schools for my family to enjoy
and be productive where we live.
840 Family oriented, clean, well managed, and provide the ability to get from one area
of the city in a safe and sane manner.
841 Strategically planning for the future, adding lanes to help traffic patterns, adding
alternative options for education, housing, and medical issues.
842 Just another uncontolled urban sprawl with degraded land, air, water, AND
safety for our most precious resouce... Our Children
844 A thriving community with a robust infrastructure with comprehensive
pedestrian walkways, bike paths, community gathering destinations and
thoughtfully managed development..
846 Small town feel- homey. Safe and Less congested as far as traffic flow.
847 too much residential not enough commercial
848 I'm finding less and less to value about Meridian. Crime rate has risen, the
infrastructure does not support the approved developments, taxes for West
Ada is out of control, the education system is behind and it is getting
overcrowded.
849 A balanced managed growth community where we sustain the quality life that
has been a trademark of Meridian.
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850 One of the largest growing and safest city in the country
851 Full of a bunch of grown up kids! I think Meridian will have grown exponentially
come 2040. I think the dynamic might have shifted from big city Idaho to decent
size city New York. I think the Meridian Natives will hold true to their values and it
will still be a happy place with a strong sense of community.
852 more diverse and offer higher quality education.
853 A quiet family oriented city. It would be great if there were more family oriented
things to do off ten mile. I would also love to see a junior high and high school
with the modified year round schedule for the modified year round elementary
schools to feed into within the next 5 years.
854 Will be to big. Meridian is growing to fast. We're losing the small town feeling.
The traffic is terrible during rush hours. I can't even imagine what the traffic will
be like in 2040. The City needs to slow down the growth. We need the Costco
to be built at Chinden and Ten Mile.
855 like West Boise currently is.
857 Bigger then in 2018 because people around the country will realize how amazing
it is! And I truly believe that with hard work and deliberate effort Meridian can
stay as family friendly and beautiful as it is now.
858 Overcrowded with Californians and people from other states. WAY too many
apartments and homes. I have lived in Idaho my whole life and am sick of the
amount of people. Stop building! Fix what we already have. Cherry Lane is in
need of desperate fixing. I'm tired of worrying about if my child is going to get ran
over in our own subdivision. We need speed bumps for the drivers texting and
going 40 mph in my neighborhood.
859 in severe need of wider roads to accommodate increased growth and traffic.
860 Sadly I see it being Overcrowded with extremely congested roads. All sorts of
road construction going on everywhere to try and fix the problems. Irrate and
unhappy people.
861 a bustling hub for families, careers, and people to come together
862 value: low crime, services readily available, commute time vision: too many cars,
more traffic, accidents,
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864 our home for 37 years
866 connected to Boise and Nampa (:
867 Overcrowded.
869 Too crowded at the rate we're going, without the needed infrastructure.
871 Just like California sadly. Just to dense and not enough roads.
872 Crowded!
875 Over crowded
876 Over-built, traffic jammed and typical suburban sprawl.
877 I love living in a family friendly community. I love that for the most part, is a safe
community. This is a great place to raise my family. Growth has come and will
continue to come. We need to navigate that growth. I live near black cat and pine
roads, and there is almost no shopping. I have to travel to eagle road or the
other side of nampa. Which both are 15-20 min. With how much growth is
happening, there are more cars on the road and it is taking me longer to get any
where. I believe the key is not just widening roads, but to build more shopping,
more libraries and places of work closer to people. I would love to see north
Meridian gain a recreational center just like nampa's. Everyone here in Meridian
wants a Y. But the Y is expensive, I can go to nampa for indoor swim lessons and
only pay $40, and the Y charges $80 for the same thing. I also take my kids over
there for tball, because it's only $30 instead of over $100 that I would get in
Meridian. I live close to ball fields in Meridian, but yet I choose to go to South
nampa because it's so much cheaper. We need more affordable city recreation,
this will also help with traffic on the roads. Make communities within our big
community that will allow us to drive under ten minutes to have the shopping
and kids activities To be close. This will take time out of our schedules and will
allow Us to have more time with our families.
880 Overpopulated and with too much traffic on the roads
881 Safe with many more family activities
884 gridlocked with traffic unless we implement viable public transportation such as a
rail system connecting Meridian to Boise and Canyon County.
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885 Too crowded, two Californicated. It will have lost the small town it once was. I
see the city leaders trying to emulate what other "up and coming" cities have
done. It's not what the long time citizens want. You are letting the developers
dictate the direction the community is heading
886 Too big. Meridian is growing faster than infrastructure upis keeping up with. If
planned better, the infrastructure would meet the demand before it was needed,
especially regarding roads. Eagle road is a disaster, and Chinden is looking to
follow the same pathway. Planning better to allow housing built, and then later
to allow large businesses to build right up against that housing is a detriment to
the very tax payers and residents who live and work here. Far better to plan
residential zones away from business zones, or at the very least make sure they
are well defined before the homeowners move in so that they know what they
are getting into and nor surprised later with construction changes when a
Costco, Walmart, or other large and very busy business moves in practically next
door. Pro-active planning, not re-active planning needs to be better used.
887 Most likely turned into an unlivable suburban nightmare with no quality of life
because the city council has been bought by big business. End the nonstop
housing developments destroying our city.
888 Really crowded with bad traffic
889 Bigger
890 Family friendly with a great expanded pathway system for biking and walking,
more dog parks . Fun outdoor dining options that are walk and bike accessible.
Limit the number of high density apartments.
891 Overcrowded and painfully dangerous for children and pedestrians if the
infrastructure isn't dealt with. It is already with the lack of safe ways to travel
around the city if you're on a bike or walking. I want my children to be active, and
see their bike as a way to get around and to not drive your car 2 miles to the
grocery store if you don't have to. The inversion will only get worse with all the
development and lack of infrastructure, and sitting cars mean smog and lots of it.
Be the environmentally friendly, and family friendly area the rest of the country
thinks you are. Make smthis town safe BEFORE you overblow the development.
893 ?? Hopefully adorable and still family friendly.
894 A traffic nightmare unless smart growth plans are implemented now.
895 Will be too many houses,cars just like California!
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896 Way too big.
897 Still a safe family friendly city.
899 A trendsetting city on which cities all over the nation strive to be like.
900 An established community with a mixture of established communities and the
roots that brought many of us here. Pastures, agriculture, open space.
901 The greatest city in Idaho
902 huge
904 Grossly overcrowded and unable to sustain a good quality of life.
905 Outdoor concert venue
906 A diverse and thriving economy. With living options for all walks of life.
907 screwed up like California if the city leaders don't control growth (we need
SMART growth) and keep the infrastructure in line with demand
908 an ideal place to live.
909 Just as bad as downtown LA.
913 Too big. Also, too much like Boise with regards to high cost of living and a
government that wants to tax everything and get involved in everything. I hope
Meridian remains distinct from Boise politically, economically, and socially. I hope
we continue to value local business and eschew the bland national franchises.
Every time we add another national chain, we are one step closer to becoming
another characterless California city. We need to make sure we always have
farms and ranches nearby. There's as much value in a small ranch with a few
horses and sheep as there is in a fancy park.
914 So crowded we can't move around at all. The roads are horrific, the building
never stops and our schools are bursting over capacity.
915 Overpopulated, crowded, frustrating and overpriced.
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917 Too big, with too many apartments. The roads can't handle the amount of traffic
that already exists in Meridian. Schools are overcrowded. We need more
grocery stores and shopping on the west side of Meridian. With that being said I
don't see how the city can accomplish that the way the current
road/infrastructure is.
918 unfortunatley be a cheap suberb of boise because of the poor expansion
management.
919 Out of control when it comes to safety both on the road and at home.
920 Like Boise.
921 larger, but still hopefully safe.
922 Well acording to Compass, Meridian will compete as one of the largest cities in
ID. At that size your quality of life will depend on other factors such as Public
Transit. In Long Beach, CA the city had to create their own bus system (one of
he best in the world) when it was obvious that the regional option was not
adequate for their town of 550,000 residents.
924 Safe and still have the small town feeling, hopefully it will still have wide open
spaces and that we will still be able to see the mountains and skyline. Slow your
growth Meridian, don't turn into a suburban sprawl.
925 A place with bike paths, pedestrian paths, controlled cross walks, so that you
can get anywhere without having to use a car, especially for kids going to
schools, including high schools.
926 Manage growth of housing. Have more parks and trails connecting areas for
bikes and pedestrians. Have a rail system from Caldwell to Boise.
927 Cramped and have serious transportation issues. Growth needs to be regulated
and new comers (out of state) need to provide more monetary payments to
create a city worth living in. Not creating one in which they left in their previous
state.
929 larger than it is now and will need better roads and more schools.
930 A booming family metropolis leading the way in America
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931 a mess like Boise, we're growing too big too quickly. While I have lived here all of
my life, we're starting to think about moving out of the area to some place with
more farmland and less subdivisions
933 Less traffic
935 very busy but I still hope it has a hometown feeling and does not become
overrun with multiple housing units.
936 one of the most sought-after towns to live in Idaho.
937 A big city. But we to not lose the "small town" feel of this area.
940 a mid-sized city with great public transportation and access to the rest of the
valley. Hint Hint.
941 Overpopulated
942 Congested with road traffic
943 Mostly family friendly residential with some more affordable type hpusing to
attract younger people with business located separately from housing areas, not
interminged. Should be enough open area such as small parks, in between.
Scentsy has a great setup near that is both community and business friendly and
we should follow in that path. The dontown busier areas will all have standards
to adhere to to prevent a blighted rundown and abandoned appearance. Taxes
from incoming businesses should offset the cost burdon of increased
population and support.
945 continuing to grow.
947 Over run with houses and not enough industry/ commercial buildings/ jobs.
949 Probably a lot bigger, with more people and I'd like to see the small town feel
remain, especially in the neighbourhoods between Meridian High and Locust
Grove.
950 The largest city in Idaho.
951 Wall to wall people and cars.
952 way too full of Californians...
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954 A vibrant family friendly and safe community.
956 Bigger then Boise, sadly.
957 Somewhat similar to The Woodlands in Texas (a master planned community -
Google for details).
958 Still my home.
959 The number one City in America to affordably, and safely, raise a family.
961 Overcrowded
962 Too big.
964 A massive place to live and a great place to raise a family.
965 Just another suburb
967 150,000 people strong but still has roads that are designed for a rural
community thus creating traffic nightmares for everyone.
968 Over crowded and difficult to get around. Potentially a place that prices out its
own population and lacking general labor
969 Huge, sprawling, and past due for decent access to public transportation.
970 We chose Meridian because we believed it had the exact family values and small
town living we envisioned for our family. The friendly atmosphere and slow
paced life was exactly what we wanted, not to mention the low crime and almost
non existent gang activity. Fast forward many years and Meridian has grown
faster than it can handle. The city now lacks proper infrastructure to the point of
interfering with public safety; the amount of traffic and lack of road space for first
responders to get through is alarming to say the least. The gang presence is
rising at an alarming rate as has crime in general. Schools are overcrowded and
only getting worse. I am hoping with proper roads before more housing is built
can ensure everyone's safety. A no-nonsense approach to crime and gang
activity. And clean water and environment for our families to grow and prosper is
what is my hope for the future, but infrastructure focused on the future growth
BEFORE more housing is built is key. Less apartments and more homes is what I
would like to see. Amazing parks to attract families. (Example:
https://www.fcgov.com/parkplanning/twin-silo.php)
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972 A mess
973 too big at the current growth rate, without infrastructure to support the people.
974 considered the hot spot in the Treasure Valley for family activities, the best
schools, and local shops and restaurants. Similar to Eagle but on a much larger
scale.
976 Nice quiet town not really densely populated.
977 Do not let Costco go thru.. no warehouse in residential!!?
978 uncontrolled mess looking like a california sprawl if not controlled and open
space preserved.. and I mean rural open space... not condominiums clouding
every view..... and a shopping center on every corner
980 Unbearable due to traffic and overcrowding.
981 The biggest city in Idaho. I will not be living here because the trends I am seeing
during the last 10 years are not encouraging as to how the growth is being
handled. Too much growth, little planning for the infrastructure that is impacted.
982 An absolute mess if growth is allowed to continue as is.
984 out-priced for young families to live in any longer, sadly.
986 The city where I will retire and hope to have my family visit from out of state. I
worry with the traffic and increase in crime that they may not want to visit and we
will be looking for somewhere else to go to get away from it all.
987 Overcrowded and traffic will be horrid if things continue as they are now!
988 Way too crowded, with a substantially lower quality of life, because as the
population increases, so does crime and traffic.
989 Not the place I would want to live and raise a family if population growth is not
slowed. Meridian has a small town feel and charm that is slipping away. I've lived
through growth explosions before and the end result is never good. It is my
sincere hope that our current way of life in this wonderful city will be preserved.
990 Less dense housing. More parks and better roadways.
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991 the second largest city in Idaho but with great advanced forward thinking by the
planning and zoning commission, ACHD and the City Council it is considered
one of the best small cities in America to live in.
992 Overrun with high density housing loosing all of its charm. Need housing with
half acre or bigger lots.
994 a much larger city, up to 4 times the population it is today, however the quality of
life will continue to deteriorate if the infrastructure is unable to keep up with and
support the growth.
995 One of the best family friendly places to live in the US.
996 Crowded
997 The ideal place to lay down roots and raise a family. It will find success through
thoughtful, planned out growth. It will retain farmland and open space through
thoughtful preservation.
998 A major city
1001 Crowded, expensive, and not as safe
1003 the best place to live in Idaho.
1004 Congested. Taking over even more farm land for housing. More businesses will
be allowed to have inadequate parking for both customers and employees.
Dispersed to several crossroad shopping areas. Driving will be more congested
and hazardous.
1005 Overcrowded and too busy
1006 a very undesirable city due to overpopulation and traffic congestion created by
increased home density and lack of proper road expansion planning during the
2018 - 2020 planning process.
1007 over-grown
1008 a lot bigger.
1009 A strong, family friendly, education minded city
1010 gracefully merging both urban and rural cultures
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1011 overcrowded.- schools, roads, utilities.
1012 a well-planned, vibrant community that offers accessible recreation to all it's
residents.
1013 a great place for families
1014 A better place to live.
1015 Overcrowded, polluted, gridlocked, lots of crime.
1016 impossible to tolerate living here at present growth pattern
1019 Overcrowded
1020 Hopefully not a metropolis without enough neighborhood shopping,
restaurants/, activities, parks and events so the people dont have to drive a long
time to get to those businesses
1021 ????
1022 Better able to have the infrastructure in place to support its population
1025 Overpopulated and underprepared for it.
1026 Overcrowded and no longer my town
1027 Full...lol I like the growth but I don't want to live in a big city.
1029 A family friendly community.
1030 Overcrowded and not as safe as it used to be. To much building and not
planning for traffic, schools.
1031 Unfortunately overgrown, but hopefully still maintaining a small town feel where
you settle to raise a family.
1032 Still full of farmland and safe for families due to the city stopping the building of
more houses. More schools will be built and paid for by the builders.
1033 Just another California
ResponseID Response
67
1037 More populated than I'd like it to be.
1038 A continued caring and vigilent community where neighbors wave and say hello,
feel comfortable while children play outside, fish at the local ponds, see the
beauty of the abundance of trees as you drive through town. I LOVE where we
live!! It's the best move we've made for our family. I pray that it doesn't lose all of
these wonderful qualities in the name of "growth." I hope our city is thoughtful
about what makes it so special.
1039 Just as big as Boise
1042 We love all the agriculture and slower pace of life. I worry by 2040 it's going to
be a busy fast paced overcrowded city.
1043 With the growth that I see in apartments and housing, I think it will be too
congested. It will not have the semi-rural appeal it has now. Probably have a lot
more crime. Just another congested city.
1044 Over crowded.
1045 The lagest city in Idaho. Also home to Interstate 11
1047 Packed! I am hoping the roads and high paying job prospects improve to
accompdate all the people moving here. Education needs some serious
improvement
1048 overcrowded
1049 behind on infrastructure. it is falling behind already.
1051 Safe
1052 The biggest city in Idaho.
1053 overcrowded, and I'll probably move.
1054 A hub of family friendly businesses constantly in flux. There will be an equilibrium
of housing and business.
1055 larger and even more overcrowded than it already is. Thanks to ACHD the traffic
will also be much worse.
1056 A safe and affordable place to raise a family.
ResponseID Response
68
1057 95% built out. The traffic will be even more horrible than now as the county
transportation department refuses to improve roads until they are undrivable.
Taxes will be higher than they need to be because the developers aren't being
forced to adequately contribute to the cost of schools, parks and road
development required to support the properties they are developing.
Fortunately I will be dead by then.
1058 We will actually be moving in the next 3-4 years as we see too much apartment
and high density housing being squished in an already crowded school district.
Also, we don't feel Meridian is keeping up on infrastructure as more businesses
and houses are being built or keeping industrial in industrial areas.
1059 Like a big crappy city
1060 Busier and more crowded.
1061 Too crowded
1062 A zoo
1063 A huge shopping network.
1064 The largest city in Idaho
1065 An overcrowded city that ignores comprehensive plans in favor of developers
and companies with BIG money.
1066 the best small city to live in America.
1067 Overbuilt and overcrowded. It'll be like living in California. It will no longer be a
great place to live.
1068 a very large city. I only hope it is able to keep its small-town feel.
1069 overpopulated and a transportation nightmare
1070 A major city of Idaho with strong businesses and a thriving family community.
1074 Crowded and congested beyond belief.
1075 Overpopulated
1076 Huge!
ResponseID Response
69
1077 I think it will be too crowded in 2040. We don't have infrastructure in place to
handle this growth. Nobody wants to admit the problem because too many
people are reaping the short term benefits of the growth. I honestly believe you
will need another freeway that will start in Nampa and go through Meridian into
downtown. Probably elevated about Chinden or State street along foothills.
Nobody is planning. I'm worried about the future of the community and have
considered moving back to Boise.
1080 An oasis of green, nice shops and friendly people in the wider Treasure
Valley....between urban-feel Boise and more haphazard Nampa.
1081 A place where families can grow and feel safe. A place that has roads that can
handle the amount of growth that is occurring in the area. Great schools that
aren't overcrowded.
1083 the heart of the Treasure Valley where residents work, live and play.
1085 A mess. At the current rate of development without appropriate infrastructure,
citizens will spend more time trapped in their cars trying to get to work, school,
or home. Quality of life will be diminished.
1086 a safe, family-friendly, WALKABLE community, with great public transportation
options and plenty of open space.
1088 Very crowded
1089 Hopefully not to much different than it is now more housing of course but it
would be nice to still have some farm and river lands specially on the north side
1091 a disaster if they keep building "multiple occupancy, affordable housing units".
Keep the area R1 and RA zoned. AND....low density!
1092 a densely populated mecca like Silicone Valley.
1093 A safe and friendly place to live. With ample remaining farm land, plus modern
community attributes. A small town feel with modern resources.
1095 continuing its excellent responce time for emergencies,an A in providing safety,
maintaining its space for residents properly, and managing classroom sizes to
maximize learning for students. Continue to draw the mid to upper class
community members to minimize crime-drugs-and other problems....
1096 A sea of single family homes
ResponseID Response
70
1097 A wonderful place to raise a family. The folks that run the city will consider smart
growth, allowing and forcing the infrastructure to be in place BEFORE allowing
big businesses. It will protect the residents with proper zoning and annexation. It
will be a place where your kids don't have to eat lunch on the floor of the school
cafeteria. I moved here 12 years ago and that was the place I thought I moved to,
but it has gotten crazy. I was lucky enough to get both of my kids in charter
schools where a maximum amount of students is adhered too.
1098 a mess if the City does not begin listening to the residents, adhering to zoning
and and the comprehensive plan. The infrastructure needs to be upgraded and
updated to accommodate growth before it is after the fact. ITD needs bond
funding or legislative funding rather than depend on special interest groups and
developers to dictate when and what to build and misuse the Star program at
higher costs and interest costs to taxpayers. Respect and honor the residents
first!!!
1099 Too congested if steps aren't taken to invest in infrastructure to sustain the
growth.
1101 ...enjoying the benefits of a comprehensive plan that called for smart, measured
growth and resources to apply for proper infrastructure PRIOR to approving
projects.
1102 a city that has lost it's family friendliness unless it addresses the issue of over
growth.
1103 just another bumper to bumper sprawl without limits on development and more
greenspace
1104 probably dead, oh the city, probably bigger than anyone imagined, one of the
reasons we moved here to get away from the 'big city'
1106 Much bigger, schools will be more overcrowded than they are now, unless we
build more. I hope we will have better bike paths and that we can keep the small
town values that have made Meridian great. I think with our current leadership,
Meridian has a good chance of growing in a healthy way.
1107 I the top 10 of best cities in America to live.
1108 Much larger.
1109 I would like to see a small man made lake or something, similar to Esther Simplot
or clocktowerlake
ResponseID Response
71
1110 Small growth of local/family owned shops and services. Boutique style, no large
box stores
1112 A traffic jam with a huge landfill stinking everything up.
1114 Safe. Nice people. Shopping. Conservatives. Reasonable taxes. THE place to live
in SW Idaho.
1118 too crowed, traffic jam
1119 The safest and most progressive city in the state. Hopefully not all
neighborhoods, but rather known for arts and recreation opportunities.
1120 Bigger and Better...
1121 Like California and a horrible place to live
ResponseID Response
3. What would you like to IMPROVE about Meridian in the future?We've
provided a list of multiple choice selections based on feedback we've already
gathered. You may select these options if you agree, or provide your original
answers in the 'Other' box provided. Please select no more than 5 options.
72
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20
40
60
Value Percent Responses
Create a multi-modal transportation network 45.0%408
Diversify job sectors 16.6%150
Additional Educational opportunities 22.0%199
Expanded visibility of the arts 17.9%162
Focus on infill and revitalization 26.2%237
Preservation of Farmland 58.1%526
Increase job base/ grow workforce 20.3%184
Increase walkability 49.8%451
Additional housing options 12.9%117
Increase youth/talent retention 16.3%148
Address city boundaries 20.2%183
Other :26.9%244
73
Other :Count
Reduce apartment building and restrict to two stories only max.2
streets that will handle the huge increase in traffic and safely manage traffic flow 1
A decent city golf course 1
A traffic grid that can support rush hour traffi 1
Accelerate the Pathway plan providing more bike lanes to allow for alternate ways of
commuting
1
Accountability.1
Address short- and long-term transportation issues; just creating a multi-modal
transportation network won't be strategic enough. Today/right now, the City needs to
start planning ALL development decisions as if we're currently as crowded, road raged,
and space-constricted as SoCA, THEN you'll start getting in the ballpark of where
thinking and future-planning needs to be **right now**.
1
Address traffic plan. Is there one?1
Address widening of current roads for traffic control 1
Adhere to comprehensive plan when dealing with developers and project applicants
relating to zoning and respect and listen to residents!!!
1
Affordable housing for single income families & seniors 1
Again, stop the rapid expansion!1
Along with walk ability, bike ability 1
Animal Control and stray cats 1
Be on the first city in Idaho to legalize cannabis and put all that money into improving our
infrastructure and schools while bringing in floods of money to our community.
1
Being ahead on transportation; e.g. Plans for other free-ways and belt-ways in/around
the communities and more multi-lane roads; roads are already full and those that are
experiencing high volumes are not wide enough with enough lanes.
1
Totals 241
74
Better Bike Paths 1
Better coordination with ACHD before additional housing is approved 1
Better road infinstructure that can hold up to the amount of people.1
Better roads 1
Better roads, expand chinden into another "connector"1
Better sidewalks and enforcement of walkways that use lights 1
Bring new Highways and Interstates 1
Build a performing arts center.1
CONTROLLED SMART GROWTH!1
Centralize shopping 1
City officials should be more concerned about the residents of Meridian and what those
residents have to say, rather than blowing the residents off (Costco debacle). Why have
a comprehensive plan if it's not followed. If big builders have enough money the city
seems to buckle to their desires.
1
Community minded 1
Connectivity via greenbelt style paths 1
Continue emphasis on congestion mitigation without requiring a fleet of buses.1
Continued attention to safety with a vigilante police force 1
Control growth to update infrastructure 1
Create innovative elder care community. See:
https://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/11/world/europe/wus-holland-dementia-
village/index.html
1
Create safe, shaded pathways for cycling, running, and pushing strollers 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
75
Create unique neighborhoods.1
Cultural Diversity 1
Cyclists need to "pay to play"1
Do whatever necessary to expand all 1 lane roads to a min of 2-3 lanes with turning
lanes for every subdivision & shopping center entrance. Restrain building in areas where
the roads cannot be readily and quickly expanded to meet resident's needs as
previously described
1
Don't take on Boise 's liberal policies.1
Down town retail development 1
Eliminate wasteful spending by choosing. better options for water and labor needed to
maintain poor choices. Clean up weeds and enforce noxious weed laws that already
exist not just on private property but on all public property as well.
1
Ensure roads keep up with growth of housing 1
FIX THE DAMN TRAFFIC PROBLEM!!!1
Fair and equal treatment by City Staff and Mayor 1
Focus on keeping industrial and commercial in contained sectors away from
neighborhoods.
1
Focus on planning and zoning to accomplish all the above.1
Get rid of ugly huge chain stores on every corner. The place is totally loosing its
personality.
1
Get the city to truly work for the citizens they serve and not big developers who are
their buddies.
1
Grow at a rate that infrastructure can support. Way too many subdivisions are being
built on road networks that CANNOT accommodate this many people.
1
Growth is out of hand 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
76
Having developers help with roads and schools at the start of project so we aren't
always trying to fix issues from growth
1
Higher quality Housing 1
Hire a City Manager who is well versed in planning matters.1
Homes with larger lots and stop over pricing them 1
Housing that is not cookie cutter style and that allows for a minimum of .75 acre lots 1
I never saw a problem with The Meridian of 15 years ago. I am unable to comprehend
the need to grow, change, and advertise to the world how wonderful it is in order to
attract more people. We had something great, but now it is turning into something
completely different. I do not know why people have encouraged this, or thought it was
a good thing. Meridian seems to think that more people coming equals more taxpayers
and a higher quality of life for everyone, but obviously it doesn't. We get the crowded
streets, the tiny houses, the effects of children being raised with no backyards, and the
headaches! The only people benefitting are the developers- who come from out of
town, buy up our land, and then sell it back to us!!! And we charge them basically
nothing, while we take on the burdens of roads, schools, etc. I recently asked a friend
(who is a developer) Why the city doesn't require more of the developer in these
expansion projects and he said that would make it less profitable and
1
I was surprised when I moved here 4 years ago that there is no bus transportation in
Meridian, thinking that living off of Meridian Road there would be bus transportation.
1
I would like to see responsible growth. Developers need to bear some of the cost
burden of making sure there are schools to support the housing additions they are
slapping up left and right. The roads need to be handled the same way. Quit asking the
citizens to be responsible for this burden when we are not the ones profiting from
these developments! Most importantly quit putting our kids health at risk by allowing
cell phone towers to be put on school grounds, they are being investigated as a cause
for leukemia, why are they next to our schools?! They need taken down immediately!
1
I'd like to see Meridian like it was 5 to 10 years ago.1
INFRASTRUCTURE! More roads, schools, less crime, clean and safe environment (free
of pesticides and other toxic chemicals) environment
1
Improve education quality & financing 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
77
Improve public safety. We have been here 4 years and see a serious deterioration.1
Improve road infrastructure 1
Improve roads and infrastructure.1
Improve roads to accommodate growth.1
Improve roads/expand lanes/better traffic flow 1
Improve traffic conditions.1
Improve traffic flow 1
Improve traffic flow.1
Improve traffic patterns and zoning 1
Improve traffic patterns before it's too late 1
Improve traffic signal timing and synchronization. Whoever does it now probably
doesn't have a driver's license.
1
Improved infastructure to support growth (roads/traffic management/ strategic planning
for additional resources for schools/pd/fire/etc)
1
Improved roads to address growing traffic issues.1
Improved traffic expansion by developers, improved consistency in residential density
throughout town, improved restraint amongst our leaders not to grow and bend the
rules just because we want a decvel
1
Improvements for traffic flow 1
Increase bikability 1
Increase fishing opportunities 1
Increased density and cheaper housing 1
Increasingly manifold urban downtown 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
78
Infrastructure!!!!1
Introduce freedom and respect property rights 1
It doesn't matter what I want. I have no faith in you 1
Landscape areas along Cherry Ln that have weeks and look ghetto 1
Larger police force 1
Less apartment complexes.1
Less road/traffic issues; better access to Downtown Boise from Northwest Meridian 1
Less traffic 1
Lets try to slow down the growth a bit while we still have time 1
Limited growth as is practiced by other areas facing the same population explosions.
Catch up and get ahead of the infrastructure needs before jamming more subdivisions
and apartment complexes into the valley. Water resources will need to be addressed as
just like Las Vegas thought not too long ago, the supply of fresh water is NOT
unlimited.
1
Lower Taxes 1
Lower taxes 1
Maintaing opent spacce, with some increase in density 1
Make better provisions for traffic control, streets and highways.1
Make traffic flow better. Try building frontage roads to cut down on the incriminating
stop lights .
1
Making the roads stay up with the growth in the neighborhoods. as well as major
connections for commuting.
1
Manage traffic congestion and keep the city clean.1
Other :Count
Totals 241
79
More & better schools 1
More city offered programs; libraries and a recreational center that's not a Y 1
More city parks and recreation opportunities, nice greenbelt type amenities and a new
city water park/pool.
1
More controlled growth 1
More culture and a more thriving downtown 1
More dense, robust and vibrant downtown 1
More green space, less high density development 1
More grocery shopping options south of the freeway 1
More healthy grocery store options like Sprouts 1
More law enforcement and fire stations 1
More non-chain Restaurants - local breweries, shops, etc.1
More parks and open spaces away from major traffic 1
More parks and recreational facilities 1
More places to gather, like professional sports arena and city center.1
More pools that can support swim teams 1
More public swimming pool(s)1
More tennis courts, reserved only for tennis 1
N-S expressway 1
Natural space for birds and animals 1
Need improvement on teenage violence.1
Other :Count
Totals 241
80
Neighborhood eateries, groceries etc 1
New leaders, the old urban sprawl dogma is dead.1
No more weeds along pathways.1
None of these: opportunities to be outside, connectivity greenbelt style 1
Not a sanctuary city 1
ORGANIC farmland 1
Off leash areas for dogs or some of leash park hours 1
Off leash dog parks.1
Outdoor concert venue 1
Outdoor space and water amenities 1
Partner with Boise ValleyRide 1
Plan for increased traffic PRIOR to building new parks, libraries and schools. Our roads
are now parking lots.
1
Pools. Boise has at least 5 public pools with reasonable fees to swim at. Each pool has
and supports a swim team but Meridian has all the kids. I would like to see more support
for swimming by the city. YMCA is not citizen/community minded. Subdivision pools are
only available to members of that community these leaves many residents without an
option besides the W.A.R.D pool..
1
Preservation of nature.1
Preserve Green Space 1
Preserve open space to keep country feeling 1
Preserve the small community feel 1
Public safety 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
81
Public safety and infrastructure must keep pace with growth.1
Put a moratorium on housing/apartment permits 1
Quit building and say enough is enough! No more room to live in Meridian 1
Quit turning this into California! There is very little farm land, minimal open space, and
the houses being built now look like monopoly homes and are cheapening our city.
Slow down issuance of building permits until infrastructure can handle more people!!!
1
Reduce number and size of apartment complexes 1
Reduction in permits for mass home developers. Address the lack of available low
income housing.
1
Restaurants and shopping 1
Restrict building of housing until schools and roads are increased and improved.1
Reverse government growth.1
Revise downtown for an update so residents gravitate to Meridian instead of Boise!1
Road improvements and more appropriate classroom sizes with better pay for the
teachers that we do have.
1
Road systems are not structured for growth. Eagle road is a poster child.1
Roads 1
Roads and keeping industrial separated from residential. Ex: Costco 1
Roads and traffic congestion 1
Roads and transportation 1
Roads/Infrastructure 1
Roads/infrastructure. Roads need to be widened to improve traffic.1
Roadways 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
82
STOP BUILDING!!!!1
Safety Issues 1
Serious upgrade at SO many narrow roads!!1
Slow Growth measure 1
Slow down growth 1
Slow down on house building, widen all streets 1
Slow down the growth!1
Slow down unbridled growth 1
Split the School District 1
Stop developer building.1
Stop growth 1
Stop the development until there's expanded roadways and more schools.1
Stop the multi-family housing development. Stop rezoning areas to multi-unit
developments where there are established residential subdivisions.
1
Streets. The streets are not keeping up with the building.1
TRAFFIC !!!!!1
The government does not belong in most of the above listed services.1
There is a need for a much improved process for assessing and planning for growth. It
seems there is no easily understood or defined means of developing, communicating,
and executing on a vettedand widely supported plan.
1
Think "GREEN" - eco-friendly 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
83
Traffic 1
Traffic and overall city congestion 1
Upgrade the infractructure 1
Very criminal that the city does not require multi family buildings tobrecycle 1
Wages need to be increased.1
Water play sources for families (Quinn's pond,)1
We have too much high density housing going on which is clogging our roads. Stop
approving the waivers fir high density housing and massive apartment complexes.
1
We need a continuous trail system that goes through neighborhoods throughout the
city. We need better outdoor options. Having parks is great, but there is a huge lack of
bike/walking trails leading to them and around other places.
1
Widen main streets and ensure developers partner with the community in a responsible
manner
1
Widen or improve all major streets.1
Widen roads before allowing growth 1
Widen roads before building more home/Apartments.1
Widen roads now and make any new roads 2 lanes in each side.1
Widen the roads appropriately and before the growth happens. Our traffic patterns are
ridiculous.
1
Wider roads 1
Would like to see a multi sport complex with ice arena 1
add bike paths 1
add bilke lanes and improve the roads 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
84
addition freeway going north south to decrease traffic 1
address overcrowding/density issues in housing, schools, and roads 1
address traffic by widening key arterial roads 1
anticipate traffic needs before they become a problem.1
better access roads to move across town quickly.1
better roads to handle the traffic, but do it wisely not all at once.1
better traffic flow 1
bike paths to move from location to location.1
bike paths, pedestrian paths, cross walks 1
build more schools 1
careful consideration of multiple housing units inside residential neighborhoods 1
connected walking/biking paths 1
curb growth 1
develop dedicated bike/ped pathways that go where people what to go.1
extending and connecting bike/walking paths 1
freeway down eagle road for a portion atleast, with exits every 2 miles, and bridge over
main roads....then you'd need a frontage road on each, or one side...that runs parralel to
it, giving access to a place they're trying to go to.
1
have bike and walking paths away from cars.1
homeless, curb drug use 1
improve infrastructure 1
Other :Count
Totals 241
85
improve roads and traffic flow 1
increase police presence 1
increase the lanes and get the damn traffic moving!1
leadership that leads 1
less appartments, less condo style homes more agricultural preservation 1
limit high density growth 1
limit/stop High density housing!1
lower taxes 1
manage growth to the road/transportation limitations 1
managed growth 1
more greenspace 1
more open spaces 1
new roads 1
public transportation 1
public transportaton services 1
roads are too small to accommodate all of the cars 1
roads/ease of commuting 1
slow growth 1
slow residential growth 1
slowing growth until a plan is developed that isn't going to be ignored when money is
flashed at the city council.
1
Other :Count
Totals 241
86
stop growth 1
stop the development 1
stop the out-of-control development before it is too late. The streets are Tulane Farm
roads in most instances and the traffic is a nightmare now, not to mention what it will be
like as everything continues to be more and more overcrowded.
1
support services for senior citizens 1
tax new developers for schools 1
traffic 1
using common sense growth.1
widen high traffic roads 1
widen roads before its a problem 1
widen thruway streets 1
wider roads with more lanes 1
Totals 241
Other :Count
4. Additional Comments:
87
ResponseID Response
26 More opportunities for water education and water safety. An indoor year round
pool and an expansion of the outdoor pool. I would also like to see more
affordable housing. I know this isn't a popular opinion, but I think there should be
housing and apartments available for lower income people and diversify
Meridian.
28 Having affordable housing options for individuals and families is a high priority to
me; I think that encouraging housing density may be a way to support the goals
of affordability, address congestion, increase walkability, etc. I get very
concerned when I hear people in the community disparage multi-family housing
and say they don't want "those kind of people" near their subdivisions.
29 SLOW the growth.
31 Education
35 No more Corey Barton housing options, please.
36 Housing Options that attract working families will be important in the future.
37 I don't mind the growth but having a well rounded city is important. Not just
subdivisions and churches.
38 The downtown is dead. Too many high density housing projects are changing
the city to include a transient population that will take away from the small
community feel.
88
41 Infill should be incentivized and promoted before new development is allowed
on the outer edges of the city. Open space and Ag land are part of what make
Treasure Valley such an attractive place to live, don't destroy that with leap frog
development.
44 Dont keep allowing developers to build homes and destroy our farmland.
48 We need an I84 bypass south of the city. Affordable property taxes will keep the
city a place where people will want to stay.
49 Better schools and more for our teenagers to do. Keep family ampmospire.
53 Roads built before development goes in. Realistically, all roads need to be at
least 5 lanes. Stop approving developments until the schools and roads can
handle the growth.
54 More transportation options, keeping the economy going. Have additional
shopping options
55 Working with older neighborhoods to improve the quality of life. Limited,
thoughtful infill. Retention of rural feel, farmland.
56
57 Continuing to provide beautiful parks and open spaces. Parks and Rec
continuing to offer wonderful programs and events etc
59 Traffic. Please don't let Meridian get too big.
60 Improved transportation options, traffic is going to be horrendous as more
people move here. More transportation options need to be a focus as Meridian
grows
66 Overcrowding
67 Roadways- seems with the influx of people it takes a lot long to go anywhere
because of the traffic
70 Housing and transportation
71 Traffic. Slow down growth.
ResponseID Response
89
73 No mosques with invasive calls to prayer. Better ICE enforcement and a rein in of
the Catholic churches bringing in illegals, refugees. Like a population that is
clean, English speaking and want to work not giving citizenship to anyone who
doesn't speak our language and can work and no public benefits given to
illegals/refugees. Should have sponsors and earn their value to U.S.A. and want
to assimilate to our culture.
77 Roads need expanded, houses need built, traffic lights are not timed causing
worse traffic. I love Idaho and Meridian but it's just becoming too crowded for
me.
80 Support and plans for swimming pools. High school teams are limited in practice
options. Swimming is becoming a more active sport in Idaho as sanctioning
occurred last year. Idaho is full of rivers and lakes and safety should be our
priority.
82 I understand many people want to maintain Meridian as a "rural" city but
maintaining farmland at the cost of increased sprawl is not the solution in my
opinion. I would like to see more walk-ability, parks and other community
initiatives
86 I can't think of anything. Satisfied.
88 More City control of expansion/growth instead of being at the whim of
developers with deep pockets.
89 Please keep taxes low. That is what makes this area great. I would rather be
without some of the above to keep this area affordable for families.
90 Making city council accountable for growth decisions and not shirking it off on
ACHD whenever traffic is brought up. By now we've heard thousands of
residents speak up at meetings but we are not being heard.
92 Sell off the abomination building that is city hall and return the proceeds to the
taxpayers. Move back into the old city hall, as a town this size should have. Cut
the Meridian budget by half, immediately. End the old crony network, especially
from the mayor's office.
94 Slow down the growth! Do we have to approve every new project that comes
up? Our roads can't support it, traffic is just awful. We need better ways to get
into Boise. How about Meridian supporting Valley Ride with some express
buses?
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97 The roadways
99 Continue with the revitalization of downtown, decrease the "suburb" feel,
maintain the mix of farm and homes, and increase alternative, timely
transportation options to downtown (shouldn't take 1-2 hours to commute via
the current bus system)
101 More public golf courses.
102 Keep it clean and up-to-date. Plan for growth. Don't let vacation rentals ruin
established neighborhoods. Dont let taxes get out of control. Beautify as you
go.
103 There are too many apartments. The roads cannot accommodate this growth
and we have lost the friendly small town feel
104 Please! Slow down the growth. Too many multi-family housing is making traffic
impossible to navigate.
105 Pay more attention to the needs of the senior population. Senior activities south
of the freeway for those who don't like driving up Eagle.
106 I have never lived in a town with such aggressive drivers, with such disregard for
walkers, runners and bikers. It's hard to build a community when people have
such little regard for each other.
107 We need to apply more conservative values
111 public transportation roads walkability neighborhood safety fill the healthcare
gap support small business
114 ROADS to be significantly improved to HANDLE the growth we have NOW in
2018....stop being retroactive and START being proactive! STOP trying to make
Meridian the FASTEST growing in the state and START protecting the
greatness that Meridian is with safety and....seriously leave farmlands- farmland!
115 Is absolutely vital that Meridian address its traffic grid. Our transportation system
and road should be able to handle rush hour traffic no matter the road. This
includes sections of Road managed by the Idaho Transportation Department.
116 Meridian should stay small town. Grows needs to be controlled. Improve
schools and concentrate on the quality of life rather on grows.
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117 Stop approving so much high density housing. If I wanted to be surrounded by
apartments I'd live in Boise
121 Housing development has been too fast with inadequate road development. I
suggest a 2% tax for all new residents for the first 5 years to help pay for roads.
In addition, the growth has made housing prices grow too fast. Our children
can't afford to rent here.
123 I would love to see our downtown revitalized into a vibrant destination that
people are attracted to.
128 I would like to see Meridian's historical character retained and cultivated through
the expansion of the arts, walkable districts, the preservation of farmland, and
the revitalization of older areas.
129 Population and new home construction is growing rapidly. I would like to see
traffic flow improvements, wider roads, and a plan for improved public
transportation. A commuter train system from Caldwell to Boise along the
freeway would be nice before it gets too overdeveloped!
133 Meridian is a nice place to live, but leadership within the City has placed a high
priority on growth and expansion without consistency in residential density,
aesthetics, pedestrian safety, and most of all, a reactionary approach to
necessary transportation improvements as a result of development. I know that
is really ACHDs job, but the City doesn't have to approve plats if the necessary
transportation and pedestrian improvements aren't proposed by the developer.
135 1. better schools, more schools. 2. widen chinden, eagle, linder, meridian,
fairview, etc. 3. stricter building codes.
137 I would like to see more walking and biking paths in general, but also specifically
on eagle road. It is not safe to let your kids ride/walk down most of s. Eagle. I'd
like to see that improve. We also need more of a variety of restaurants, but I'd
like them to stay near the freeway. Please make new buildings fit the landscape
better. The new hotel, I believe it's the Hilton, on eagle off of exit 46 is an eye
sore.
139 I love meridian, but I see the rapid development as a mistake. Portland was a small
town before it rapidly grew into a crime ridden overly crowded city. The same
thing can happen to Meridian. Care must be taken when growing a city.
Development must be slowed down and schools must be able to accomodate
more residents. I think developers should be taxed greater to help fund our
schools. The children are the future they must be educated.
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142 I feel that with the huge growth there are some traffic issues, especially Eagle Rd.
for me.
144 Less congested traffic
145 Overcrowding of housing and roads and not enough schools
147 Slow the growth. I just don't understand why you keep approving more and
more subdivisions when we don't have the schools or roads to support all of
them. If you don't approve them, growth will slow. I'm for growth, but we are
growing way too fast and will never catch up.
148 Since the city council has turned a deaf ear and blind eye to homeowner
concerns about unchecked growth and projects being approved on land that
isn't suitable for that type of project, your list of choices above doesn't begin to
address our concerns.
149 An acedamic leader giving an opportunity to elementary students to perform
above grade level (see Legacy charter school in Arizona curriculum) and all high
school students to earn an associates or certificate through dual enrollment. A
family centered community with miles of pathways for biking and walking away
from main roads with trees to shade; limit high density housing; make mandatory
for developers to set aside green space and large park development with a
variety of activities like horseshoes, pickle ball courts, tennis, splash pads,
racquetball, etc; prioritize recruiting family oriented entertainment businesses
and limit, if not refuse to build, more payday loan shops, pawn shops, and bars.
Recruit businesses who can utilize local high school and college student talent.
A leader in road accessibility and transportation. Timed freeway entry lights to
avoid dumping 30 cars onto the freeway leading to further congestion. Leader in
college education. Partner with BSU to create a BSU Meridian campus.
150 Stop the apartments! Slow down issuance of permits until infrastructure can
handle more people! Schools are overcrowded as it is, and if we keep getting
levies and bonds you will price those of us out of here who are on fixed income.
151 Afordable housing, more schools, and better public transportation
152 The homes right on top of one another are unattractive and grossly overpriced.
The apartments extremely expensive. Where will you get working class people
to fill essential jobs if traffic is a nightmare, no affordable housing and crime
spiking?
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154 Infrastructure Better transportation options More regional parks outside of the
housing developments Parks with swimming access and the ability to paddle
board like Boise
156 Traffic flow
158 Zoning in these subdivision areas for walkable and bike-able spaces like: Library,
restaurants, bars, etc. The spaces exist and are awesome, however they are only
accessible via car. Spreading them out would make more community/village feel.
Ex. SE Boise Bown crossing. On every one of these large subdivision blocks,
making sure there is a public space reserved of some kind...
160 Promote infill and walkability.
163 The location of the proposed Fields District idea is not a proper location. This
idea needs to be moved out where there is room for it. The proposed area off of
McDermott (Meridian North West) will be an infill surrounded by residential and
not conducive to farming operations. The farmers that work this area tell when
they move equipment around, the traffic is already not tolerant of them- some
people get hostile. The Chinden Corridor from Boise to Caldwell will fill in with all
types of Commercial, Multiple Residential applications Hotels ect.
164 My highest priority is combating sprawl by focusing on infill and revitalization.
That will also allow for the preservation of farmland. I would like to see more
development in Meridian's core that will attract families and businesses. I would
like to see more manufacturing as well but within an industrial zoned area. I think
that if a city has a well communicated plan, good job opportunities, and a focus
on community it will also engender a sense of community pride that will lead to
greater youth retention.
165 Find a way to preserve the agricultural industry that has sustained Meridian all
these years. Do not cast it aside in haste just to "grow".
167 The demographics of Meridian have already changed, and not for the better.
Treasure valley was a diversified area, with farms and homes working together
to make it a true treasure! NOT fast paced highways to nowhere. huge stores
gobbling up every inch of agricultural land it can, to benefit the few.
174 Create a multi-modal transportation network is by far the #1 priority on my list
for Meridian. We need COMPASS/Valley Ride to increase the bus stops and
frequency in Meridian. We also need electric vehicle charging stations. It would
be great if I could charge my electric car at City Hall or any of the other City
Locations or Parks!
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175 Roads, pay
176 Growth needs to be severely reduced in order for infrastructure to be able to
catch up.
177 It would be really great to see old downtown Meridian revitalize the older
buildings and bring small local shops like antique shops, art gallaries, cafes that
serve local wines, ice cream shops.
178 The Mayor and City Council do have not have a clue how to manage growth. It is
sad to see how they bow to the developers and don't give one hoot to the
quality of life for the citizens. No thought to balance or aesthetics in
development.
180 Recreational vehicles should not be allowed to be stored on your property
unless they are behind a privacy fence.
181 The streets in our subdivision badly need blacktopped. It is difficult to exit
Salmon Rapids subdivision onto Locust Grove with the growth in traffic
182 We must address the pressure that intense growth places on our education
system. Growth has created pockets of low income areas and schools that do
not adequately meet the needs of students.
183 Find a way to address sprawl; look to other communities back east, and don't
repeat their mistakes.
184 I would like to see downtown revitalized and overall infrastructure
improvements.
189 The City of Meridian is a patchwork quilt. Planning and zoning is lacking
considerably and should be the primary focus AND enforced. The lack of a
central city center with competing interests rather than complimentary
development has a negative cause and effect attribute. Meridian needs to take
action in development and not be reactionary to development.
191 Faster speed limits, more lanes on the major streets, no more growth, no more
building.
192 Would like to see Planing and Zoning and the City Council enforce the
comprehemsive plan. Would like them stop agreeing to change the zoning to
small lots, apartments etc. they have been disregaurding the comprehensive
plan.
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196 My wife and I chose Meridian to settle based largely in part to its balance of
urban opportunities and rural community feel. Shopping, parking, and
entertainment are still easily available because it has not been too
overdeveloped or cramped.
197 Research Urban Disinvestment. Meridian grows like a tree, in rings. As
investment in the city urbanizes the periphery the inside of a city can rot, as
infrastructure and superstructure ages. Disinvestment needs to be fixed before
it happens with this comp plan, and the easiest way to do that is to heavily invest
in schools in the urban core. People flee urban cores when the schools die, and
they move outward to the new rings of the tree
199 PLEASE get some public transportation ASAP. The one bus route thru Meridian
to get anywhere is NOT enough. This is needed desperately NOW - not in 10-
20 years.
200 The preservation of farmland and open space is the most important issue. As an
Idaho native (born in Boise lived there for 37 years, lived in Meridian for 20 years)
this is what we love most about the Treasure Valley. Our values are quickly
slipping away with the rapid unplanned growth. We DONT HAVE to continue
down this path. Once we tear up our open space we can never get it back. We
need to respect other people's values and way of life, i.e. the agriculture industry
that provides us with food on our table and clothes on our back. Without Ag we
would have nothing.
202 I would like to see more dedicated (protected) bike paths and a system of public
transportation. I would like to see fewer strip malls and willy-nilly commercial
construction.
203 Zoning and planning needs revamping. Additional building has impact that the
school system can not.keep up with.
204 We need to upgrade our main corridors to meet the influx of people/businesses
flooding the area. This is a great place to live, but we need to get the roads built
ahead of the growth.
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206 More bike lanes/ bike friendly roads More off-leash dog parks and off-leash
hours at existing city parks. Expansion/ widening of roads and accommodations
for increased traffic in localized areas with the addition of new housing
developments (current subdivisions and apts are going in without implementing
plans for added traffic on main roads. Traffic flow is heavy and commuters and
residents cannot get in and out of subdivisions without traffic lights or turn
lanes. They are forced to always hold up traffic to turn IN and can only ever make
a speedy right turn on the way OUT due to speed and volume of traffic on main
roads.
207 More biking lanes, more easy accessible public transit connecting to Boise and
Eagle, more off leash areas for dogs.
209 The new apartments on Meridian and Macmillan will cause a huge traffic problem.
We need right hand turning lanes in addition to more lanes. The traffic jams at
Fairview and Locust Grove at 4 PM is awful. The roads are too small and all roads
need expansion.
212 Trails, trails, trails.... make all parks open and accessible. Don't follow the Eagle
model of making everything private. Youth sports in my neighborhood park
(Kelly Creek) are now excluded for our park, how short sited and cynical. More
and more parks have signage stating for this or that community, which doesn't
foster any community. Walking and biking options are only to increase in
demand, improve trails and right of ways. Developers in Meridian are not held to
the same expectations as other cities around us and it shows.
214 Has anyone on the City Council seen the traffic issues that have rapidly
developed over the last two years? Do they drive on our roads? You are
allowing one of the best cities in the county to be ruined. Not by "bad people",
but by too many people. Stop saying yes to developers. You cannot continue
irresponsible rates of growth. EVERYONE sees it and is complaining about it.
217 I would like Meridian to keep its small town feel. It is growing so fast...it is turning
into another Phoenix. Stop allowing the building of so many apartments. It is
crowding our schools/communities without creating affordable housing (it's still
expensive) without increasing the tax base. The amount of apartments in
Meridian went from a level equal to an nice community to a ridiculous amount.
Stop approving massive apartment complexes.
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218 In addition to developing more stringent guidelines around school populations
in conjunction with neighborhood development projects (are the estimating
models are broken?), more proactive road construction in developing areas
would go a long way to improving drive-ability in Meridian... There have been
MANY widening projects on east/west routes, but very few north/south
projects, Ten Mile should have had a 5-year plan in place to widen all the way to
Chinden when the interchange was built
221 Don't take all the farmland for construction. We'd lose so much.
223 The road infrastructure is horrible here. Chinden backs up frequently at non-
peak times, and that's before the CostCo goes in on Chinden. The CostCo
should have NEVER been approved in a residential neighborhood.
228 Better transportation by bus or rail to Boise, NAMPA etc.
230 If you could continue to focus on widen roads and create freeway access I
believe we'd see some relief from commuter traffic. I love that Meridian puts a
huge emphasis on parks and recreation. It'd be nice if there were hills in its parks
for winter sledding and variation. More off leash doggie areas would be nice.
Public pools. Water features. And public transportation is lacking. It's important
for families choosing to lessen their environmental impact or for individuals who
don't have much of a choice, otherwise. Uber is expensive!
231 Charge developer fees to cover road improvements BEFORE new housing units
are built. Infrastructure first!!!
236 Sound proof street noise with tall green trees(Itialian Cypress)
237 Roads/traffic flow. Bike accessibility-lanes and trails
243 Build protective Barrie's parallel to irrigation canals.
244 School and road growth...
246 The road structure and housing structure. So many houses and apartment
buildings are being built in small areas that is impacting quality of life and
transportation. Sad to see farmland going away and the openness of meridian
247 Transportation and good paying careers
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249 Stop allowing builders/commercial areas to take up every single inch of vacant
land. They are simply ruining the city. We came here 12 years ago due to a job
change and loved it and never thought we would leave. We are preparing to
retire and are looking for somewhere else to live as Meridian has gotten out of
control with the growth which is controlled by just a few.
252 get your schools up to speed and wages that are more in tune with the rest of
the states
253 Roads Add character Stop building so many apartments Keep chinden ae a
highway, not filled with stoplights
256 Roads need to be expanded. And public services need to grow
257 The road system. There has not been the attention need to keep up with
building boom.
259 Meridian needs to take a serious look at the traffic that comes with the rampant
developments everywhere. There simply isn't the infrastructure to handle it.
Why are you allowing the developments everywhere without putting in the
widened roads and more schools first?
260 Funding of schools differently than it is done now. Possibly a one time payment
for every new home that is built??
261 Traffic and better separation of residential vs commercial zones.
265 Less apartments, more subdivisions
266 The quality of school staff, affordable housing and obtainable JOBS!
272 I would like to see more space preserved. More parks and recreation
opportunities, a greenbelt like system, and a nice city water park/pool center.
Bigger library in south Meridian area. Is there a way to maintain the small town
feel in a growing area?
275 The single biggest thing City Hall can do is to REMOVE barriers to starting small
businesses; get rid of the Zoning Department; you already have city ordinances
covering health, noise, etc. Eliminate all permissions and permits for new
business, including home businesses which would help eliminate commutes and
traffic. Home business should be encouraged and promoted in a MAJOR way.
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277 More bike paths. Public transit options. Adress school overcrowding and
funding issues. (add impact fees for school so growth is actually paying for
growth).
279 Transportation is a problem and is going to continue to be. See my comment(s)
above.
280 Grow at a rate that infrastructure can support. Way too many subdivisions are
being built on road networks that CANNOT accommodate this. Being
big/growing is NOT necessarily a good thing.
281 Meridian is building entirely to many new homes! There is no real job market
here and the infrastructure of the community (schools, roads, etc.) don't come
anywhere near to supporting the population we already have.
282 Meridian deserves a large performing arts center for The Meridian Symphony
and other stage presentations of instead of using small local high school Gyms
and auditoriums.
286 Stop building massive apartment complexes like the one going in at the corner of
MacMillian and Meridian rd.
287 Data and expert driven growth management—not driven by developers and
profit but by what builds sustainable, value intense neighborhoods and
commercial centers. More resident input in planning. Collaboration between
residents, developers and government groups. Smooth traffic, exemplary
schools—neither overcrowded. Better high density neighborhoods and urban
core; more low density/executive housing to offset plethora of cookie cutter R-
4 and R-8 builder grade houses.
288 Slow your roll on the growth. Stop approving housing developments the fill the
pockets of the greedy, and don't consider the impact on those existing
developments and the residents who live in them.
298 Slow up on density, preserve green space and property values for the future.
300 Ease of traffic
301 I have noticed a significant increase in speeding and aggressive drivers lately,
even in school zones, but very little, if any, police presence. It's getting worse
and there is no deterrent. It's only a matter of time before bad accidents and road
rage become all too common. I wish we could focus on controlling this a lot
better.
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302 I want to see a something that says there is a plan for road improvement. Most of
our roads are one-lane because it was a rural area. I also want to know if you are
thinking about where all this building and growth is headed. Is it going to
continue until all the farmland is gone, or are you planning to say no to
developers at some point in time?
303 Traffic has been a huge issue with amount of houses being built and people
moving here. I hope the farm land will be preserved to some extent and the
population increase more manageable.
307 Infrastructure. Stop allowing hundreds of apartments and other growth without
widening the roads. Pass the expense on to the developer.
308 I am angry that more Homes and Apartments are going in faster than the roads
to move the people. Example: High density construction (Massive Apartment
complex is being built where Meridian Road and McMillian Road are only two
lanes and crowded. Especially when the middle school is in session across the
street, it gets worse. GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE BEFORE
ANYTHING ELSE, or postpone the building.
310 Public transportation is key to this continued growth. The area will become grid
locked if this is not addressed now
312 Expanded housing is great if the existing thruway streets are widened to
accommodate the traffic
315 Decrease this unsustainable growth... Improve transportation infrastructure.
Properly fund schools, police and fire. Improve footpaths, hiking/ biking trails.
317 Huge subdivisions are taking over every aspect of rural Meridian. We need to
slow down the large subdivisions and encourage smaller subdivisions with
larger, family lots. Not being able to hear your neighbor snore is a good thing!
319 More homes on big (1/2 to one acre) lots
321 Better road and traffic situations. More green space.
322 Roads need to widen. Transportation via bus or light rail to boise and nampa
323 Slowed growth, increased pedestrian ways. More Public pools
324 Transportation and increased housing options. We need more large lot home
sites.
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325 I would like to see the decrease of all the small lot homes.
326 Quit giving in to Big Investor dollars and limit growth until infrastructure can
accomodate. Make DEVELOPERS pay for added infrastructure (not tax payers
who are already here. Stop stroking your egos' by building and developing what
the rest of us don't want. We live here because of what it IS, not what it MAY BE
(in your image). Don't make us into another California, Oregon, Washington.
Arrrrgggg.
327 Work harder on access control at intersections, development patterns region
wide. Force developers to create pockets of dense mixed use. Use
Linder/Chinden and Ten Mile as bad examples.
328 Quit overcrowding existing schools with huge apartment complexes. The city
needs to interface better with ACHD and West Ada before approving negative
growth.
330 I would like to see Meridian maintain some of its rural past. There should be
room for larger properties along with higher density housing. Having a diverse
range of housing options is important.
331 Preserve open space and farmland rather than filling every acre with housing
335 Slow methodical growth.
338 It's critical to keep up with safety as Meridian grows. The vision for how we grow
needs to be clear and communicated to citizens who may have different
expectations for the area around them.
340 Don't put high density subs next to rural subs. Stick to the last plan and step
down. (Rural to R1 to R2 to R4 etc.)
341 We moved here 9 yrs. ago and appreciated the "rural" environment; it is nothing
like that today and we decry the prolilferation of subdivisions ESPECIALLY in the
southern rim portion of our town.
343 I have lived in several states, and worked as an intern in economic development. I
would put the most emphasis on infill and revitalization, because when one
ignores what they already have, it becomes the area of town no one wants to
enter. I appreciate that the City has made an effort to make downtown Meridian
very "cool" and appealing. This is a huge step in the right direction of preventing
the problems too many cities created by ignoring downtown.
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347 Roads that will accommodate the population. Community Centers located in
various areas to provide more recreational options. Downtown parking that will
allow more businesses to move to downtown Meridian
348 An ALL ABILITIES park. More accessibility for the disabled, especially so kids can
feel included. An inclusive park would be fantastic for special needs kids.
Increased opportunities for local businesses to grow. A thriving downtown.
349 I would like to see some sort of public transportation such as busses. It would be
nice to be able to get around without a car.
350 Revitalize downtown, consider a community events center and continue to build
great parks. Don't keep approving every commercial development without
providing adequate traffic flow.
353 Transportation, which I mentioned before. But, also the farmland around
Meridian is important! Without farm land, we don't eat. All acreage cannot be
taking up by housing....which is also important. But, there needs to be a balance
somewhere.
355 Better cost of living
356 Greenbelts for getting around the city with our children
357 Less strip malls that become vacant in 5 years and better roads to manage the
growth. Quit handing out building permits until we can get a better handle on
transportation and schools.
360 The schools are completely full and builders continue to build apartments in that
zone! When do the developers pay for this? They need to pay for the
infrastructure.
361 Better growth plans. Improve traffic patterns & roads.
363 The old downtown with multi-story condos & apartments so people don't have
to drive to work. More jobs located near housing for same reason.
364 Roadways and additional retailers
365 City boundaries
367 More walkability, similar to downtown Bose.
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370 I would like to see it have its own identity and not an extension of Boise with
varied housing options
371 The City, ACHD and the State need to work together. Too many
apartments/people, not enough schools or support services. Taxpayers should
not foot the bill on this growth. Developers should.
373 Require more Responsibility and discipline instead of the me,me,me attitude.
374 Control the type of building allowed to preserve our small-town feel and quit
building vast appartment complexes and crowding everything together. Get and
keep a handle on the crime in our city. Give our officers what they need to
accomplish this and keep up with campaigns for a good supportive relationship
between our officers and the public.
375 Love the small town feel! Hate all the new housing and developments taking
over.
378 I don't care so see much improvement in areas. I see room for improvement of
roads, schools, and managing the growth. I would like to see improvement on
areas that have been neglected from the growth and the focus in expanding
before preserving. Maybe see less of California and more of Idaho come back.
379 Move the racetrack (tear it down and build a new one further out of town). The
sound of the races is highly disruptive to the families living within the area, it
crowds up Main Street and meridian road whenever there is a race, and the area
would be better served with an expanded park, track for running (encouraging
families to get exercise), and maybe a nice restaurant or two.
380 No more unnecessary growth.
384 Downtown and southwest meridian
385 Please, for the love, set aside the mindset of just growth and elevate a
structured, well designed and thoughtful approach to manage the increasing
population. The way Meridian has boomed into a sprawl of subdivisions
connected by the nightmare that is Eagle Road is devastating.
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388 I think we need to preserve farmland, and make open space a big priority. In the
nearly 20 years that I've lived here, I've noticed that our average temperatures
have been increasing. I believe that this is because we are covering farmland with
concrete and macadam, thus holding in heat from the sun. There are ways to
remedy this and the city can be a leader finding ways that minimize temperature
retention. Another area of need is in the area of concern for the environment is
that we have more recycling options than are currently available. One major
concern is the need for public transportation that can actually be useful! The
current system is only helpful if you can walk, ride a bike, or get a ride to bus
stops! I appreciated the attempts to have a shuttle bus for shopping, but I don't
really shop, and if a person was to utilize this then you had to remember that the
shuttle was running on that day (Saturday, I believe) and when/where it made
stops. What is needed is a daily availability of public transportation that has stops
other than the stops at I-84 exits. A news we also have is to help ACHD get road
improvements right the first time. In my first 10 years living here road
construction at Eagle Rd. & Franklin was consistent because they'd work on it
and it would need improvement almost immediately! A dedicated right turn lain
for south moving traffic should have been created years ago, as well as widening
the roadway farther to the north. I know that this growth has not been
anticipated and that it takes time to get the infrastructure created, but it needs to
be done right the first time. Open space and farmland is important. I would hope
to see the five or so acres on Pine directly west of MHS bought or deeded to
the district to help students learn sustainable agricultural practices, along with
business classes. What a wonderful way this would be for students to help our
city and state move into future economic realities.
389 Meridian is a terrific community. I don't think it needs to be fixed, but rather
added to.
390 Less government. More freedom!
391 1. Infrastructure should be PRIORITY #1 2. Revitalize downtown Meridian with
entertainment, food and more 3. More focus now on bringing in more
businesses (not retail) so our economy is sustainable. 4. Be the voice and move
towards legislative changes to allow for additional funding for the building of
additional schools. Put the coat back on developers and/or change IMPACT fee
rules.
392 Build a vibrant downtown
394 Public transportation
395 Widening of roads. Franklin, ustick, chinden, ten mile. These should be 5 or 6
lanes roads. Traffic congestion is terrible. More areas like the village
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397 Plan on how to provide, budget for and implement the current and future
growth! Roadways, schools and housing.
398 Id like to see planning for growth in a way that allows schools, police, etc to have
resources to serve the expanding population (or limit growth). Id like to see
green spaces remain and increase (more parks, greenbelt system, etc). Id like to
see planning to address traffic through both road improvements/planning and
improved public transportation options. Id like to see emphasis on
sustainability...glass recycling, composting, solar energy, etc.
400 Infrastructure to accommodate the rapid growth Meridian has already
seen...more schools and and road widening to cut back on the traffic. LESS
HOUSING AND APARTMENTS BEING BUILT.
402 I'd like to find a way to incorporate more affordable family activities into the city.
403 More single family homes and less apartment complexes. Meridian is the now the
capital of apartment complexes and it will bring increased crime to the
community.
404 I feel that Meridian has become extremely difficult to drive in without traffic
congestion.
405 A dedicated facility for the performing arts, especially for the youth of the
Treasure Valley. More four lane roads to expedite traffic flow. Increased retail
like Trader Joe's, Costco, Winco, Target, etc near Northwest Meridian.
407 Traffic congestion by increasing public transportation. When it comes to
widening roads, if you build it, they will come. The larger the road, the more
cases will use it.
408 I would love to see more year round disc golf courses in Meridian!
410 More disc golf courses
411 Less building, more roadways or expanded roadways
412 We need a building moratorium. The traffic is terrible - neighborhoods are being
ruined by too much traffic and too many homes on small land parcels.
413 I would like to see the current growth less influenced by councils that are shills
for large corporate builders and more thought put into well planned growth.
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415 more urban housing in the down town
416 Require subdivisions to have more open space.
418 Low income senior housing, more school with BETTER scores, state funded
preschool, better biking lanes, homes with more space, more green space like
eagle, less fast food restaurants, more jobs that have more growth potential
(less restaurant jobs), NW Meridian YMCA, children's museum, less roaring
springs expansion, traffic improvements, better connecting sidewalk (why was
linder road sidewalk made wider? What a WASTE of funds...), more community
events, more of a character feel (less Sacramento feel), MORE LIBRARIES and last
but not least less levies... we have the funds... budget better.
420 Transit system
422 More preference should go to current residents and less to out of state
developers. Less storage buildings and apartments and growth needs to be
more planned out and prepared. Schools and roads shouldn't constantly be
overcrowded.
425 To see old town meridian keep that old town feel. Open areas to keep some
natural areas. Parks without upkeep so to speak.
426 More 5 lane road (two lanes each way with a center turn lane)...
427 More overpasses connecting south side to north side of freeway! Less
apartments Slow down developments Better roads( no more 2 lane Main
Streets)
428 Please preserve acreage property. Let people own 1-5 acres. Let's keep some
areas of Meridian still country.
430 Traffic flow, maintain/preserve natural spaces as much as possible.
431 I would love to have a really great public transportation system, like an L train
that goes through Nampa, Meridian, and Boise. I would also like to see more
quality affordable housing options, like apartments under $800.
432 more affordable housing, correct the poorly thought through roadways. we
need more efficient roadways/highways with our rate of growth. keep parks and
outdoor activity a priority. that's what makes meridian special. update the older
parts of town. more options for education for kids other than massive public
schools where kids become invisible.
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436 Increase the educational standards to rise above being rated 48-49% Nationally
Attract jobs that pay a living wage.
437 Better zoning and planning. Business areas away from residential areas.
439 The city is expanding too far beyond its original and existing boundaries. The
city is encroaching on existing, established, and valuable farmland and
agricultural areas. The quite farming areas and open spaces and low traffic on the
western boundaries of Ada County is was attracted us and that is quickly
disappearing. If we wanted to live in a city, we would be in Boise, not west Ada
County.
441 Where we live is currently unincorporated (west) Ada County. The quite farming
and small acreage atmosphere with easy access to the interstate to get to work
in Boise is what attracted us to this location. As the city continues to annex in
agricultural land, that atmosphere is changing and it is quickly losing its appeal.
442 I would like for us to be able to have more family friendly. More walkability, more
safety.
445 Connected bike routes and a walkable community are very important with mixed
use development. I don't want to be dependent on my car for everything.
446 I would like to see more farms. I would like to see less building of houses.
449 Road systems and over crowded schools. Better control over housing growth. It
is growing fast than the schools and roads can handle.
450 I would love to see better schools. Our children are extremely important and
their education should be of the highest quality. I would love to see the country
be preserved. I would love to see better public transportation too.
453 More shopping options, better roadways, and reduce number of homes being
built before it's over populated like many west coast cities!
458 If you want people to actually care about the comprehensive plan and participate
in its modification, then don't trot out legal in every city council meeting to
restate that it's just a guideline to justify ignoring it. If we can't trust the city to
follow the plan then it's worse than worthless because people's lives will be
impacted if they rely on it to make major life decisions. This current
administration's legacy will be a disaster if we continue down this path.
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460 Boise and Meridian have not done a good job of planning roads for growth. Look
at the closed Cloverdale over pass. It was under rated before its closure and
now we will be stressing North South access for a year plus to get what should
have been in place already. We will expand 5 mile overpass when some one dies
on that undersized over pass. We need some better foresight on road systems
and alternate transportation.
461 Get ahead of population growth with roads and infrastructure
466 I realize you will have many responses, but the most important I feel is to
properly manage growth. Please require builders and developers to put in the
necessary turn lanes, sidewalks and improvements to minimize the traffic impact.
Most developers come in build and are gone and could care less about the long
term impact. The City is left trying to figure out how to manage the traffic. Traffic
is getting worst as we have seen, and the arterial streets were never designed
to handle all the subdivisions going in. I just hope you are seriously looking at
the major traffic impact areas. And more traffic lights is not always the answer.
Please visit some of the major cities around us, LA, SD, SF, Seattle, Portland, LV
and others to see what they did right and what they didn't. We all love Meridian
and want our quality of life here to be the best.
467 The City needs to stop approving each and every new development request.
Built new roads, bikeways and parks first, to meet growth 20 years ahead, before
building yet another new subdivision or shopping center.
468 I think we need public transportation that connects Meridian to Boise and
Nampa/Caldwell. As far as I know, we don't have a way to get to the other cities
or a bus system within Meridian. Traffic is getting worse every day.
469 More attention to school bus safety rules
470 we desperately need a better way to get N-S without overtaxing the roads that
were not meant for so much heavy traffic. gridlock is constant and huge trucks
speed and destroy our roadways.
477 I would like to see the growth slow down so that our schools can keep up with
the influx of students. Our schools are way to crowded. It's important for
teachers to have the ability to know all of their students and provide quality
education. This cannot be achieved adequately if their class sizes are too large.
Smaller class sizes are a necessity from elementary through high school.
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478 It won't matter or hold any weight that you've asked us for input if you ignore
everything you hear, design, etc. and throw it out the window for the sake of
developers and business owners. We understand that development will happen.
We understand that businesses are important. But the individual and families
should come first. Need vs Want should be considered. Consideration for
appropriateness and safety should be much stronger considerations. Meridian is
failing and we are ready to leave. In the five years we have been here, (although, I
was born and raised in the Treasure Valley and have been here 30 years)
everything we loved about Meridian has changed and instead we hate it here.
Put the breaks on!!! Control growth. You're losing everything that's good and
you're selling the soul of the city.
481 Develop the infrastructure before you bring in the people... PLEASE! This is
ridiculous!
483 Care and upkeep of roads, managed growth for optimum protecting n of
community and families
489 Something needs to be done about the quality of our schools and how we keep
allowing additional development with no regard for impact to existing
neighborhoods, schools, traffic.
491 Always stay focused on safety! Retain the natural beauty... Do not cram housing
into every corner... Unique experiences... Take care of it's people...
494 There are areas along Cherry Ln, from Linder to Black Cat, that look like the
ghetto of Detroit. Overgrown weeds on the sidewalks, fallen wood fencing...it's
an eyesore, for those of us who live in nicer neighborhoods in the area. If the
Irrigation District is going to let it become a haven for weeds and grass, then the
city should step up and do something.
495 More bass ponds, traffic, keep us all safe
496 Education, roads, mass transit. Continue developing parks
499 I think Meridian is great; the primary challenge I foresee for the near future is
keeping up the quality of life with the surges of people moving here from out-of-
state. How will we keep housing plentiful but not cut corners? How will we keep
local businesses kept up? How will we make sure roads don't deteriorate, parks
aren't overworn, etc? How will we keep up with the overpopulation in our
schools? More taxes? Inflation? This is my main concern.
500 Limit growth to keep the small-town family-friendly feel.
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502 Minimize/limit high denisity residential development. More low income Sr.
Housing options.
503 I love the small town feel but I don't want it to look like Fairview and Locust
Grove, but stay closer to The Village at Meridian or Downtown Meridian.
Walking around to small shos and keep the feel of Meridian.
505 LOW INCOME HOUSING !!!
506 We need more education for jobs in the robotic sectors, energy and sustainable
food sources. We NEED much stronger impact fees on the builders who are
creating this nightmare of overcrowding in schools, roads etc.
507 1) Keep the City of Meridian web page updated. It currently has many broken
links. Not the easiest to navigate. 2) Raise the minimum wage for businesses in
Meridian 3) Build another public swimming pool
508 Less box stores and large neighborhoods to include apartment complex's
509 We need to find a way to fund our public transportation infrastructure locally and
develop bike facilities that are protected from traffic. Downtown needs to
develop attractive, vibrant developments, like a big fun sports bar. However I do
not see downtown changing as long as the speedway is where it is. I would like
to see the speedway move south.
510 Why do you even have a comprehensive plan?. You either change it or ignore it.
511 follow the current comprehensive plan
514 We should be the safest city in Idaho. We do not need to be the biggest. Slow us
down and be the best not the biggest. Make the developers pay to widen roads
if they want to keep making huge subdivisions.
516 the housing growth is insane... we don't have the infrastructure to keep up as it
is. You can tell many politicians have been/are developers/real estate agents.
Poor planning
519 Transportation infrastructure. Continued attention on safety with the police
department.
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521 What does ACHD actually do? It seems our infrastructure is so far behind and
continues to lag. I've seen the same intersections widened multiple times in just
a few years. Is this cost effective? Could we not see growth coming and develop
for the future instead of the short term need?
522 The addition of multiple apartment complexes into areas that already have
school overcrowding (especially the huge complex at McMillan and Meridian)
and traffic overload is very disappointing. Also, the complete disregard for city
code, which restricts semi-trucks from utilizing Linder Road, is baffling. I see at
least three Republic Services trucks during my short dog walks in the morning
and when I leave for work. Also, Sysco, Miller Lite, and other trucks, too (though
those aren't daily).
524 I would love to see south Meridian to be a medium density area. Large home lots
and wide roads. Parks and walking/biking trails.
525 More thought for and curbs on expansion
526 I'd like to see growth slowed down and then infrastructure improved. It feels like
we are always trying to play catch up when it should be the other way around.
527 I'd like to have a university to attract researchers and skilled labor.
528 I'd like to see more visible collaboration with ACHD and West Ada School
District while planning for the future. Growth is inevitable. Transparency with the
community and showing the collaboration with other agencies will help ease
frustration and help us all see the bigger picture. Consider the impact future
development will have on current residents and work in collaboration with vital
angencies to ensure infrastructure is in place to accommodate the growth.
(Think: if we approve this housing development, shopping center, etc....what
impact will that have on schools and traffic? How much of a burden will that be on
taxpayers for the roads and schools? How long will it be before the roads and/or
schools can be constructed to accommodate this growth? Is the cost worth the
benefit?) Keeping an emphasis on planning ahead will go a long way with the
people of Meridian. Perhaps our local government can even begin working with
state government to make the necessary changes in tax law which will allow for
better funding of schools and decrease the number of school bonds and levies.
Find smart ways to keep up with future growth. An ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure.
531 Traffic, roads, slower rate of housing growth. Growth is fine but should be
appropriate for the available jobs and current infrastructure. more jobs so people
do not need to commute to downtown Boise.
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534 All the current projects are piece meal, causing congestion due to construction
and all the improvements are inadequate for the current problem much less
when the Boise community grows by 40% in the next 7-10 years as St Lukes is
forecasting. Then when the projects are completed we will find that they were
not adequate and we will start the whole process over again taking the next step
that should have been done in the first place. This is not rocket science - STOP
BUILDING UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAN SUPPORT THE GROWTH!!!
535 It's great that the city wants to create job opportunities but in the right areas!
Boise is becoming a bigger city and Meridian doesn't have to be a city with
everything. The most important thing is that the residents have quality of life 1st
and foremost! The rest should be a distant 2nd!
537 Love the idea of preserving farmland, concerns with the toxic chemicals that are
common in the industry now. Would love to see more organic options
encouraged locally as our community continues to grow and surround the
farmland.
538 Look to Lake County Illinois especially Avon township. They have done a
wonderful job. Also around Long Grove, IL These are all suburbs of Chicago
where they didn't like the city swallow them.
540 Better roads built to handle the amount of traffic that city leaders KNEW even 15
yrs ago would be needed given the planned neighborhoods approved that many
years ago. And with this same issue comes schools to house the known
population given approval to developers 15 years ago. Now we find ourselves
having to emergently increase police, fire, and ambulance service which again is
ludicrous given the fact that Meridian leaders approved this growth so long ago.
541 Improve traffic flow to ease congestion and slow growth.
544 Sidewalks, roads that can handle the actual traffic... Not in 20 years... Now.
Enough schools and educational priorities. Less vacant strip mall... We do not
need any more. Less high density housing and apartments. Our roads cannot
compete with the number of people that live there. It is also taking a toll on our
police force with the increase in crime that comes with so many new people
moving to the area.
545 Please stop this insane growth
547 Address growth & traffic impacts.
552 The current roads and schools cannot keep up with all of the population growth.
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554 Better growth planning and less sprawl
558 As Meridian grows there are more and more reporting around teenage violence
in our neighborhoods. Need better structure and solutions.
559 All irrigation canals buried underground so that we dont have to hear continued
tragic stories of loved ones drowning.
560 Meridian really needs public transportation! Our main roads are already
congested and it's only going to get worse. It would also be nice to have a way
to get to the airport, down town Boise, and other areas outside of Meridian
through public transportation. Buses save money, help the environment, and
make it easier to travel around the area. If we are going to grow as much as
everyone is saying, we need to do something about a real public transportation
system in Meridian now.
561 Education! Revamp the system. Increase teachers salaries. Encourage college
readiness. Roads! Hire outside consultants from large cities to help address road
improvement projects. STOP or SLOW Rapid housing development. Save
farmland and open space.
563 Address the irrigation canals by burying them underground. There is no value
added by having open sources of water along side highly traveled throughfairs.
All to many times are we hearing about families losing loved ones via drowning
by way of canals.
564 More thoughtful planning. It really is ok to say no sometimes, even to Corey
Barton.
567 widen the roads and increase the speed limit. traffic is already horrible
568 Slow down growth until schools and roads catch up with what we have!!!
569 More schools. There are plots of land (for example) in front of community
Southridge located off of linder and overland that has been sitting there for
years listed as "proposed school" yet nothing has happened to it and it is just a
giant lot of dead grass and weeds. Yet so many communities are being built
around what people are hoping will be a new school. I see many of these
instances that I just described around Meridian which is a big concern and
frustration for the people who are moving here.
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571 Meridian city does nothing to follow the Idaho noxious weed policy, laws. Every
where you go there are known noxious weeds growing on lot's and through
cracks in side walks and curb or street edges and no body will enforce the law.
CLEAN UP Meridian. Enforce and encourage water conservation, make trash
pick-up and recycling unified with Boise and understandable to the population...
have a website to do more than generalize what you want and don't..
572 What is the difference in the options above between "diversify job sectors" and
"increase job base/grow workforce."
573 We need some public transportation for the entire valley, link it up. Better
services for the elderly.
578 Would LOVE to see better Public transportation to help alleviate traffic, and
better continuation of sidewalks between neighborhoods so it's easier to
bike/walk longer distances.
579 Continue to update our local parks—keeping them free of graffiti and broken
facilities. Updated sidewalks and Greenbelt areas for biking and walking.
580 more walking paths, year round activity options, volunteer opportunities
582 I am moving out of Meridian as soon as I can
584 The roads need to be widened and more public transportation options.
587 I think the city should push for red-light cameras. With the increase in population,
many drivers are running red lights. This is causing many accidents and this
would be additional revenue for the city.
588 Development of community performance art center.
589 Slow down on the growth. If you are going to grow this fast, make the roads
wider. I can't get out of my subdivision onto Locust Grove to take my son to
school. It's frustrating!
590 Roads
595 I'd like to see some areas other than "The Village" be gathering places. A
downtown area would be great, or something on the West side.
597 Plan ahead and provide more adequate streets and highways!
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599 Plan ahead with traffic controls before allowing development or, at least, make
the street projects a part of the overall project like Costco and Winco proposed.
600 Build a youth center with indoor pool and bowling alley for low-mid income pre-
teens and teens. A lot of my students say they are bored over the summer
because they don't have money to do things so they are walking around the
streets at night
601 Meridian Elementary has such a high rate of students who qualify for
free/reduced lunch that they offer free lunch to all. The city seems to forget that
point - who actually lives downtown Meridian. Instead of trying to force folks
out, work on bringing them into the fold.
602 Schools and roads. I think you guys have already heard this. You need to fix road
issues before you build major developments. Woth developments comes more
gamilies with children. Make sure you have schools in place before hand.
604 The city is trending to over development of commercial zones. Preserve
residential separation from commercial.
607 I haven't lived here very long. I love how it has a small town feel, focus on
keeping it family friendly.
608 don't make it too crowded
611 There is no control over growth at the moment.
612 More shopping options. Improve roads (expand)
613 Roads
614 Better, more vibrant downtown and less time
616 Would like to see Meridian retain it's small town atmosphere.
617 Expansion on major roadways- Chinden, Meridian Rds. Growth is inevitable, but
I'd like a more controlled approach to growth that matches infrastructure we
currently have. Please consider limiting density when approving new apartments
.
619 Roads, roads, roads. Higher standard of landscaping and design for ALL new
development. Look at that ugly mess you let recently develop at the corner of
Linder and Chinden.
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620 Affordable housing
621 Walkability, traffic flow green space.
624 Improve schools and traffic. Fewer apartment complexes.
626 The current comprehensive plan seems to have become virtually meaningless,
supplanted by a growth-at-any-cost mentality. Unless there's a threat of public
uprising, developers apparently can do whatever they want.
627 I think you should strive to keep it as it is
628 Fix overcrowded road ways (Eagle Rd).
629 More park space
630 We need better roadways. We have outgrown most 2 lanes roads in the entire
county. i.e. Victory, Locust Grove, Amity, N. Meridian Road all need to 4 lanes
w/bike lanes.
631 Roads! Sufficient roads should be in place before ANY building (commercial or
residential) takes place. Possibly the builders could help with that expense. It's
been done elsewhere!
632 Control the loss of farmland to the land developers for housing
634 Stricter HOA rules for all neighborhoods
635 Congestion of roadways is a major concern. Less big box stores in
neighborhoods and more pocket shopping/parks.
637 Put a moratorium n building permits NOW!!
639 Transportation.
640 Diversity, traffic,
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643 Slow growth down. Keep up with infrastructure before allowing more growth. It
is ok to have developers add to that infrastructure without getting anything back
from Meridian or taxpayers. They still walk away with millions. Many cities have
required new schools, fire departments, sewer upgrade, road development,
parks, etc. Funny how the developers stay and provide such accommodations
and still walk away with millions. Stop high density building. All it is doing is
allowing more people to move to this area. It does not stop rental increases
from happening. The average person who has lived here a long time and has
earned an Idaho wage for a long time cannot keep up with the housing/rental
market or other cost of living factors. Neither can their kids. Allow idahoans to
catch up with all the people who move here and had mega equity in their homes
out of state and earned a much higher wage. Many of them can continue their
nice income by working out of their home. Be pro-Idahoan who have lived here
instead of telling us to just deal with it. Our quality of life should not have to go
down because our city mayor and council gave our life style and values to the
highest bidder. Don't make us become big city.
646 Add additional sidewalks, create safer intersections. Slow the speed on 55. Bring
more business for job opportunity. Widen the streets in major thoroughfare
areas
647 Bike paths to more diverse work sites (not just food and entertainment). More
loosely populated subdivisions preserving space instead of packing people in as
tight as possible.
652 Traffic and public transportation. A rail or train would be amazing in the valley
since so many cities are clumped together and people commute to work.
653 Visibility of the Arts would be wonderful, as would additional Educational
opportunities, but I was limited on my choices.
654 diversity in housing options is needed. We need housing for all income levels.
657 More off-ramps on I-84 between eagle rd and the connector to improve traffic.
More grocery stores and shopping south of the freeway.
661 An art center, outdoor amphitheater, downtown revitalized,
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665 Reduce subsidized housing and create greater safety for those in town and
county areas. Maintain farmland and keep rezoning to a minimum.
Meridian/Nampa/Boise are quickly grafting into one large city and its dissolving
the way of life as many native Idahoans/Treasure Valley residents know it. If you
make it too compelling for people to move in, you destroy the native culture all
for the sake of "multicuturism" which ultimately means no true culture.
666 Transportation needs to addressed. Meridian needs to push Achd for better
roads and public transportation options other than buses. Easier to address
now then when the city is built out
667 Traffic is really becoming a disaster. Know Eagle Road is a state "responsibility"
but not being able to get on the freeway without waiting for 4-5 traffic lights and
also having to stop on actual freeway when coming home as all four lanes are full
- and just hoping someone does not rear-end me would be really nice. Know a
lot of money was spent on Meridian overpass, but that didn't really help with the
commute downtown. Since money is being spent on the Cloverdale pass to be
rebuilt, think State/Cities need to REALLY consider this to be an on/off ramp
possibility. Tough to walk around also - no real sidewalks on a lot of major roads
once outside of the sub-divisions. Master plan for development needs to be
primary consideration. And having meetings that folks can actually attend to
hear/speak - instead of one meeting that is at a time when most of us are trying
to get home, get kids, etc. We also really do NOT need to have a composting
company right in the middle of our neighborhood. The recent fires at another
site should be a warning. Also, had to fight one of these where I lived in Denver.
It smelled, the wind would kick up and blow stuff all over, and the trucks, and
trucks, and trucks - they are huge, slosh and ooze stuff all over the roads
everywhere - and the mess/smell just continued tor blocks and blocks around.
We don't need this type of expansion where they intend to in pretty much a
residential area. Look at the stories in Hailey- their compost site has been on fire
for over a week now. Can't control it - smoke, fire and smell. Don't want to be
NIMBY, but this is not the place for this type of business.
668 Build the roads first then allow housing to come in. Too much congestion and
inadequate roads. Love the Village and would welcome similar venues.
670 NO MORE APARTMENTS!
673 Without more thoughtful and responsible growth, our children will suffer. The
schools are already horribly overcrowded, there are so many WAY overpriced
homes that those same children will never afford to buy one, and no thought is
being given to provide truly OPEN space. Small areas in subdivisions isn't really
open space. I'm sorry, I hope that doesn't sound rude.
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674 Controlled growth and development. Never embrace alternative lifestyle.
675 Transportation and being able to walk to places like the store is key.
677 More things for young families that don't cost an arm and a leg. Schools, not
losing Green space,
678 Thanks
680 Small builders run this town, no well thought planning for the future, homes have
no architectural designs.
681 I am both encouraged and discouraged by this request for resident input. I
attended all of the hearings regarding the Costco on Chinden and Ten Mile. The
council was willing to significantly change the comprehensive plan to suit a big
box store, in spite of the well-prepared; eloquent and legitimate concerns
expressed by those most impacted. What is to say the leadership of this great
city won't do this again? Why ask us for input, if, when the time comes,the
families most impacted will be disregarded?
683 More schools
684 Fill in the vacant lots and unoccupied buildings before new construction. All new
subdivisions should be required to build/fun a corresponding school
686 Keep Safety &community minded-
689 Maintaining a high level of EMS and fire service is vital as our population "grays".
691 Increased visibility of the arts- a performing arts center, a small theatre space as
well, with more available downtown restaurants and shops/music and food
scene would make Meridian a place that could retain more of its young work
force and make Meridian a more appealing place for your adults as well as
couples wanting to spend time out together. Perhaps a downtown parking
structure to accommodate business traffic. Love the Concerts on Broadway
series! More of that type of entertainment throughout the year, and more
theatre.
696 Keeping property taxes down, road safety
697 Well thought out traffic patterns and road improvements.
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698 The city should develop neighborhoods with specialties: Dining and
Entertainment, shopping, Art Galleries/Studios, University/College interspersed
with residential areas all interconnected by public transit (most important aspect
of it all). Plan for more people, less traffic and more transit.
699 Keeping the feeling of a small town by promoting community events, planning
housing with thoughts about how the housing fits into current area. Some
revitalization to central downtown Meridian homes/area.
700 More schools, better roadways, consideration of current population's quality of
life with respect to commercial growth .
702 Ice rink
706 Already submitted survey and missed adding the need for more safe bike lanes
and pedestrian crossing and enforcement of the safety for riders and
pedestrians. It's astonishing the number of infractions I see regarding this and
driving safety. Thank you for the opportunity of the survey and adding to it.
709 We have to get the roads caught up with the growth.
711 Make old downtown Meridian more family oriented with cafes, shops and some
entertainment places. Antique shops and craft stores, ice cream shop.
714 Slow the speed limit down Hire more police Keep meridian safe
715 Why haven't we legalized cannabis? I am not even a user and see the huge
monetary potential. We could have the BEST schools in Idaho and improve our
ranking in the nation. We could create a modern, safe, and convenient public
transit system to get people off 84 when commuting to work. We could expand
our existing roads and bridges, while bringing them all up to current safety
standards. We could better fund our first responders to improve public safety.
Why are we not taking advantage of this like almost every other state in the
country? Legalize it with the same rules as alcohol, which is probably a worse
drug than cannabis. We are missing a huge opportunity here. Why not benefit
from something people are already doing? This would also ease the burden on
our police force; instead of looking for cannabis crimes, they could actually be
responding to real crimes. It would also ease the burden on our entire legal
system.
716 If we are going to be a big city we need big city things. Primarily a performing arts
center or district and options for solid public transportation.
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717 1. Affordable housing, affordable housing, and affordable housing!!! I've lived in
Meridian for decades and was born here, and can barely afford to live here
anymore. Why are you trying to push out residents who are low-income? 2.
Public transportation from Caldwell to Boise. You can't push out low-income
folks without a plan to help them commute to work from their housing in Nampa
or Caldwell...although even those are too expensive now. But yes our
community could benefit from a metro, subway, trolley, etc. Something high-
speed. 3. Smart Growth/Planning: Lets be more mindful about growth and
planning. Let's make sure we are building the right roads and schools when we
approve new housing. 4. We need more libraries and more library services. Many
people who would use a library in meridian have a hard time getting to one. Let's
help build more branches and get the word out about the libraries. The library
helps children in our community learn to read and have access to free
educational activities.
718 Make downtown meridian a place to be proud of - a destination for food,
shopping, socializing, recreation, beauty. There is so much potential and
character there but our downtown today seems like an afterthought.
719 KEEP OPEN SPACES ==DONT CROWD
720 A performing arts center
721 Avoid over populating a tradition family area with commercial real estate
interests. Prevent large industrial/commercial developments from taking up
valuable farmland and open spaces. Don't encourage high rise commercial or
residential building development.
723 Widened roads to accommodate for traffic, specifically Eagle Rd south of I-84.
Would like to see slow down in new construction.
725 Widen roads. Ensure each road has a dedicated turn lane. Put bike paths and
effective public transportation throughout.
727 Stop Building!!!
728 I don't think there's anything that you can do to stop the future train wreck when
the city is crammed with people on top of people because of bad planning and
uncontrolled growth.
729 Ours roads need serious attention not just a quick fix and chip sealing in
subdivisions.
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730 I would like to see better planning and less growth and crowding. I would like to
see roads built in the appropriate width again, and family homes with backyards!
What people don't seem to realize is that it is land, and the opportunities for
work, recreation, and learning that it provides, that built the Idahoan. And the
Idahoans are a big part of what makes this state wonderful! Without our land, we
will no longer be us. When you change the homes to apartments (all that a native
Idahoan can now afford in Meridian) and you take away the family yard, the fields,
the farms, and the hunting grounds, you change the people- and that changes
your community.
731 Keep the roads in good repair and make sure they are able to handle the traffic.
Keep the parks and open areas green and available for public use. Public
transportation
733 Need more housing!!
736 Freeway access and exit. More bridges crossing the freeway connecting north
and south meridian. I would like to see an event center south of town
somewhere. I don't like Taco Bell or the Ford Center were properly designed for
quick easy access or as a good concert venue. Perhaps we can incorporate light
rail or trolley system - Something that makes sense.
740 Communities surrounding downtown are in need of revitalization. Older homes
and areas along Fairview are also needing some attention.
744 Less huh density development, more cultural activities, more green space
748 Better Infrastructure, Improved Roadways, MORATORIUM on Building
751 Traffic flow, family safety & keeping true to old comprehensive plan when
neighborhoods were developed. We don't need 24 hour stores at the expense
of family neighborhood safety.
757 Better infrastructure for roads, less multi family units. Increased police presence
on high traffic areas.
761 The level of collaboration and communication between the city, county, ACHD,
and IDOT, Boise/Eagle is unclear but seems to be lacking. The transportation
infrastructure situation is disgraceful and becoming more of a reason to consider
moving. The situation is only compounded by the current decision-making.
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765 Take over the responsibility, planning of streets and comprehensive traffic
planning. ACHD is ineffective and losing focus. The City of Meridian is better
suited to plan, control and administer the traffic infrastructure...
767 Beautify historic meridian
768 I think I've been pretty clear so far. You've ruined what existed even a few years
ago. There's no going back or improving this. It's only going to get worse.
770 Maintain green areas, more parks, respect citizen input, don't arbitrarily change
the comprehensive plan to support developers instead of residents. case in
point is allowing the plan be changed to industrial use and allowing a Costco to
be built in an area of high residential developments and traffic that is already out
of control on Eagle and Chinden.
773 We really need to focus on traffic and keep that in the front of planning.
777 Improved traffic.
779 I would like to see smart growth with infrastructure (roads & schools in
particular) that plan ahead for growth instead instead of always playing catch-up.
780 Widen all main roads north/south and east/west to min of 2 lanes each way.
Increase number of lanes from Nampa to locust grove on the freeway. Add a
southern boise bypass from Broadway to homedale to take pressure off the
freeway and put it in before all the land is used for housing. Add exits at black cat,
at McDermott and star both directions. Buy school land now while it is relatively
cheap for the next 100000 people. Chinden must be expanded immediately and
go ahead with 3 lanes each way not just 2 and then need one later. Add a 5 cent
tax to Ada and Canyon county to pay for roads. Add 15k fee to every new home
built to help pay for schools add 1000 fee for every new apartment to help pay
for schools.
781 N/A
782 Public transportation, green belt system that connects to Boise, continued
support for parks and their programs, pre k options, continued awesome public
safety with our law enforcement, more access to bike lanes and walking paths.
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788 I am very concerned about the rapid growth and lack of concern for the "look" of
dense housing including massive apartment complexes. These development
companies do not need to cram houses together just to make more money.
(Coleman and CBH) Enough already!!!! Also, having a Costco at the corner of 10
mile and Chinden is going to create chaos and unbelievable gridlock. It should go
out by the freeway. Traffic is getting out of control!
789 1. Transportation (Meridian is behind on many roads and is being locked in
without planning on other freeways, belt-ways, connectors. Just look at any
other larger metropolitan area and some have pieces that were done right while
others are crippled). 2. Quality of life with walking, bike paths, etc. fortunately
there is a built in network with the irrigation canals but most are fenced off.
These should be turned into multi-purpose open ways (water delivery and
walking/bike paths). I get the concerns with drownings but work needs to be
done here to not punish the large number that would take advantage of this; just
look at Boise, it has the green-belt next to a large river (Meridian can do better
by working out agreements with the irrigation companies). 3. Open agriculture
feel, elements, and water. There needs to be some preservation of these lands,
and some of the elements farms provide, granted with the development that has
occurred (some being small lots) you can't and likely don't want a full fledged
farm but restrictions such as HOAs that do not allow some poultry should be
addressed at a community wide scale; simply putting a limit on numbers (6 hens,
12 pigeons, etc.) and type (e.g. no roosters). Water is what has made the
Treasure Valley a treasure. Water quality, access, and irrigation use needs to be
developed to support the multiple uses and growing demand.
790 With greater housing density comes overcrowding in schools and increased
crime, which are both happening now. Also increased traffic Meridian wasn't
designed for such a mass of humanity to move on 2lane roads. These areas must
be addressed if Meridian wants to keep its status of being a safe family friendly
place to live.
793 Please see previous comments on city of Meridian leadership enacting
reasoned, rational, conservative planning decisions.
795 Accessibility to public transportation and greater opportunities for youth
recreation as well as reduced traffic conjestion.
797 Public transportation options Public pool More bike friendly
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798 Please, NO more approvals on housing until the infrastructure has caught up and
passed the huge volume of houses. And please, NO more unnecessary
spending of our money, such as more public pools and libraries. Expand the
library that currently exists --- you have a building by overflow parking, use the
building. No more property tax increases, especially for the retired.
799 Light rail to Boise, more roundabouts/fewer traffic signals
800 My main concern is the maintenance of roads and expansions to reduce traffic. I
realize that's ACHD but that's my main concern.
801 Traffic, over crowded schools, more jobs,but not at the expense of housing
developments and current citizens.
803 Transportation is a major issue that needs to be addressed. The current
roadways are insufficient and Eagle Road is a major problem.
804 Reduce the required minimum square footage of single family homes to allow for
more affordable housing options for single-family starter homes and senior
citizen residences that are not apartments. Consider more duplex and four-plex
housing units that do not so negatively impact traffic and schools as large
apartment complexes do.
805 Improved and expanded roads would be great. More schools to reduce the
student/teacher ratio
806 Control urban sprawl. Better, smarter road ways by implementing the use of
more right hand turn lanes at intersections, so traffic flows more efficiently..not
adding two left hand turn lanes. Add more traffic lights, less stop signs. Traffic
now bottle necks horribly adding to poor air quality with all idling. Add more
parks & open space. Put services where people live, not just in concentrated
areas. People have to travel further to shop, & puts more cars on the road. More
police needed for the growth.
808 See previous answers
809 Control crime effectively; aggressively plan for traffic & population expansion
811 Sadly, we will most likely leave the area if the growth continues at the current
pace. We value what Meridian was 15 years ago. Some growth is expected and
good, but what is happening right now is alarming especially if it brings with it a
significant cost of living increase.
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812 Full stop to new stuff until the current kinks are worked out!
813 Better planning concerning roads and traffic before building housing and retails!
814 Meridian needs an I84 bypass around the city.
815 We live here because we love the open spaces the farmland creates.
816 Wider roads
819 Zoning and planning. Let's work harder to make sure the growing pains on the
roads are recognized before large scale projects are approved.
821 Roads, roads. Roads!!
822 Delay suburban sprawl, until we have additional road improvements in place
824 Do whatever necessary to expand all 1 lane roads to a min of 2-3 lanes with
turning lanes for every subdivision & shopping center entrance. Restrain building
in areas where the roads cannot be readily and quickly expanded to meet
resident's needs as previously described
825 Wider streets, more crossings, more lights, more sidewalks and bike lines.
828 More activities for youth to participate in, more sport complexes
831 City transportation More overpasses over Fairview and Eagle roads
835 I want my children to want to stay here but they don't because they only see this
as a place to live and then commute to work. Too much housing and muti family
housing; bring in infrastructure and focus on some business growth.
836 Slow growth, responsible planning, widen streets to address traffic issues.
838 We want responsible growth with the health and well being of our children to be
the forefront of every decision made. Period. An impact fee for schools needs to
be implemented desperately. We don't need more parks, we need schools and
better infrastructure immediately!
839 Roads/Traffic Continuous improvement on schools and parks A little bit of rural
Idaho
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840 Address the non functioning traffic situation before any more development is
permitted. City should require that road/transportation systems be improved to
handle the current traffic levels. 2 land roads need to be 4-lane and basic
infrastructure needs to be put in place before new developments are allowed.
841 Add, improve, our highways...use existing open land or retail areas first before
changing zoning or developing more farmland.
842 ... immediate moratorium of 15 years for plating of new land use in the ENTIRE
Treasure Valley biome (from Mtn Home to Ontario, OR
847 Need to check city boundaries and create less sprawl of residential homes. we
are using up all the quality farm ground and need to utilize areas that are not
usable for farming.I realize that the youth is moving away from the farms and that
is sad. It's always been that way because of the low pay and long hours.
848 You can't go back to what made Meridian an awesome place to live and raise a
family. I don't see Meridian improving that is why we will be relocating. Meridian is
just another big city, with big city problems.
849 Important to responsibly manage growth. This means working with adjoining
communities (Nampa, Eagle, Boise, Star) to insure that infrastructure is keeping
pace with growth . This includes involving developers in the process including
the consideration of assessing impact fees to to developers on new growth.
851 The ROADS. By golly, the roads need to change. Meridian was never anticipated
to grow as much as it is, so the road system was built in a way that is difficult to
expand, especially without causing a need for massive detours and increased
traffic. A few more public pools? More recreational opportunities that are
AFFORDABLE.
852 Education, diversity, infrastructure, low-income housing, more resources for
homeless individuals.
853 I would like to see more diverse parks(different kinds of toys at different parks)
and better traffic flow plans for the major intersections.
854 Meridian is a wonderful place to live, but it's growing to fast. We've already
outgrown the traffic infrastructure.
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858 The roads need fixed, widened, etc. Speed bumps back in neighborhoods. More
police patrol in neighborhoods. Actually, you wouldn't need the police, just add
speed bumps. That would solve a lot of issues I have. I love Meridian, I love our
community, please just make it safer for our kids riding their bikes or running
across the street to talk to a neighbor instead of parents worrying whether they
are going to get ran over or not.
859 There is road/traffic crisis now and must be addressed by the city now. Nearly all
roads in Meridian need to be 2 or more lanes each way.
861 I feel that as Meridian continues to experience rapid growth it will need to
become urbanized and foster a multitude of transportation options.
867 Traffic control. Too many accidents. Traffic violations are rampant. Need to
increase funding for more police officers, even if we need to raise taxes.
Continuing to control growth. We do not want to end up like Nampa. Keep up
the good work, Mayor Tammy!
869 Traffic flow definitely needs improvement
871 More bike lanes please. More sidewalks and areas to walk. I only see a sidewalk
being installed when a development goes up. That confuses me. More parks. I
just saw a news article where Meridian is under the national average for
residents per park acre. Stop relying on private partnerships for athletics. Open a
city run gym and indoor pool and charge residents a fair price.
874 Bike and walking trails spanning throughout the city. Less property theft.
875 The traffic on Eagle rd needs to change...too much traffic already. In 10 years? It
will be worse.
876 Slower speed limits on Chinden, Eagle Rd. Create major traffic ways With limited
access. Secondary arteries for traffic on 1/2 mile roads.
877 Black cat road needs widened from Franklin to cherry. There is getting so much
traffic on there.
880 Less development
881 More small businesses, train transit to Boise and surrounding areas.
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884 Would live to have some sort of civic center or community auditorium/event
center that is used for plays, concerts, etc sponsored by the city or other
community groups, but is also available for rental. I think it would be a draw to
groups, to have them hold conventions in Meridian, instead of Boise or Nampa.
Also, better coordination with road construction and ACHD. Do not like the
frequent rezoning of large parcels that happens without notice to all the
homeowners who are affected. For example, although signs are posted for
public hearings, no postcards are sent (unless you live within a certain distance?)
but since a lot of homes are on acreage, there could be entire subdivisions just a
couple homes away from the rezoning that is taking place. So, ultimately I would
like to see a better way to notify residents than just the signs.
886 Better Greenbelt access and bike lanes. See previous comment
887 Less new housing developments, new and improved road, bridges and public
spaces
888 Roads
890 A revitalized fun down town area with more diversity of shall shops and outdoor
dining. dinning .
891 Look at the overall traffic, and schools impact of EVERYTHING you have planned
so far, not just what one specific project will do. If you know you want to put
commercial right in the middle of residential, make it obvious so people looking
to move can have a general idea of what to expect in the future. Plan ahead for
what you want, don't be retroactive in your planning, be proactive.
893 Jobs
894 #1 traffic. I understand growth and the need for housing, but why not look at the
traffic impact before being approved? Like the massive apt complex going up on
McMillan and Linder. The speed limit is at least 40, and it's really close to an
intersection. I don't recall if there is a center turn lane. #2 Improve downtown. I
shouldn't have to drive all the way to Boise to eat in a nice, mom chain
restaurant.
895 Stop growth. Put a moratorium on housing.
896 Traffic. Schools
897 Transportation network and education.
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899 Infrastructure and facilities.
900 I loved the city I moved into 12 years ago but it's moving too fast (trust me from a
person that moved from a lovely community near an Orange County beach area)
that did the same thing hold on to your development hats. Things will be
priceless if you take a breath!
901 Keep the friendly atmosphere particularly with city personnel and departments
904 Better planning/zoning for housing developments, taking into account the huge
impact new developments have on already overcrowded schools and roads.
Affordable public transportation to downtown, with extended hours/service on
weekends to accommodate for sporting & arts events.
906 I think we need more economic business grown in Meridian. If we can have jobs
right in town we won't need to worry about commuting long distances. And as
always let's not forget about mass transit in the future.
907 You need to upgrade infrastructure NOW...stop approving developments until
infrastructure catches up!
909 Honestly I think it's too late to correct anything. The roadways are barely able to
sustain the amount of people. The price of business has gone through the roof
this closing out all of the smaller mom-and-pop shops. Housing prices are going
through the roof because people work in California and other states that have
much higher wages than Idaho, yet they own property here or rent property
here. This maybe I'll look great and dandy if you want to sell your home and
move somewhere else. Maybe it's great if you are rich enough to own three or
four rental properties. But it is not good for Idaho families that just live here. We
are constantly being priced out of the area. I personally had this happen to me.
Landlord said someone from California was willing to give them an extra $400 a
month in rent and I had 30 days to move. I know six other people that have had
similar situations...
917 Improved roadways to handle the amount of traffic the growth will cause
918 with little to no housing around or in the "town" of meridian and no real business
infrustructure there will be little to no reason to visit "town".
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919 Maintain the beauty of our parks and subdivisions. Revitalize old Meridian to
create a continuity to this beauty. Meridian is a beautiful city but as certain areas
become older they become run down and thus a breeding ground for crime and
a haven for those who commit crime. Keep our future children safe. When we
moved here 14 years ago I was jealous my children didn't get to grow up in such
a safe and fun environment. Now I have grandchildren that I wish the same thing
for, but Meridian is no longer what I experienced 14 years ago.
922 Pedestrian connectivity. There are death traps surrounding some of your
Schools, Playgrounds and best shopping. ACHD recently interviewed all the 5th
graders in star about this and got more concise answers than any adult could
provide.
923 stop building just houses!! We need small business parks that hold jobs. Stop
giving away prime land to storage facilities that do not build anything for the
community, does not promote jobs, or job growth!
924 Stop with all the apartments, there are plenty.
926 Bike trails and lanes
927 Parking at parks. More green space areas strictly dedicated to various sports.
Incorporate the lifestyle of farming so that we don't forget our roots.
929 I think the schools are overcrowded. We need schools that are built for the
future. Right now, they are built and within a few years, they are already
overcrowded. Rocky Mountain High School is only 10 years old and is
overcrowded by 600 students. We need schools that are better planned so our
kids can get the best education possible. We also need better roads that can
handle the large amount of traffic. Roads like Chinden can not handle lots of cars.
930 I would love to see the preservation of the farmland out there
931 I love Meridian, but we are no longer a small town, we've gotten big
933 Less traffic less dense housing
935 We like our city and our neighborhoods but they are becoming over populated
with multiple housing units that tower over our homes. Please consider keeping
them only 2 stories and at a reasonable numbers to not drawf our
neighborhoods.
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937 Schools should be the priority, we can't keep this valley productive if we dont
have a strong foundation under our future generations. The roads need to be
able to accommodate all the people in this area
938 Traffi, major corridor aesthetics, performing arts
941 Add two more overpass on and off ramps on the 84 freeway, double-wide all
streets possible
942 More tech jobs so I can move back
943 Expansion projects should be based on hiring local residents. Local small
businesses should be encouraged. Downtown Meridian should be a sought
after place to go, not a place to drive thru to get somewhere else.
945 So sad to see all the beautiful farm land turning into subdivisions. Seeing Llamas,
goats and cows was always such a fun thing about driving in Meridian. Now
getting to be just another big city.
947 I would like to see the housing/ industrial areas more separated. Not just
randomly put houses and commercial building up. But I like that for every major
housing section that goes up y'all are making planners put in parks and walking
paths so that life quality stays great
949 I'd love to see roads kept really well maintained. School zones kept safe for kids.
Better communication to the citizens about community events.
955 Create an ideal bike/walking trail system by opening up the canal roads for public
use. Similar to the greenbelt in Boise
956 Trying to keep prices on rentals and houses down. We need affordable places
to live
957 Connect/create more sidewalks (for example, creating sidewalks along Victory
Road when it is expanded by ACHD).
958 More splash pads, a YMCA or swimming pool off the 10mile exit area.
959 Quick Public transportation options to boise, such as a tram or light rail.
961 Traffic
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962 Let's work on the infrastructure. Addressing road use and impact of new
developments seems something we are always playing catch up with.I think
before new housing the roads should be taken care of and paid for by
developers. The cost of the road construction should be taken and used withing
2 years of major developments.
968 Increase public transportation options. Make arts more visible. Provide an
environment beyond family friendly to be more inclusive to the non-traditional
family
970 See previous question
971 The roads!
972 Transit
976 Less traffic, better roads, reduce apparent dense appartment building.
977 No Costco
978 Preserving the open space between meridian-kuna-nampa is vital to the health
of the entire valley...
981 One of the things I out be about living off of Blackcat is that I still can see
farmland. But that is quickly being converted into subdivisions. I realize that
growth is inevitable, but the way it is being handled in Meridian is just
disheartening. Chinden and Eagle roads are a nightmare to travel on, at all hours
of the day, not just rush hour. This is just a symptom of the uncontrolled growth
in the past 5 years. Pump the brakes, don't approve every housing development.
You can still get a handle in this growth, but it will take true leadership and
making hard (and sometimes unpopular) decisions.
982 Controlled growth. Abandonment of mixed use development where existing
residential already exists. Identify areas for commercial growth, no more of
having undeveloped land brought in as commercial next to existing residential
(with 1/2 mile).
984 The schools are ridiculously over crowded. The current residents can't afford all
the bonds and taxes needed to fund additional schools. There has to be a better
way to make sure our children get the education they deserve.
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986 More thoughtfully planned housing communities and protection of those who
already own property. Additional freeway on/off ramps to allow for less traffic on
feeder roads
987 Housing market needs to slow down until schools and traffic can be
accommodated. In addition there needs to be more variety in housing options
rather than the cookie cutter, small lot subdivisions.
988 Widen roads and improve schools. No more high density housing (such as
apartments).
989 The pace of construction/development to be slowed. There is very little
improvement needed- Meridian is a great place to live but will not be if we keep
tearing down our open spaces!
990 Preserve farm land. Reduction in housing. Better roadways
992 Less focus on high density housing. It's all the construction rage. Developers
don't care about the community only maximizing their profit.
994 The roads and infrastructure are the most important aspect which must improve
in Meridian. I understand that ACHD owns the roads, however the city of
Meridian must make a concerted effort to work with ACHD the rectify the
current issue as well as planning for smart growth going forward.
995 Expansion of roads to create less traffic
997 More thoughtfulness when it comes to mixed residential zones. I wish it were
more walkable & bike friendly.
999 Growing roads with population
1001 Traffic is horrible. I don't understand why the ADHD starts 20 projects and takes
forever to finish them. So there's construction everywhere. They should all just
team up and have more manpower to get one job done before starting another
one. Roads need to have more lanes since population is growing like crazy. Also
it's so expensive to find housing while our wages stay the same. Soon only the
higher class will be able to live here, kicking out the middle and lower class.
Definitely upset that I might have to relocate after being here my whole life
because people from wealthier states are moving here.
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1004 Need to extend Gruber between N. Sandlin and Lakes Place. This would give a
stop light access at Lakes & Fairview for many people who travel Stonehenge to
Fairview, but have to wait up to 20 minutes to enter Fairview from Stonehenge
during commute times. This was a failure of the planning committee when
apartment complex at N. Sandlin was approved.
1006 Better infrastructure expertise and strategy. Restrict growth to what the existing
infrastructure can support.
1008 Transportation in the treasure valley continues to be clogged by the necessity
of individuals having to drive their own vehicles. Meridian could work with the
surrounding cities to establish a solution.
1009 More focus on education and not relying only on bonds for building new
schools, but putting more effort into getting impact taxes for education from
developers on all these new developments.
1011 widen roads, less apartments, more single family homes
1012 Less density in housing. Better integration of shopping options with residential
neighbors. Better traffic planning.
1015 Slow the building waaaay down. Just because you can build a subdivision in
every available spot doesn't mean you should.
1016 more safe bicycle paths and routes.
1019 Ease of getting around
1020 Roads.. widening and fixing
1022 Local control of transportation improvements
1025 Road infinstructure that can handle the amount of drivers, schools that aren't
over crowded, more shopping/eating options in south Meridian.
1027 I'd like a nice bike trail, a kinders deli, and an In and Out. But over all I am very
happy
1030 Limit housing, keep meridian safe, friendly and family focused. Save farmland
1031 More schools on the outskirts of the city and in places of rapid construction
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1032 Stop building so many subdivisions until infrastructures are up to speed with the
growth already here.
1033 Schools! Better education! Education system here is not up to par!
1038 As we build, keep trees, parks, ponds and walking/biking paths a priority.
Consider options for children and teens to love where they live, and be able to
enjoy new adventures.
1039 Widen Eagle Road, also a no turn on red arrow at Fairview and Eagle
1042 More public transportation
1044 Schools! Traffic congestion.
1045 Meridian is not some "dairy town" anymore. Its time to accept that Meridian will
be huge. Also DOWN TOWN SUCKS RIGHT NOW. NEEDS MAJOR
IMPROVEMENT
1047 Transportation, education and high paying job
1051 More sidewalks on busy roads
1053 We moved here because there were more parks per capita and more
opportunities to play tennis. Now all the nicest courts are painted over with
pickle ball lines and taken over by pickleballers.
1056 Better road planning to improve traffic flow. Uncrowding and improving our
schools.
1057 IMPROVED education.....not additional opportunities that are inadequate.
1058 Expand the highways and roads to accommodate growth or limit growth while
these are worked on. I'd also like to see taxes increased for builders (especially
building of high density homes that create more traffic than ours roads can
sustain) instead of just increasing home owner's taxes. City planning was good
for a while, but it seems that money is talking and smart planning has gone out
the window and it's growing too fast.
1059 Put a cap on the growth!
1061 I would love to see our farmland and country left alone. Let families own 5 to 10
acre lots
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1064 Be like Houston and get rid of the planning and zoning
1066 No new developments, until traffic issues are resolved.
1067 Stop approving housing developments as our roads and schools can handle
them.
1069 You have to address the main arterial roads.
1070 Meridian needs an arts center and a convention center.
1077 I think we need more parks and year round swimming pools run by city. Also
think it's sad that all the old barns are being torn down. Can't we save them?
Maybe relocate to a new park or somewhere downtown?
1080 Mass transit options into downtown Boise for downtown events, ZooBoise and
sporting events: maybe express busses from pick-up to drop-off locations.
Staging infrastructure for light rail down the road.
1081 The roads and that we don't over populate the area by just allowing more and
more houses.
1085 The time for a professional planner and elected planning zoning has come. We
need accountability at all levels of govt.
1086 I am one of those who are FOR the Winco Linder development as well as the
Costco Ten Mile development. It would be nice to have the ability to walk and/or
bicycle to amenities, but they are either not safe to get to or too far away for the
semi-lazy citizen.
1088 Slow the growth! We need to keep as much open space and farmland as
possible and not become to metropolitan!
1089 Stop putting in big box stores we already have enough put in more little stores
and restaurants and bars
1091 STOP BUILDING ! Too many homes and not enough open space/farmland
1092 We moved to Treasure Valley 13 years ago when there was farmland, friendly
drivers and a lot less traffic, While it has grown imensely we wonder if our now
college age kids will come back here because there are still no jobs to support
them.
ResponseID Response
138
1094 More sidewalks and safer options for running (trails) and biking (bike lanes) in
south Meridian. Less housing development....meridian was more charming
before all the beautiful fields were being developed.
1095 Do more to rally residents for diverse events in our city!
1098 Listen more to the residents that have committed and invested in being here in
the community. Stand up to and do not bow to the increasing influence of
developers like City Council and Planning and Zoning has done over and over in
the past recent years.
1099 Focus needs to continue to be on updating, improving and roads. The growth in
Meridian is fantastic in a lot of ways, but soon the streets won't be able to
sustain and we'll have parking lots.
1103 more bike paths that connect together, green and open space (not just
developed parks)
1106 We have a huge shortage of new talent in the trades and not enough is coming
out of CWI. I think a good trades program for automotive, welding, machining
and other trades would be beneficial. It would be great to recruit a good private
trades school like Lincoln Tech with a good track record to fill the gaps.
1107 Downtown core.
1108 I believe that Meridian needs to address the transportation issues it faces now
not at a later date. Need to concentrate on revitalization of existing areas not
just out lieing areas for new residents. We need to have a walkable down town
with parking!
1110 Stop with the large chain stores.
1112 Do NOT allow Meridian to become the composting center for all of the Treasure
Valley.
1114 Catch up on widening roads.
1118 If we don't plan, we will have gridlock traffic wise with a poorer quality of life,
more people doesn't make a safer, kinder place to live
ResponseID Response
139
1119 Boise has the river and Foothills, downtown, concert and performance venues,
golf courses. Nampa and Caldwell have lake Lowell and wineries. Meridian has
great parks and the village, but I'm worried our only identity will be lots of
neighborhoods. We don't seem to have a big recreation option or true identity
beyond being a suburb or Boise. I don't have an answer of what we need, but it
seems like we are missing the mark on a great opportunity while land and money
are available to create a lasting feature to our city.
1121 Stop growth
ResponseID Response
5. What is the best way to reach the Meridian community during the plan
development process? Select your preferences below or add your own ideas.
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0
50
100
140
Value Percent Responses
Online Surveys 76.8%688
Paper Surveys 13.6%122
Community Events (such as a booth at the Concerts on
Broadway)
22.5%202
City Website 37.2%333
Social Media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Nextdoor)55.1%494
Direct Emails 38.3%343
Monthly E-Newsletter 35.2%315
Other:9.3%83
Other:Count
Direct mail 2
Mailing of paper surveys to ALL west Ada County residents and not just Meridian City
residents. As the city expands it is taking in properties not currently within city limits. In
all fairness, all "potential Meridian city limit residents" should be included in the survey
and involved in the plan development.
2
A combination of all of the above.1
A slap up side the head.1
Action by new leaders - housing industry dogma of the past has morphed to a tape loop
of developers, & their housing industry czars, as common as cheap politicians
1
Community groups from volunteers in different subdivisions.1
Community meetings and hearings on issues and listen to the community and its
residents.
1
Totals 79
141
Community workshop, planning charrette and meaningful engagement with targeted,
neighborhood specific historic data, present conditional analysis and forecast of future
condition: preferred or otherwise
1
Create a network of neighborhood associations. Give them a voice and opportunities
to share ideas and present their united belief's
1
Door to door surveys 1
Door to door; billboards; booth at village 1
Gatherings at Meridian City Hall.1
Help them trust that the end result won't be ignored.1
I'd also utilize neighborhood representatives/residents via respective HOA
management companies..
1
I'd like my (the communities') opinion to actually matter.1
Include in the water bill.1
Info sent via USPS 1
Information mailed to citizens 1
Information office/booth at City Hall, Commercials on TV with info on how to get
involved.
1
It doesn't matter because Meridian does what they want and the residents have little to
say.
1
It doesn't really matter since they be ignored in the future as they are now.1
It doesn't do any good to reach the Meridian community if you continue to ignore
existing taxpayer concerns about explosive growth.
1
It really doesn't matter, as they don't listen. I have been to many City Council meetings.
Novices for sure.
1
Keep in mind not everyone is on-line, especially older people.1
Other:Count
Totals 79
142
Local TV news 1
Local news stations.1
Mail 1
Mailers sent with utility bill.1
Meridian press 1
Monthly bills sent electronically 1
Neighborhood 1
Neighborhood meetings 1
News 1
Newsletters in utilities bills - everyone gets them 1
Next Door 1
Nextdoor 1
No comment 1
Nothing that costs the city more money 1
Notifications in water bills.1
Open meetings in addition to utilization of web based interaction.1
Phone survey.1
Pre-paid mail/drop of ballot style questions 1
Printed or e-newsletter that goes out with monthly utility billings 1
Public Meetings where you actually listen to the residents and not just cave into big
businesses and developers.
1
Other:Count
Totals 79
143
Public meetings in the community.1
Radio 1
Reaching out is one thing, but truly listening and following through is more important.1
Road signs 1
Signs around town: "take the survey"1
Signs, email, letters, early enough to let people voices be heard and the city pay
attention and remember you work for us. Stop chasing the dollar.
1
Surveys are a big NO because we feel no one really looks at them. So, use social media,
or your webpage to let us know what is going on. I also don't like town hall meetings
because they just turn into a complaining session, or a shouting match.
1
TV and radio 1
Telephone calls 1
The Current Problems Speak for Themselves and all government does is collect data
instead of taking obvious action
1
The neighborhood websites 1
Through the school kids 1
Town Hail meetings and direct Mail 1
Town Hall Meetings 1
Town Hall meetings to discuss various topics 1
U.S. postal mail 1
USPS postal mail 1
Use all methods available.1
Water Bill 1
Other:Count
Totals 79
144
Whatever reached the masses - in other words, use what means are necessary to reach
and educate people in the community
1
You need to have continual citizens involvment and oversize from those truly interested
in serving, not just lining their pockets from their associations with builders/developers.
1
any way you can reach people 1
attached message to utility bill 1
but only if the leaders listen to the people who live here not just builds here 1
comng to our neighborhoods and talk to us.1
leave to city council 1
not everyone has a computer.. especially seniors and poor 1
scientific polling. Everything else is completely self-serving 1
signs with a phone number to call for info. And a website/facebook link to visit.1
surveys at the work sites/businesses in Meridian 1
the paper surveys to direct citizens to online or city website surveys and
announcements of planning mtgs to be decided
1
they don't listen to their constituents so whats the use 1
town hall meetings - not concerts 1
Totals 79
Other:Count
145
6. Would you be willing to be a Co-Creator?Co-Creators serve as advocates for
creation of the Comprehensive Plan; participate in select co-creator events;
represent their community, neighborhood, organizations or constituencies;
and have broad personal perspectives. Co-Creators will be asked to actively
participate at key points in the process and at community events; bring other
stakeholders into the conversation; reach out to underrepresented
populations; review and enhance the Plan as it develops; facilitate, represent
and convene as necessary; bring high quality, informed, and constructive
personal perspectives; provide a short bio about your relationship with
Meridian; and help make the plan a success.
12% Yes12% Yes
48% No48% No
40% Maybe, but I'd like to know
more first.
40% Maybe, but I'd like to know
more first.
Value Percent Responses
Yes 12.4%110
No 48.0%425
Maybe, but I'd like to know more first.39.6%351
Totals: 886
146
7. Are you a resident of Meridian or do you work in Meridian?
42% I live and work in Meridian.42% I live and work in Meridian.
32% I live in Meridian, but work
outside the City.
32% I live in Meridian, but work
outside the City.
3% I work in Meridian. but live
outside the City.
3% I work in Meridian. but live
outside the City.
24% Other:24% Other:
Value Percent Responses
I live and work in Meridian.41.7%348
I live in Meridian, but work outside the City.31.9%266
I work in Meridian. but live outside the City.2.9%24
Other:23.5%196
Totals: 834
Other:Count
I live in Meridian 7
Retired in Meridian 6
I live in Meridian and am retired 5
Totals 194
147
I live in Meridian and am retired.5
retired 5
Retired 4
Retired and live in Meridian 4
I live in Meridian but am retired 3
I live in Meridian.3
Retired 3
I live in Meridian and am a stay at home mom 2
Live in Meridian 2
Live in Meridian and retired.2
Live in Meridian but retired 2
Live in Meridian but retired.2
Live in Meridian, retired 2
Retired, live in Meridian 2
live and retired 2
live in Meridian and retired 2
live in Meridian, retired 2
retired in Meridian 2
Colorado 1
Did live in meridian.1
Other:Count
Totals 194
148
East of Linder & North of Chinden 1
I live in Meridian but not currenlty working or planning to.1
I am a retired resident.1
I am a taxpayer and homeower retiree in Meridian.1
I am an at home parent who lives in Meridian.1
I am retired 1
I am retired and live in Meridian 1
I am retired and live in Meridian.1
I am retired but live in Meridian.1
I am retired in Meridian 1
I am retired in Meridian.1
I am retired in Meridian.1
I don't live or work in meridian 1
I have been at my rural meridian place for 45 years 1
I have lived in Meridian as a retiree for 12 years.1
I just moved away from Meridian. I won't be moving back. The cops/govt in Meridian
were the #1 reason I left.
1
I leave near Meridian and own a rental property in Meridian 1
I live In Meridian and am retired 1
I live and am retired in Meridian.1
I live and work from home in Meridian but travel extensively for work nation wide.1
Other:Count
Totals 194
149
I live and work in Meridian as well as travel for work.1
I live and work just outside the City limits 1
I live and work outside the City but drive through daily.1
I live here but am retired 1
I live in Boise but attend school in Meridian 1
I live in Boise but go to school in Meridian.1
I live in Eagle adjacent to Meridian.1
I live in Meridian 1
I live in Meridian & retired 1
I live in Meridian (retired)1
I live in Meridian and I am retired.1
I live in Meridian and I am retired. Before retiring I worked at St Luke's in Meridian 1
I live in Meridian and I'm retired 1
I live in Meridian and am retired from Executive Corporate Management.1
I live in Meridian and am retired. (don't work )1
I live in Meridian and own a business in Meridian as well as work for a large company in
Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell
1
I live in Meridian and work from home part time and commute to Boise part time.1
I live in Meridian and work from home.1
I live in Meridian and work in Ada and Canyon counties 1
I live in Meridian but I am retired 1
Other:Count
Totals 194
150
I live in Meridian but I'm retired.1
I live in Meridian but am a stay at home parent/housewife 1
I live in Meridian but am retired.1
I live in Meridian but work all over.1
I live in Meridian, I am currently a student at BSU with plans to attend law school 1
I live in Meridian, am a teacher in West Ada, but my school is just outside of our city limits
in Boise.
1
I live in Meridian, am retired, but my husband works all across Idaho and Utah 1
I live in Meridian, my husband and I own a small business where he works, and I am a stay
at home mom.
1
I live in Meridian, not working at the present time 1
I live in Meridian, retired 1
I live in Meridian, working from home (telecommute, main office is not in Idaho)1
I live in Meridian. Currently I am retired from a long career as a Human Resources
Manager.
1
I live in Meridian...happily retired.1
I live in meridian --retired 1
I live in meridian but an a stay at home Mom and don't currently work 1
I live in south meridian and work from home.1
I live in the city and am retired 1
I live inAda County area and not Meridian incorporated area since1980 and am retired 1
I live just west of Black Cat - still unincorporated Ada County. I have a Meridian mailing
address. I consider myself a Meridian resident.
1
Other:Count
Totals 194
151
I own property in Meridian, but have been relocated to another state.1
I will be moving my family to Meridian in 2019.1
I work in Meridian and own property in Meridian, I physically live outside the City 1
I work in Meridian, and live in a County pocket surrounded by Meridian 1
I'm Live in Star.1
I'm going to move there soon. Worried about lack of housing choices even though we
have work opportunities there.
1
I'm retired and live in Meridian 1
I'm retired and living in Meridian 1
I'm retired but live in Meridian.1
Ilive in Meridian 1
Im going to move to Meridian in 2019 1
Live but not work.....retired 1
Live in Meridian 1
Live in Meridian and am retired from California 1
Live in Meridian and am retired,1
Live in Meridian and retired 1
Live in Meridian for almost 21 years; husband works in Nampa 1
Live in Meridian retired 1
Other:Count
Totals 194
152
Live in Meridian, Retired 1
Live in Meridian, Retired.1
Live in Meridian, am retired, but perform volunteer services in Meridian and Boise 1
Live in Meridian, don't work. Disabled Veteran.1
Live in Meridian, only work taking care of a person with dementia.1
Live in Meridian, retired.1
Live in Meridian, self employed and work in the entire valley including Meridian 1
Live in Meridian, work BOTH in and out od City 1
Live in Meridian.1
Live in Meridian. Retired.1
Live in Meridian. Retired.1
Live in meridian and am a homemaker 1
Live north central Meridian, retired 1
Live not work 1
Live outside city; do business in Meridian 1
Live, retired 1
No 1
Own property in area 1
Part-time resident now, permanent in 2019 1
Retired and live here 1
Other:Count
Totals 194
153
Retired and live in Meridian.1
Retired and live n Meridian 1
Retired here now.1
Retired in Meridian,sorry to see sod farms, potato farms gone 1
Retired live in Meridian 1
Retired living in Meridian 1
Retired to Meridian 1
Retired, live in City 1
Retired, live in Meridian 1
Senior retiree 1
Some of us are retired!1
We are business owners in Old Town Meridian 1
We live in Meridian and are retired.1
You are NOT going to enjoy my critique. I have already been laughed at by Jeff Lacy &
Luke Cavener. I have been avoided by joe Borton
1
i live in meridian 1
live in Meridian & retired 1
live in Meridian, am retired 1
live in Meridian. Retired.1
live in area of impact 1
live in meridian /retired 1
Other:Count
Totals 194
154
resident 1
resident and retired with a pension and other earned benefits 1
retired and live in Meridian 1
retired in Meridian 1
retired living in Meridian 1
retired resident 1
retired, live in Meridian 1
retired/meridian 1
Totals 194
Other:Count
8. If you live in Meridian, how long have you lived here?
155
37% Less than 5 years37% Less than 5 years
22% 6 - 10 years22% 6 - 10 years
24% 11 - 20 years24% 11 - 20 years
18% More than 20 years18% More than 20 years
Value Percent Responses
Less than 5 years 36.7%308
6 - 10 years 21.7%182
11 - 20 years 24.1%202
More than 20 years 17.5%147
Totals: 839
156
9. Please select the general location of your neighborhood and/or business
from the map below.
157
5% Meridian-Downtown5% Meridian-Downtown
7% Meridian-East7% Meridian-East
30% Meridian-North30% Meridian-North
9% Meridian-Northeast9% Meridian-Northeast3% Meridian-Northwest3% Meridian-Northwest
16% Meridian-Southeast16% Meridian-Southeast
9% Meridian-Southwest9% Meridian-Southwest
19% Meridian-West19% Meridian-West
2% I live outside of Meridian2% I live outside of Meridian
Value Percent Responses
Meridian-Downtown 4.9%42
Meridian-East 7.4%64
Meridian-North 30.2%260
Meridian-Northeast 8.8%76
Meridian-Northwest 2.6%22
Meridian-Southeast 16.0%138
Meridian-Southwest 9.3%80
Meridian-West 19.2%165
I live outside of Meridian 1.5%13
Totals: 860
158
10. What is your age?
1% 19 or younger1% 19 or younger
6% 20 - 296% 20 - 29
21% 30 - 3921% 30 - 39
24% 40 - 4924% 40 - 4920% 50 - 5920% 50 - 59
18% 60 - 6918% 60 - 69
8% 70 or older8% 70 or older
2% Prefer not to state2% Prefer not to state
Value Percent Responses
19 or younger 0.8%7
20 - 29 5.7%49
30 - 39 21.0%182
40 - 49 23.6%204
50 - 59 20.0%173
60 - 69 18.3%158
70 or older 8.3%72
Prefer not to state 2.3%20
Totals: 865
159
11. Gender:
38% Male38% Male
60% Female60% Female
0% Other0% Other
3% Prefer not to state3% Prefer not to state
Value Percent Responses
Male 37.7%325
Female 59.6%514
Other 0.1%1
Prefer not to state 2.7%23
Totals: 863
160
STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEWS
SUMMARY
Meridian Comprehensive Plan Update
July 2018
2
Introduction
Meridian Idaho, in collaboration with planning
consultants from Logan Simpson, conducted
a series of small group stakeholder interviews
to gather valuable feedback from community
stakeholders regarding goals, challenges,
opportunities, and values present in Meridian today.
The purpose of the stakeholder interviews was
to not only inform the public about the Meridian
Comprehensive Plan update, but to:
• Stimulate community-wide interest in the
Plan;
• Solicit candid feedback from those who know
the community best;
• Identify initial themes, opportunities, local
values, and future goals for the City; and
• Generate initial visioning ideas that will help
inform the basis for the 2018 Plan.
This report outlines the method and structure
for the small group stakeholder meetings and
summarizes the feedback gathered during the
interview process so far.
Methodology
A running total of 40 individuals were interviewed in
several small group stakeholder interview sessions
over the course of two days in June of 2018. The
interviews took place at Meridian City Hall and
lasted, on average, 45 minutes each.
Each session began with a round of introductions
and a brief presentation with background
information about the Comprehensive Plan update
process. Stakeholders then engaged in an open
dialogue, facilitated in an open and relatively
informal or conversational approach guided by a
set of questions intended to meet the objectives
described above.
During the group sessions, two interviewers
from the project team recorded in-depth notes
on all concepts introduced by the stakeholder
interviewees, along with how many times they were
repeated. The notes were subsequently compiled,
summarized, and sorted by categories and
subcategories. The summarized findings presented
in the following pages of this report are organized
according to the following six topics:
1. Community Character
2. Transportation
3. Land Use
4. Parks, Open Space and Recreation
5. Housing
6. Community Facilities and Services
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS SUMMARY 3
Outreach Completed To-Date & Ongoing
Opportunities
The Meridian Comprehensive Plan Update process
will offer multiple opportunities for the public to
contribute further on key issues during the public
review of all major products before the completion in
2018. Below are some events we have hosted and
attended to receive public input so far, stay tuned on
more ways to get involved by regularly checking the
project website for information and updates!
• Public Works Week Expo
• Coffee With the Mayor
• Listening Sessions
• Stakeholder Interviews
• Hillsdale Park Grand Opening
• CableOne Movie Night
• Main Street Market
How Will This Information Be Used?
The findings from the stakeholder interviews
will set the foundation for ongoing research and
analysis and help make the most efficient use of
project resources by revealing the most pressing
issues in which to direct future efforts. The project
combination of input from public engagement
efforts and the research/ analysis within the existing
conditions snapshots will shed light on the most
pertinent issues and opportunities to address within
the Meridian Comprehensive Plan.
Stakeholder interviewees to-date
include representatives from the
following groups:
ADA County Highway District
Blue Cross of Idaho
Business Owners
COMPASS
Developers
Faith Group
Food Services of America
Idaho Smart Agents
Meridian City Chamber of Commerce
Meridian City Council
Meridian City Staff
Meridian Historical Society
Meridian Library District
Meridian Planning Commission
Planning Consultants
Residents/Voters
Southern Rim Coalition
St. Luke’s
Sundance Co.
Urban Land Institute
Van Auker Co
West ADA School District
Project Information:
meridiancity.org/compplan
4
Key Community Values:
Depicted in the word cloud below are the values that Meridian stakeholders hold close to their hearts
- elements and phrases mentioned when describing the City, and are the great aspects of Meridian’s
character that keep residents here. These statements speak to the emotional truth about what the City of
Meridian means to its residents. The bigger the word is, the more it was used.
Q: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MERIDIAN?
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS SUMMARY 5
Key Community Concerns:
Depicted in the word cloud below are the values that Meridian stakeholders see as an opportunity for
change. These words were used frequently when asked “What would you change about Meridian?” and
“What should this plan accomplish?” The bigger the word is, the more it was used.
Q: WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT MERIDIAN?
6
SUMMARIZED FEEDBACK:
COMMUNITY CHARACTER
Key Topics and Issues
• Balance between economic/population growth and small-town values
• Preservation of parks and open space
• Preservation of small town feel and rural character
• Improve traffic
• Improve public involvement and ensure all residents feel that they had the opportunity to be
engaged; possibly by adding more programs for teens and young adults
“Meridian has maintained a family-friendly and community oriented feel.”
“Meridian is just like it was back in the day, it’s just a little bigger now.”
“We need to plan for new development and high density with the proper infrastructure - roads and schools.”
VALUES
• Parks
• Community
• Town Character
• Open Space
• The Village
• Local Government
• History
• Clean
• Public Events
GOALS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Improve Traffic
• Preserve Small Town Feel
• Preserve Parks and Open Space
• Improve Public involvement
• Attract Younger Families
• Implement Catalyst Project Downtown
• Add More Destination Hubs
• Get Away From “Bedroom Community”
Values
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS SUMMARY 7
SUMMARIZED FEEDBACK:
LAND USE
VALUES
• Parks
• Open Space
• Downtown
• Public Amenities
• Concentrated Density
• Separate Commercial and Residential
GOALS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Commercial too Close to Residential
• Density
• Need for Downtown Revitalization
• Too Many Apartments
• Annexation Issues
• Too Much Residential
Key Topics and Issues
• Preservation of parks and open space
• Concentrate density in commercial areas - away from single family residential
• Reduce the amount of apartment projects -- at the same time, many stakeholders commented
on the need for a diversity of housing types
• Plan for the unincorporated islands
“We could be ready for vertical mixed-use in certain locations. Some
examples could be downtown, Ten-mile, and The Village.”
“We want people to be able to live, work, and play in the same spot.”
“We love our parks, we need to protect them and push for more as
Meridian builds out. It’s about balance.”
8
SUMMARIZED FEEDBACK:
HOUSING
Key Topics and Issues
• More diverse housing options
• Keep apartments in commercial, high density
areas
• Provide homes affordable enough to attract and
keep younger families
“We need to keep our children here, as our kids move out they need to have
attainable housing options.”
“Don’t subsidize housing, create more diverse housing options instead.”
SUMMARIZED FEEDBACK:
TRANSPORTATION
Key Topics and Issues
• Gain control over Meridian’s roads
• Improve relationships with ACHD
• Widen main corridors to improve traffic
• Add public transportation/ rail options and
educate the public on how to use them
• Add more bike paths and connect them to
Boise’s greenbelt
• Connect a rail system to downtown Boise
• Connect missing sidewalk gaps
“Responsible growth = responsible infrastructure.”
“Meridian is too car-centric.”
MOST COMMON TOPICS
• Need More Diverse Housing
• Need Affordable Housing
• Less Apartments
• Income Restricted Housing
MOST COMMON TOPICS
• Public Transportation
• Improve Roads
• Connect Sidewalks
• Traffic Congestion
• Rail Connections to Boise
• Gain Control Over Roads
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS SUMMARY 9
SUMMARIZED FEEDBACK:
COMMUNITY FACILITIES &
SERVICES
“Our Mayor takes the job as a 24/7 position.”
“The City Council and Mayor work really hard.”
“Our schools can’t keep up with the rapid growth!”
VALUES
• Preserve public parks in Meridian
• The local government is seen as
transparent, hardworking, and friendly
• Keep the free concerts and other public
events held around Meridian
GOALS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Utilize the URA (Urban Renewal Area)
• Crowded schools in Meridian are a
common concern, some stakeholders have
suggested redrawing school boundaries
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
#MyMeridian www.MeridianCompPlan.com
MY MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
As part of the My Meridian Comprehensive Plan
Update, several areas were identified for further
future land use discussion: The Fields, Magicview/
Woodbridge, Southwest Meridian, and South
Rim. Two public meetings were held; one at
Willowcreek Elementary on Feb. 11th discussing
the Fields area and one at City hall on Feb. 12th
discussing the Magicview/Woodbridge area. In
addition to these meetings, residents could submit
comments through an online survey available for
all four areas through the month of February.
Between the neighborhood meetings and online
surveys, residents were able to review several
scenarios for each area, vote on their favorites,
and provide insight and ideas. There were over
130 event participants, 202 online participants,
and over 40 comments were submitted by email.
The City’s current Future Land Use Plan was
originally adopted as part of the comprehensive
plan in 2011, with regular updates. The Future Land
Use map is designed to guide development and
density for every area in the City with color blocks
showing general land use categories like “low
density residential” or “mixed use neighborhood.”
Any changes to the allowed use or density of the
land must be consistent with the Future Land Use
Map. This helps ensure that infrastructure and
services will be in place for future growth within
a given area.
The input received during this phase of updating
the Comprehensive Plan is invaluable to the
process. Input recieved will be considered as the
part of the land use recommendations to these
Specific Areas, and will be reviewed with the
community’s vision for an ideal future in Meridian.
CONTENTS
Outreach to Date.........................................2
Current FLUM and Area Boundaries..............3
What We Heard.............................................4
The Fields......................................................................4
Magicview/Woodbridge...........................................6
Southwest Meridian...................................................8
South Rim...................................................................10
Public Event Map Comments........................12
Verbatim Comments....................................15
LOGAN SIMPSON2
MY MERIDIAN OUTREACH TO DATE
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Legend
Neighborhoods
Meridian-North
Meridian-West
Meridian-East
Meridian-Downtown
Meridian-Northeast
Meridian-Northwest
Meridian-Southwest
Meridian-Southeast
My Meridian Plan
Where are you from?
Locations from pin maps in
the Values Phase
Locations from pin maps in
the Visioning Phase Total Online participation to date*: 3996
Total in-person participation to date*: 961
*March 13, 2019
Locations of specific area
workshops and participants#
40
100
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 3
CURRENT FUTURE LAND USE / SPECIFIC AREA BOUNDARIES
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W Pine Ave
W Franklin Ave
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Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community
Future Land Use Map
Text
Adopted
Rural
Low Density
Residential
Medium Density
Residential
Med-High Density
Residential
High Density
Residential
Commercial
Oce
Industrial
Civic
Old Town
Gas
Low Density
Employment
Mixed-Use
Community
Mixed-Use
Commercial
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood
Mixed-Use
Nonresidential
Mixed-Use
Regional
Mixed-Use
Residential
Mixed
Employment
Mixed-Use
Interchange
High Density
Employment
Fields Area
Southwest
South Rim
Magicview/
Woodbridge
Concept 1:
• A grand park to anchor our
community and buffer industrial
uses
• A focus on employment - from
Class A office to industrial
• Access to housing for all
workforce stages
Concept 2:
• A focus on community and
quality of life with greenway
connections
• A Central, localized
neighborhood center with
access to and from every
neighborhood via trail
• A grand park providing views
into the neighborhood
• Phased housing to buffer
existing neighborhoods
LOGAN SIMPSON4
CONCEPT 1: EMBRACING OUR INTERCHANGE
CONCEPT 2: LOCALIZED CENTER
THE FIELDS CONCEPTS
Concept 3:
• All services and amenities
needed for a complete
community
• A mixed-use community
center supported by sur-
rounding high and medium
density neighborhoods
• Service commercial
anchored by non-residential
mixed-use on Ustick
• Large, campus office setting
to support the future
hospital development
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 5
CONCEPT 3: A COMPLETE COMMUNITY
Key Takeaways:
Overall, those who took the survey preferred Concept 3 which includes a mix of residential
densities and offers non-residential amenities to serve future neighborhoods.
Participants Generally Liked:
• The inclusion of low and medium densities
• The greenway and trails
Concerns:
• Traffic congestion around the new high school
• Keep new roads along existing property lines where
possible
• Too much high density residential
Concept 1:
• Roadway realignment along
the freeway to maximize
visibility
• Mixed-use intended
to support hotel and
conference facilities
• Pad of commercial to serve
neighborhood
• Medium density residential
should be phased and
oriented to buffer existing
neighborhood
Concept 2:
• A Grand boulevard and
parallel greenway connecting
mixed-use areas to office
and commercial
• A new park to encourage
redevelopment
• Roundabouts to manage
traffic flow
• Phased housing to buffer
existing neighborhoods
LOGAN SIMPSON6
CONCEPT 1: A REGIONAL FOCUS
CONCEPT 2: A GRAND BOULEVARD
MAGICVIEW / WOODBRIDGE CONCEPTS
Concept 3:
• Provided opportunity for
slow redevelopment
• Mixed-use residential and
non-residential to support
office, residential, and
commercial uses
• New commercial center
that serves locally and
regionally
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 7
CONCEPT 3: AN URBAN ENCLAVE
Key Takeaways:
Overall, those who took the survey preferred Concept 3 which provides opportunity for slow
redevelopment with a large area of residential mixed use to the south of the existing Woodbridge
Subdivision and non-residential mixed use, office, and commercial uses moving closer to the
east. A second runner up to Concept 3 was “none of the concepts.”
Participants Generally Liked:
• The proposed park
• The greenway in Concept 2
• Round-abouts
Concerns:
• Low-impact, low-density buffer from existing
subdivisions
• High density housing will add to traffic congestion
• Many don’t want the area to change
LOGAN SIMPSON8
CONCEPT 1: RURAL SHAPING
CONCEPT 2: PHASED IDENTITY
SOUTHWEST CONCEPTS
Concept 1:
• An urban growth buffer of large residential lots
• Trail connections by canal to allow access to and from neighborhoods for all ages abilities
Concept 2:
• Phased growth with the most intense development to the east
• Low intensity development to the west with medium and low density residential
• Area is served by a mixed-use development along Ten Mile
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 9
Key Takeaways:
Overall, those who took the survey preferred Concept 1 which has a large amount of low density
residential with a residential mixed use center, and medium to high density residential to the
east.
Participants Generally Liked:
• Mixed-use along Ten Mile
• Option for large lots
Concerns:
• Many want to preserve all existing farmland
• Keep higher density residential areas south of
the canal
LOGAN SIMPSON10
CONCEPT 1: INCLUSIVE RESIDENTIAL
CONCEPT 2: HIGHLIGHTING OUR HERITAGE
SOUTH RIM CONCEPTS
Concept 1:
• A wide variety of housing types and opportunities
• Small-scale mixed-use centers
• High-end amenities and services to support housing types
Concept 2:
• A wide variety of housing types and opportunities with amenities and services
• Small-scale mixed-use centers with rural architecture guidelines
• Low density residential pockets with large estate properties
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 11
Key Takeaways:
Overall, those who took the survey preferred Concept 2 which focuses on low density residential
with pockets of large estate properties and pockets of mixed use amenities.
Participants Generally Liked:
• Option for large lots and low density
• Rural architectural guidelines
Concerns:
• Too much proposed medium density
• Plan for schools as new housing is developed
• More open space
• Intense commercial not appropriate at corner of
Locust Grove and Lake Hazel
LOGAN SIMPSON12
FIELDS AREA CONCEPT 1: EMBRACING OUR INTERCHANGE
FIELDS AREA CONCEPT 3: A COMPLETE COMMUNITY
PUBLIC EVENT MAP COMMENTS
Will not have access
Which way are we
widening?
Snow Plows Star rd undervalued
(river crossing)
Collector, make special
green linkage theme
Greenway
Accidents
Cell tower location
I like MDR
Move Rd
Graveyard
Hospital
Show all
Collectors
Does this road go through?
+8
Roads 0.5 mile
gridHigh density on Usick Amazon
Historic
LDR
CLEAN industrial
High ground water
whole area
(can’t/shouldnt develop
without city services)Housing instead
Consider the traffic
impacts of commercial
School Boundary
Housing
Underestimating Star
road’s intensity
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 13
MAGIC/BRIDGE CONCEPT 1: A REGIONAL FOCUS
MAGIC/BRIDGE CONCEPT 2: A GRAND BOULEVARD
Road Pull road through com.
grand in woodbridge to
connect
Leave Locust Heights
closed as is
Walk bridge
Program light
Sewer
Woodbridge S
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Toll Road
Payable to land owners
P
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Retirement
LOGAN SIMPSON14
MAGIC/BRIDGE CONCEPT 3: AN URBAN ENCLAVE
L
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walkway X2
med school
relieve
neighborhood
parking from
school
Franklin Rd
Best option for
efficiency
Connect road
commercial
commercial
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 15
VERBATIM COMMENTS
The Fields
Concept 1:
• Appreciate the clarification that The Fields is no longer considered to be an agriculture business 4-mile square
for the City of Meridian. Urge planners to be flexible due to unknown impacts of the large ongoing projects
nearby (i.e. Amazon etc.) Design the connector roads along property lines as much as possible to avoid dividing
properties into small parcels of unusable lands. Paths along the drainage ditches create issues of privacy,
trespassing and liabilities for the adjoining landowners.
• Consider inclusion of the future hospital referenced in Concept 3
• Be cautious of traffic congestion for young drivers around the high school.
• We as a family own and farm approximately 200 acres, which is a block bordered by Can-Ada Road on the
west and McMillan Road on the South. Concept 01 has most of our property designated as Medium Density
Residential as compared to concepts 02 & 03 which have either part or most of it designated as Low Density
Residential. For future land value considerations, it is important to us to have a Medium Density designation
rather than a Low Density designation. Therefore, we support concept 01 as it pertains to our property.
In the past, it has sometimes been stated by some that there should remain an agricultural influence in
the Fields Focus Area, either in the form of maintaining farm land or in the form of agriculture supporting
businesses. We think that the days of serious agriculture in this area have basically come to a close. Therefore
we think that any future agriculture in this area should be done at the determination of the individual landowner
regarding his own property, and not determined by the city or other planning authorities. This should mean that
property owners should have freedom if they wish to sell their property to those who will use it for other than
agriculture uses. In discussions with neighbors who own farmland in the Fields Focus Area, we believe that
generally they think as we do on this matter.
Concept 2:
• Concept 2 makes more sense to us than the other plans. We own property with the Waite LLC in the Fields Area.
• One concern/question we have that is shown on all three concepts is the proposed roadway along the east
side of the Phyllis Canal near McMillan Road. The concern/question is how the proposed road might impact my
sister’s home, which is located at 8478 W. McMillan road. Based on the drawings, it appears that the proposed
roadway may be located very near to her house.
Concept 3:
• Increase low density residential and decrease high density residential
Other:
• 1. First off, you did a great job preparing for the meeting. Having three concepts for discussion was superior to
the usual approach of a blank map and then asking the general public to express opinions. It was the best public
meeting that I have been to in a long time. The tone and the interaction was great. Congratulations! 2. Having
the comp plan information from Nampa and Star would have been preferred as you can’t look at the area in
isolation. 3. I believe the Star Rd. and Chinden Blvd. intersection will become a significant activity area. Think
of Linder and Chinden. River crossings are transportation focal points. 4. Regarding the land uses on the Trilogy
property, the market will not support office or mixed-use on the mid-mile collector and particularly not at an
intersection with an arterial. Circulation and access are very restricted due to Highway 16. The proposed 4 ac.
fire station use does fit as a civic use. Residential is more appropriate north of the future elementary school to
create easy walking access to the school. 5. I like the concept of a parkway feel along the mid-mile collector from
Ustick to Chinden to give the area some identity, but implementation will make medians (suggested by Chrissy)
almost impossible. In most cases that mid-section line is the dividing line between ownership with no existing
right-of-way. A developer would need to own both sides to create medians. Trilogy will dedicate right-of-way and
construct a half street in that alignment, but you can’t combine a half street with a median. And with the sewer
limitation (no access to the Oaks lift station west of the mid-mile) it will be a long time before development can
occur west of the Trilogy property.
LOGAN SIMPSON16
Magicvew / Woodbridge
Concept 1:
• Greenways, parks
• Consider the potential of decreasing the amount of MU Residential, shifting it instead towards Office or similar.
The currently specified Office proposed seems relatively small and may be inadequate for fuller commercial
development, particularly for the stated hotel/conference facilities as well as for anything that would truly
deliver against the Regional Focus. Overall, I distinctly prefer this option over the others; first and foremost,
Concept 1 is clearly and directly in line with and appears the only one that would actually fully deliver against
the Meridian Vision and Planning goals.
• We think that with any of these concepts there needs to be an freeway interchange at Locust Grover to
minimize the traffic on Eagle and Meridian roads.
Concept 2:
• I love roundabouts!
Concept 3:
• We need a lower density buffer adjacent to all sides of Woodbridge Subdivision in this Non-residential designation.
Single story, low lighting, no high density next to our low density residential neighborhood. We do like the new
road configuration which will alleviate the flow of traffic through Woodbridge. The purple office designation to
our east should be light office (This was said 53 times)
• We have an amazing neighborhood and we are not enthusiastic about any change that would lower the
standard of living here.
• Traffic thru must be alleviated. To the east of Woodbridge needs to be light office designation. There must be
low density around Woodbridge. Thru the entire city quit cramming high density in every corner.
• We need low density to protect our subdivision and ease the traffic.
• Add a greenway along Five Mile Creek if possible.
• I like the idea of a park and the additional road access will help alleviate traffic use in the neighborhood.
Woodbridge sub needs low density buffer around the neighborhood.
• NO high density housing. Fix the traffic issues - tired of my neighborhood being a raceway. Keep with hotel
and light office designation. But know the Eagle Road - St Luke’s Dr intersection is a mess now!
• I like the idea of a future park in the area, please ensure it is kid friendly.
• I like enclave 3 because it impacts the least amount of existing residences in the area. The other two options
impact a large number of existing homes. Many of the people that live in this subdivision have been there for
30+ years. I would be very disappointed to see those family homes torn down. One of which is owned by one
of my relatives. If changes have to be made to this neighborhood, please be considerate of those people who
live in that area. Preferably, I would like to see no changes made to that area.
• The area off Wells, near where the canal/waterway is has a very high water table, and building on that land
would be very costly. With the amount of wildlife that frequents along this area, it would be wonderful is a
small park could be put in, in this area bordering both sides of the canal. This would not only help preserve
the wildlife, but would give the neighboring hotels a place for guests to walk, visit. Especially those who are
extended stay quests, like those with family in the nearby hospital. There are no small parks near this area.
• Increase sewer and water to other areas and follow through on a comprehensive that will allow for growth. Use
foresight and opportunities that project outward. Vision is the only way to truly plan.
• A park or greenway should be added. My biggest concern is that the roads need to be constructed first. If
building construction precedes the roads, there will be no leverage to force road construction. Further, is ACHD
the entity for road construction or is the City of Meridian responsible? If the city, where does it get the money?
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 17
• We need a lower density buffer adjacent to all sides of the Woodbridge subdivision
• I strongly feel that #3 is the best option for our area. I have a lot of concern about adding high-density
housing right next to the existing Woodbridge neighborhood in what is already a heavily trafficked area. I like
the new road and the light office around this neighborhood. Single store and low-lighting associated with light
commercial will be best.
• Allowing high density housing will further complicate traffic flow/access to Eagle Road.
• Roundabouts for existing traffic flows
• We would like to see low density residential around Woodbridge subdivision. Too much traffic coming through
our neighborhood but the new road configuration would move traffic away.
Other:
• Medium Density Residential Buffer to the east & south of Woodbridge & Greenhill Estates A Collector road
from Central & Locust Grove east through Locust View Heights connecting to the signal at St. Luke’s ST. &
Eagle Road No high density residential is constructed off of Magic View east of Woodbridge until the signal to
signal (Central/Locust Grove to Eagle) is connected. The developments should be done in a responsible and
respectable manner in relation to existing residential housing next to any proposed developments. (This was
said 20+ times)
• We do not want Concept #1 – they are considering to change this area to mixed use residential which
would allow apartments all around us. We don’t want Concept #2 – This change would make it high density
residential directly to the East of us. In other words, if they get this change, they could change it to high
density apartments. Those of you that have been here for many years, remember that Woodbridge fought
long and hard in early 2005 when we approached City Hall and P&Z through the appeal process to prevent
Conger from building these high density apartments. It is this concept all over again. Concept #3 is the best
choice for Woodbridge because directly to the east of us is mixed use residential so they can’t build apartments.
It is critical that you complete this tonight due to time constraints. You must vote in order to be heard.
Thank you to everyone for your support.
• None of these concepts reflect other discussions that have been on going with regard to a step down buffer area
adjacent to Woodbridge with any redevelopment to the south. Having a buffer of equitable R-8 residential style
housing up against Woodbridge and then beginning any higher density construction or business designations
to Woodbridge. In other focus groups we actually had concepts that reflected this design, but apparently this
group did not. I think they should.
• I oppose all of your planning ideas. No one should be able to upturn peoples lives by destroying the neighborhood
they live in. Any one of your plans would lower property value and disrupt our quiet lives. We moved into this
neighborhood 15 years ago. We knew it would be a wonderful place to raise our family. My children are able to
walk around the corner to visit their grandparents, as they also live in the neighborhood. The city of Meridian act
like they care about family and community but all they care about is money. The people of this neighborhood
shouldn’t have to sacrifice because you didn’t plan. Maybe Woodbridge shouldn’t have been built. If this goes
through and we are forced out of our homes where are we to go? We would never be able to find a comparable
place. I just can’t believe this is happening. It’s one of my worst fears.
• I oppose all of your planning ideas. No one should be able to upturn peoples lives by destroying the neighborhood
they live in. Any one of your plans would lower property value and disrupt our quiet lives. We moved into this
neighborhood 15 years ago. We knew it would be a wonderful place to raise our family. My children are able to
walk around the corner to visit their grandparents, as they also live in the neighborhood. The city of Meridian act
like they care about family and community but all they care about is money. The people of this neighborhood
shouldn’t have to sacrifice because you didn’t plan. Maybe Woodbridge shouldn’t have been built. If this goes
through and we are forced out of our homes where are we to go? We would never be able to find a comparable
place. I just can’t believe this is happening. It’s one of my worst fears.
• Medium Density Residential Buffer to the east & south of Woodbridge & Greenhill Estates A Collector road
LOGAN SIMPSON18
from Central & Locust Grove east through Locust View Heights connecting to the signal at St. Luke’s ST.
& Eagle Road No high density residential is constructed off of Magic View east of Woodbridge until the
signal to signal (Central/Locust Grove to Eagle) is connected. This area has an inherent traffic problem I
have discussed with ACHD. Getting traffic through the area, and on/off eagle road is a big problem. The
intersections are overloaded already, and the intersections at eagle have a lower priority than eagle road or the
hospital. One ambulance disrupts traffic for up to 30 minutes. Please consider low impact options for traffic.
The developments should be done in a responsible and respectable manner in relation to existing residential
housing next to any proposed developments.
• After attending your meeting, Tuesday, February 12, 2019, many concerns were raised: 1. This is stage three
of four of a plan that has a great deal of impact on our neighborhood, yet this is the first time we have been
informed. One committee member said it was generally reported on T.V. and newspaper but did not specify
our neighborhood. 2. The three plans only addressed our neighborhood and did not consider any other
alternatives. The concerns seemed to be the neighborhood to the north who had gained city approval without
addressing traffic problems and now wants our neighborhood to remedy their problem. 3. Our neighborhood
is an established county neighborhood that has at least four three generation families where the children
have grown up, married, and are now raising their children down the street from grandparents. 4. A large
percentage of our owners are original owners who have lived here since the early 1970s or are second or third
owners who have been here since before 2000. 5. Any of your three plans would cut the neighborhood into
sections and would move families and friends who depend on each other for safety, friendship, and health.
this appears to be a city problem and should be settled within city boundaries. The original plan of the valley to
have one mile main road should be honored and not infringe on neighbors’ rights or livelihood.
• The presentation Feb. 12, 2019 only considered three passages through County land of Locust
Grove Heights Subdivision to connect Locust Grove and Eagle Roads. Less expensive and less
intrusive roads could be on city property: 1) Straight through Woodbridge --instead of T after the
bridge, go through the green area and connect to the outlet on the east side of Woodbridge. 2)
Take a lane on the north or south side of the L.D.S. church to connect with property to the east.
An established three generation neighborhood should not be disrupted to meet the needs of poor planning by
new subdivisions. Franklin Rd. is established for through traffic so this is not a need but a want.
• I have learned with shock and dismay that the Locust View Subdivision where I have lived for 47 years
in Meridian is being considered for disruption by a proposed roadway. Left standing by development
all around us, we have maintained a modest group of acreages where generations of families have lived
and loved for more than fifty years. Overlooked, it has thrived as a semi-rural environment: quiet,
winding streets; pastures; mature trees, neighborliness, tolerance, a place where joggers and bicyclers
from other places come to find safety and exercise out of the main, speed-driven adjoining streets.
In some cases, individuals have enhanced standardized farm home properties; others have created bases
for cottage industry. Still living here are retired teachers, widows, aging veterans, and disabled persons
alongside young lively families. Few homes are ever advertised for sale; it is a stable neighborhood.
It has enabled many of us to maintain a quiet, self-reliant, relatively unpolluted home environment.
Our children used to sled on adjacent property now filled with new homes. Traffic is confined to that of
homeowners, visitors, and school buses and does not endanger the paths of children or walkers. In
short, we have been endowed with an affordable place which many others might strive to achieve.
In fact, the very values the comprehensive plan subscribes to in print are already vested here and would be
contradicted by the proposed changes. What we cherish and have striven to maintain would be swept away
with an increase in traffic and a change in configuration. An aerial view reveals our subdivision to be a green
oasis which counters some of the freeway noise and compromised air quality. It forms a unit which has its own
irrigation system, pasturage for horses, goats, and chickens and room for gardens whose bounty is shared. It
embodies and preserve the values of the stakeholders expressed in #My Meridian Vision (p. 10-11) and repeated
again and again: family friendly, community, open space, small acreages, small town atmosphere.
Furthermore, within the Summary of Stakeholder Feedback (p.6) key topics are said to be: balance between
growth and values; preservation of open space; preserve small town and rural character; and improve traffic.
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 19
What traffic studies justify sacrificing the first three of these values for the last one, which would be involved in
intruding a roadway through the Locust View Heights Subdivision. What cost, maintenance, environmental and
residential impact beyond that already inherent in main roads such as Franklin, Locust Grove, and Overland is
being fully measured.
• ACHD could have run a road from Locust Grove Road to Eagle Road straight thru along Woodbridge and
Green Hill before Woodbridge was built. Piss poor planning on ACHD does not lead to running a road thru our
subdivision. I have lived here for 48 years.
Southwest Meridian
Concept 1:
• More trails! I go for long runs along these roads. Its beautiful scenery, but hardly any room on the side of the
road.
• I think the Northeast corner of S. McDermott and Lake Hazel should be zoned commercial so we can build a
7-eleven or Maverick there. Maybe Stinker. Local gas and convenience store cuts down on traffic.
• Keep Medium and High Density areas south of the canal. We do not want Medium density in our area
• Personally, I don’t like either one of these. My farm is at the northwest corner of Blackcat and Amity. 160 acres.
There is nothing in these plans about open space , which is what everyone is screaming for. The people that
are in want open space. And aren’t you people concerned about farmland preservation? This map of your #6
currently has lots of green in it. You can see all of the farms. Why don’t you do something to preserve that. Why
do we have to have every inch of land put into houses? Aren’t you concerned about where your next meal might
come from, or are you like the new Governor of Georgia? He is going to get his food from the grocery store .
Well where does he think the grocery store gets it? There is a bumper sticker that says No Farms, No Food .
Just leave what is zoned Agriculture as Agriculture. If you have to zone #6 as something, zone it all into Low
Density, nothing under 5 acre lots. At least there will be a little bit of Open Space left in Ada County.
• Bigger lots for houses. Some of these houses you can reach out and shake hands with your next door neighbor.
We moved here to Meridian 24 years ago and we love our city. We don’t mind the growth because every one wants
to live in the best place possible for their family. Be careful of too much density as it will spoil a lot of the wonderful
life we all enjoy in our lovely city.
• Use of some pockets for small commercial occupancies.
• Please zone for more 1 acre or larger lots to preserve the rural area as much as possible.
• The area shown as ‘Southwest Meridian’ is actually unincorporated Ada County. We like it that way. We
definitely need an urban buffer of small farms and fields between the massive urban sprawl developing in
our valley. Everything south and west of the South Rim area should be kept as Agricultural and Low Density
Residential.
• I would want to be zoned to southwest meridian schools. I love the idea of keeping big lots and have an place
to hike!
• Retain rural corridor along 10 Mile between Victory and Amity to blend with existing development at Twin View
Lane and larger acreages North of Victory. Keep this entire corridor as a buffer between Kuna encroaching from
the South. Keep residential because of land ownership by West Ada School District for possible school East side
of 10 Mile between Victory and Amity.
Concept 2:
• I like the idea of mixed use along 10-Mile Road. Gets tremendous traffic because of the freeway and Kuna at
the other end.
LOGAN SIMPSON20
South Rim
Concept 1:
• This is where I live now. Would love to have that long bike/jogging path!
• It is RIDICULOUS to have non-residential use at the corner of Lake Hazel/Locust Grove when 1 mile away
at Meridian Road/Lake Hazel is a clear choice for mixed use or commercial. The corner of Lake Hazel/Locust
Grove should be medium or low density residential to be consistent with the area around the new park.
Also, if this area is planned and zoned for residential, there should not be ANY industrial operations allowed. The
Timber Creek industrial operation SHOULD NOT be allowed because it is incompatible with the current residential
environment and will become even more incompatible with planned residential density. This is happening even
now with new residential building permits in surrounding Ada Co/Meridian Impact Area. If Timber Creek is
allowed to operate an industrial operation at the corner of Columbia and Locust Grove, surrounding Ada Co land
will be forced to develop industrial operations which will disrupt planning for future residential development.
HONOR YOUR OWN PLAN!!
• My concern is with Shafer View Estates and the land around it going from low to medium density. Our homes
sit on a little over an acre. The parcels to the north and south, R7824220040 and R7824220180 that are part
of the original plan, need to remain one house per acre.
• If I had to pick from Concept 1 or Concept 2, I would pick Concept 1, but don’t like either one. Concept 1 - Move the
mixed use non-residential from the corner of Locust Grove/Lake Hazel to the corner of Meridian Rd. /Lake Hazel.
Having commercial or mixed use non-residential makes no sense there. Need more LOW DENSITY - the South
Rim is ideal for Low Density and now it is all being eliminated. Low Density around the Park would be extremely
desirable and add value to the Southern end of town. Go back to the existing FLUM not allow developers to
step up from Low Density to Medium+. Require pathway connectivity from the Park to residential development.
Definitely dislike Commercial on Locust Grove and Lake Hazel. Such use will really devalue the new park’s
impact on the part of the town! Why can’t we just keep the existing FLUM and adhere to it WITHOUT step ups!!
Immediately start requiring developers to pay the maximum allowable level of impact fees - growth is so hot
right now, developers will not blink - they may complain a lot, but it won’t prevent them from developing in
Meridian. Now is the time! We need to be collecting the maximum allowable impact fees for services required.
Increase architectural and landscape buffer requirements. Again, developers will complain, but the result will be
a better, more appealing community in the long run. Consider the berming along Eagle Road on the south side
of the freeway in comparison to that North of Chinden. Now is the time to raise our standards & increase the
desirability of our community. Demand more from developers - don’t allow them to get away with meeting the
minimum standard. Require more - more green space; lusher planting and landscaping to border subdivision;
subdivision entrances that have character and architectural features that reflect our rural heritage; more space
between houses; more LOW DENSITY housing options (why does Meridian want to be the low-end R8 capital
of the Valley?). Developers will always try to get away with the MINIMUM, but now is the time to say that is not
good enough and require MORE. If we were in an economic downturn, it may be more difficult, but now is the
time to require more from developers!! Keep the existing FLUM and adhere to it WITHOUT step ups!! Require
developer to provide grading plans before P&Z or City Council approval. Developers are changing the contour of
the land in such a way that negatively impacts the land value and appeal of the adjoining property. Developers
are allowed to move thousands of yards of dirt/rock and build up their property and block the original view
sheds of neighboring property owners. By the time the developer starts moving dirt, the project is approved and
the neighboring property owners have no recourse. City Council and P&Z need to ask the developers how their
grading plan will impact the adjoining property before approving projects. I have examples of the devastating
impact of developers if you are interested. Please establish and enforce and unique identity for South Meridian
that reflects our rural heritage!!
• Make it low density with no ability for developers to get an automatic step-up. Drive around the suburbs of
Portland, Vancouver, or Spokane and there is a lot of low density with much more open space than Meridian.
Look at Eagle with how they have effectively implemented much more low density that maintains a rural feel.
Additionally there does not seem to be any coordinated alignment with ACHD or Ada West School District
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 21
to support Medium Density. Without coordinated infrastructure developed in a reasonable time frame, it is
irresponsible to plan anything but low-density in this area. Can you maintain the rural feel of Locust Grove
versus putting in a commercial center that would be better suited for Meridian and Lake Hazel? Make Eagle Rd
and Meridian Rd higher traffic and limit Locust Grove.
• What is the difference between high end amenities in concept 1 and amenities and services in concept 2? I
like the written description of concept 2 and all the low density, but according to city reps tonight, the density
has already been increased. I don not like the large section of commercial in concept 2. It seems like the city
ignores the comprehensive plan to do whatever the developers want. Neighbors organize, comment, and attend
meetings but the city steps up density regardless. I see lots of higher density neighborhoods but not a lot of
infrastructure to support them.
• Would prefer to have low density along Locust Grove. Mixed use should be along Meridian Rd. and Hazel Rd.
leaving Locust to remain more rural feeling with larger lots and residential rather than commercial and apts.
• Commercial and mixed use should be at Meridian Rd. not Eagle Rd. The comprehensive plan should be updated
so undeveloped areas match developed areas. We are planned for R4 but we are surrounded on four sides by
R8. If you do not allow step ups in the future, update the plan for existing undeveloped areas to match what
has been approved. There are many properties in the comprehensive plan that have step up developments
surrounding them. We are one such property.
• R2 and R4 where the infrastructure is not able to handle the increase in population - schools are overcrowded,
roads are congested. I would change the high density off Lake Hazel to Medium Density. Once a plan has been
decided on the step-up density should be forbidden.
• Like this concept except move mixed use to Meridian Road commercial and mixed use should be on Meridian.
Since step-ups in density have been allowed all over Meridian, please change the comp plan and zoning to
reflect what has been approved to adjoining properties. For example, when R8 has already been approved,
change future use to reflect R8 or whatever the step-up was. For example, future land use shows our property
in R4, but city council has approved R8 touching all sides of our property . So our area should reflect R8 so as
to not paralyze us in the future if we ever decide to develop. Another example is the development by the church
of god on Cloverdale: a step-up was approved, not changing the future land use map zoning to reflect what is
on their property line would not be right to current land owners.
• Actually, I would leave it. The damage has already been done to the existing area. I am worried about the build-
up of land on The Keep. With erosion and time of the build up to level their land, the run-off from the keep
will be dumped into the irrigation ditch and run land. That is a concern. Our land will become a lake.
• Blackrock is low density residential now. Why would areas on the Rim to the SE and again to the NW have low
density and that not continue through the rim area at black rock? This is represent as low density on concept 2
and should be designated as such on concept #1. The commercial rating directly behind Blackrock on concept 2
looks like payback for our protesting the application to put high density residential below us at Blackrock/Sky mesa.
The basis for a comp plan is to upgrade the possibilities for the future but not to downgrade the
plan people invested in the past. The commercial area should be over on Meridian Rd where the
traffic warrants it/not in the middle or right next to low density residential existing development.
It would be interesting to know who owns that land and what the ulterior motive was to stick that red section
in rural neighborhood development. Inclusive Residential means Inclusive Residential doesn’t it??
• Pathway connectivity across Meridian Rd. The CP should include guidelines for Land Use inclusive of
Locust Grove and Columbia Rd. The current plans for Timber Creek Recycling call for it to be temporary!
Why are we avoiding it in our Comprehensive Plan? Southwest Meridian has a strong Rural Heritage, that
should be honored and considered by City planning. Rural does not mean Industrial, but rather larger
expansive lots, green spaces (parks). Homestead farming and appropriate amenities. Much like Eagle, we
should establish an Architectural review board to maintain consistent planning for generations to come.
I recognize that city planners and city council may be at odds, when it comes to the comprehensive plan but city council
members are here today, gone tomorrow. Please be willing to keep up the fight for the residents in South Meridian.
Other concerns, besides planning, are improved walkways along Locust Grove. It is dangerous to walk or ride
LOGAN SIMPSON22
bicycles along Locust Grove. When accidents occur, students are blocked in traffic for 20 + minutes. If ACHD is
unwilling to fund expansion of Locust Grove, the city needs to step in and help.
• I would reduce the hosing density! Quit changing the comprehensive plan! Council members need to stand up
to the builders and not cave-in on their requests.
Concept 2:
• Fewer houses, bigger lots. More rural feel would be nice.
• Keep this part if Meridian as rural as possible. Keep the farm land, and only allow for large country estates
without medium to high density housing. Meridian needs to maintain rural areas. It’s one of the beautiful
things about Meridian. The infrastructure of Meridian and the freeway can’t support more high density housing
areas. I know people want to move here, we did just last year, but we choose not to move into new housing.
We bought off Ten Mile south of the freeway because we wanted a rural feeling. If you build more on the
south side , or really anywhere in the city, more freeway on and off ramps should be built. Traffic should also
be fixed or rerouted on S. Eagle before allowing more homes. Lastly if the city is going to allow for significant
growth, consider putting in big recreation center with pools, a gym, an ice rink, fields, etc. This area can use
something like that.
• My wife and I have lived at our location for 25 years. We have five acres, and are surrounded by five acre
parcels that are protected by covenants. Most all of my neighbors live here for the rural life style. We do not
want any intrusion on that life style. This area is unique and needs to stay that way. The heritage option is the
best of the two options, but frankly I don’t trust the process. There needs to be a community meeting where
homeowners are invited to discuss future uses.
• I like the idea of trying to keep the rural feel as much as possible in the South Rim area in spite of the rapid
growth. Our Heritage will disappear soon enough.
• The school boundaries for West Ada School District should extend to Meridian’s area of impact boundaries.
• I would like to see more ‘civic’ areas. Parks and ‘green belts’ that connect.
• We are content with the covenants now in place to give our five acre home lot protection from intrusion. We
do not want our rural lifestyle changed in any way. We believe your Heritage plan is the best fit for us. Please
take care not to disrupt/degrade long established, developed neighborhoods.
• We’d like to keep it as rural as possible. No new lots under 1 acre, even better would be 2+acres per lot. We’d
like to see the West Ada School District boundaries changed to match the Meridian area of impact boundaries
to the South.
• I would change the property next to the park on Lake Hazel Rd to Medium Residential use.
• High Density Residential on the NW corner of Meridian Road and Amity is ill advised as most residents will
attempt to travel north on Meridian Road, and will not be able to easily enter that roadway. Another traffic
signal is not an ideal solution either, as it will impede already slow northbound travel.
• I would like to see a more zoning of subdivisions with 1 acre lots or larger to preserve the rural feel. I would
also like to see the roads widened before the housing is built like they do in UT. I make a living off of residential
homes being built and am a member of the Building Contractors Association but still feel like we need the
infrastructure built first.
• We have a residence on S Ariel Lane which is an area of homes on 5 acres. We purchased the property to be
rural and enjoy the land. My suggestion would be to keep the area between S Linder Rd and S Ariel Ln, and
between the canal and W Victory Rd as Low Density Residential. Between 3 and 8 homes per acre can forever
remove this relatively small area from the beautiful rural area that it is.
• We need more low density residential. There is not enough open space. We moved to this part of Meridian
because it felt rural. I have not seen anyone developing any neighborhoods with even acre lots. They are all
tons of houses on smaller lots which our roads and especially our SCHOOLS can not absorb the growth. As I
understand the Keep was originally large lots and sold quite quickly so there is an obvious market for large lots.
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 23
Please, please keep this as heritage feeling as possible- meaning not back to back to back neighborhoods.
• 1. Keep large commercial zoning at Lake Hazel/Meridian, rather than bringing it in a mile to Lake Hazel/Locust
Grove. 2. Create greenspace buffer between MU-Non-Residential and Low Density Housing. 3. Maintain as
much low density as possible to preserve the beauty of our farming community, which is what makes this area
such an exceptional place to live. If we wanted to be looking in our neighbor’s windows, we would’ve moved
North of 84.
• I attended the meeting at Hillsdale Elementary School this past week and reviewed the Concept maps that
were provided. While I understand that growth in our community is inevitable, I do believe that spontaneous
approvals of subdivision after subdivision will only hurt the South Meridian community in the long run. Many of
us moved to this part of town because of the open space and rural feel, because we want to preserve and enjoy
the local farming practices ourselves and with our neighbors. While it would be easy to fill every square inch of
the South Rim with houses, I feel it would be an irresponsible, regrettable action. By doing so, the South Rim
will lose the character and beauty it currently maintains. Of the maps that were exhibited, the current City of
Meridian projection map is the one I approved of most, because it included mostly low density housing and
more green space. Of the 2 concept maps, I preferred Concept 2 with exceptions. I was happy to see more
low density housing in it over Concept 1. However, there is a Commercial area highlighted at the intersection
of Locust Grove and Lake Hazel. To me, this seems out of place, when just one mile West is Meridian Road
where most of the latest commercial new construction has been occurring. Why not keep the large commercial
structures along Meridian Rd, where the road capacity is larger and structured for greater amounts of traffic?
I am not opposed to say, small business, minimal traffic commercial businesses at the LG/LH intersection. I
am aware that medium density housing allows up to 8 houses per acre. I would hope that there would be a
maximum number of houses per acre set at no more than 4, without exceptions. I feel that many of these
projections are putting the cart before the horse. We need to look at our roads and our schools before we build
houses and businesses. Our country roads are just that and are not set up with sidewalks or bike paths to keep
children and families safe with a buffer from the roadways. We don’t have space in our already overcrowded
schools to place new children moving into the area. I think the City needs to work more closely with the School
District in this regard. Overcrowding in our schools does not benefit the teachers and definitely doesn’t benefit
our students. If we need to raise taxes to do so, so be it. We owe it to our children. We spoke at the meeting
about the need to implement education impact fees to the builders. Can’t we tell the builders we won’t approve
any more construction unless they pay an impact fee towards schools? That way, the builders would have to
take on the state with this issue, rather than the homeowners. The City’s current projection map shows a park
next to Mary McPherson Elementary which would be wonderful and perhaps allow more seasonal sporting
events and practices to happen there, just like the new Hillsdale location with the park alongside it. Thank you
for providing the opportunity to give feedback.
• No high density residential should be allowed. No development that fails to provide for separate (non city)
water source should be allowed. No development that fails to provide adequate open space for kids should be
allowed.
• I like more about Concept 2, except for the large commercial zone at Locust Grove and Lake Hazel. This is
very contradictory to even the concepts name: Highlighting Our Heritage. I don’t like the idea of having large
commercial areas butt up next to our future park, and along a small, rural 2 lane road with stop signs. If we
were to keep a commercial area near, Meridian Rd seems like the obvious choice. The road is already equipped
for increased traffic and its already a major thoroughfare. We are in support of keeping our area rural. Our area
needs to keep options for people to own some land, ie: 1+ acre lots and highlight our heritage. We’d also love
to see the West Ada School District boundaries mirror the Meridian Area of Impact.
• I was under the impression that much of this area was zoned for low density only, but it appears that many
areas have been changed to medium and or high density. This has been done without the input of us residents.
I think I can safely say that a majority of us moved to this area because we liked the more open, rural feel.
Please keep this feel by keeping the low-density zoning. The developers have enough money already. Don’t ruin
the South Rim. There has got to be a change with how schools are funded and built. We are already 150 kids
over capacity at Hillsdale (and it has only been open for 2.5 years!) and developers keep throwing down houses
LOGAN SIMPSON24
without any accountability to making sure there are adequate schools for the new homes. Instead they get the
city council to change their zoning from low to medium or medium to high density and cram even more families
into an area without any thought for schools. It is criminal in my opinion. How can Idaho be so backwards on
education. We are setting up our kids and the future of our state to failure.
• The commercial digression on Lake Hazel and Locus Grove should be moved west to be on Lake Hazel and
Meridian Rd. The plans outlined don’t provide good insight into the road plans to support traffic through these
designations. Having some idea would help better inform my thoughts on the plan and recommendations.
• Eliminate red commercial area. Liked more Low Density Residential than Concept 1
• North of Lake Hazel on both sides of Eagle I would lower density. It’s next to low density it would make sense
to go on other side of Lake Hazel (south). I really don’t like the high density by Lake Hazel and Eagle. I would
suggest to move this west by proposed commercial on Lake Hazel and Locust Grove.
• Preserve greenspace. Trails are limited in both plans. Colorado Springs attracts business/company because of
trail system. Should always consider greenspace/trails. Utilize canal system as natural resource/not eyesore.
• Density needs to transition better. I’m in R-1 and would go to R-4 or R-8. Needs to taper out. I see some R-2
with an R-15 next to it. Boise and West Ada boundaries need to be redrawn to lessen over crowing in W. Ada
and help Boise schools that are under capacity
• Are we taking into account the stench that is going to be generated by the composting facility? Please consider
architectural guidelines that make sense in our area. This is not Italy or the South of France, this is a farming
area and new construction should embrace that. Please give the south rim a real library! We need safer bike
lanes. I have had multiple close calls with cars while I am cycling and I am terrified when my kids are out on
bikes.
Other:
• Dear Mayor de Weerd: On behalf of several property owners with large land holdings in the Columbia
Road/S. Eagle Road/Locust Grove area of South Meridian, we are requesting consideration of a Medium
Density Residential designation for these properties in Meridian’s new Comprehensive Plan. Our request is
based on existing and proposed infrastructure, surrounding residential land uses, Meridian’s Sewer Master
Plan, and plans that have been made by the City of Meridian for the future development of South Meridian.
The City of Meridian is currently making substantial investments in this area of South Meridian with the
construction of an 80-acre regional park immediately to the north of the proprieties we are representing.
The designation of Lake Hazel as a Mobility Corridor will result in Lake Hazel becoming a major East/
West route across the Valley. These types of significant investments in infrastructure and public
facilities warrant residential densities that range from 3-8 units per acre. It should also be noted that
Meridian’s 2017 Sewer Master Plan update has designated this area in South Meridian for residential
growth and that 12 sewer lines have been extended to this area in anticipation of future growth.
With the development of a Neighborhood Center at Lake Hazel and Locust Grove; Lake Hazel as a major Mobility
Corridor, the development of a Regional Park, and the higher densities for neighboring properties in this area,
area, the designation of Medium Density Residential is entirely appropriate and will be beneficial to the City.
Development trends have changed noticeably in Meridian over the last few years; with recent increased
in land values, many Meridian residents are unable to afford homes on large, low-density residential
lots. A designation of Medium Density for the South Meridian area will allow for the development of
homes that can be purchased by Meridian families. South Meridian’s location, transportation and utility
infrastructure, and large regional park make South Meridian a perfect location for medium density housing.
In the past, the City’s Comprehensive Plan allowed for a step up in density for any given property. ...In practice,
through Meridian’s Comprehensive Plan, these properties were already envisioned to have the ability to develop
at Medium Density Residential. By not designating these properties Medium Density Residential, it could be
argued that they are effectively being down-zoned.
• I find both to be confusing. I need a bit more information on the different categories. These are both sub par.
Please stop allowing step-ups that are not reflected on the plan! Please consider more green space. Green
MERIDIAN SPECIFIC AREA SUMMARY 25
corridors, larger lots and more open spaces create an inviting place to live! The current development speed
is too fast for our infrastructure. Our schools are bursting. My kids are at Hillsdale in K & 2nd grade. We live
across Eagle Rd. and likely will not be able to finish school here as Century Farm subdivision has the potential to
completely fill the school. We need to plan better for our local schools. 26-40 kids is too much for teachers! Kids
suffer, teachers suffer. We know growth is our future. But let’s control it and plan for a smart future. It does not
need to be R8 everywhere. I cannot understand how our infrastructure (or lack of) can handle the continued
growth w/out proper vision. We moved to the Southern Rim so we could have more room. This was 2008 and
we still in the country. We are not opposed to the growth. We are asking for more thought and planning to be
put forth w/ regards to space, schools, roads. Specifically LOWER Density to help balance the high density that
is everywhere. Above all, it’s important to adhere to the plan. It does not appear that that is what has been
happening in the last 5 years. People plan where to live based on the plan.
• Area of concern in west of home, 11 acres that border Shafer View Estates. Making that 4-8 homes/acre makes
no sense w/ 1-1.5 acre homes surrounding it. It needs to flow from larger to smaller. Not have small and high
density next to each other. Make land use flow from one area to another.
• Meridian as a whole community has enough mixed housing. We propose preserving what land is left in South
Meridian to be preserved for larger lots and more room for homes and families. At the rate and plans you are
proposing, roads and schools cannot keep up. Congestion is terrible. Community planning needs to coordinate
before building starts between city planning - school planning & ACHD - road planning. We oppose all high
density in all of these concepts. Meridian citizens want low density and right now it is difficult to find. Please
refocus your plans and listen to the people.
• We oppose all high density residential in S. Meridian future planning. There is enough High Density in Central
Meridian. We deserve a low density plan for the S. Meridian area for building a more permanent community
base for Meridian families. Our growth is too fast - our homes are too close the lots and yards are too small.
Please listen to what families need to raise strong active families. We want room to breath - space between
houses/neighbors. No more high density in future planning. There is already enough. Stop high density housing.
Approve subdivision w/ larger lots for families that want to live and stay in one place to raise their families and
become long term community supporters.
• We talked to Brian McClure. Future land use map shows our property as low density. We are surrounded by
medium density developments. When the new plan is implemented, we want our property to be designated
medium density. Thank You. (Steven Stark, 2630 E. Amity Rd)
• Overcrowded school - awful! How can you be this far behind and continue to approve more and more
development? Same goes for the roads! Stop putting the cart before the horse! Listen to the residents more and
the developers less or at least have them pony up on putting in the supporting infrastructure before they build
the new neighborhoods! At least how about redrawing the Boise District boundaries to immediately alleviate
some of the overcrowding of West Ada!
• 1. Restrict large commercial to Meridian Rd. and Ten Mile. 2. Create a swath of low density, estate and
rural housing in Area of Impact with Eagle/Lake Hazel/Kuna/Meridian Rd. with minimal commercia and
no industrial districts. 3. Create an overlay district with architectural guidelines, generous open space
and amenities in MDR/HDR/LO/CML that complement the area’s rural flavor and history. 4. Require
gathering spaces and streets as spaces to enhance community identity. 5. Public art in every public space
Architectural Design committee for each Meridian district. Raise impact fees! Adhere to the Plan as the City’s
development bible. Respect property owners’ rights! (e.g. drainage, slope, building materials etc.). Elevate the
quality of what’s required per UDC (Open space, amenities, trails, safe routes to school). Do not allow back
door land use changes via DA amendments or CMPS. Increase resident participation in hearings. Improve
transitions. Understand that residents represent property tax $$ and deserve to have as great (or greater) voice
in growth and development as developers. Residents are important stakeholders!
• Sing the map for commercial changed when Albertson’s was approved there is now no need or commercial
at Locust Grove and Lake Hazel. We need to restrict applications by percentage only so many R8’s can be
approved until a certain percentage of R2s are approved. Etc
LOGAN SIMPSON26
• We need to have impact fees to help build new schools in high growth areas. We are very concerned about
green space and trails in our community. We have concern about pedestrian safety around the new park in
South Meridian. We are concerned about the lack of large lot size available for purchase in the city. There is a
need for large lots in spite of what the developers say.
• There needs to be better coordination between the school district and ACHD and the city. No development
should be approved without a solid plan for school capacity. School capacity is paramount. Safe walking and
biking paths.
• With most of ADA Co. rapidly growing, it would be nice to have an area set aside that stays relatively rural. The
pathway concept goes through private property. How’s that going to work?? The irrigation companies stress to
stay out and no trespassing, now the City of Meridian wants to open those canal roads to the public??? What a
nightmare. Who assumes the liability when someone gets hurt or drowns? Bad idea
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
#MyMeridian #MyMeridianPlan
#MYMERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
As the final part of the community outreach
process for the #MyMeridian Comprehensive
Plan Update, several public events were held
from June to August of 2019 (see page 2 for a
list of events). Between informational booths
at community events, surveys, text polling,
and online mapping activities, participants
were able to review the first public draft
of the #MyMeridian Plan and Future Land
Use Map and provide feedback and insight.
Participants in this outreach phase included
residents, employees, business owners,
community leaders, property owners, and
other stakeholders.
The input received during this phase is
invaluable to the Comprehensive Plan Update
Process. Through careful review of the draft
Plan and Map, roughly 448 participants
provided thoughtful comments and final
changes to ensure the Plan reflects the
community’s desires and hopes for the future!
CONTENTS
Where We Went.................................................1
Survey Formats..................................................2
What We Heard.................................................3
More from Town Hall.........................................8
Verbatim Draft Comments...............................15
LOGAN SIMPSON2
WHERE WE WENT
Playin’ in the Plaza
July 11th, 2019
City Hall
YMCA Outreach
July 1st, 2019
South Meridian YMCA
Coffee with the Mayor
June 11th, 2019
Albertsons Market Street
Town Hall
July 24th, 2019
Scentsy
Family Fun Night
July 20th, 2019
Kleiner Park
Discovery Park
July 27th, 2019
Discovery Park
Chamber Meeting
August 1st, 2019
City Hall
CableOne Movie Night
August 2nd, 2019
Settlers Park
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 3
DRAFT PLAN WEBSITE SURVEY
The #MyMeridian Plan is organized into five main themes: a Premier Community, an Evolving Community,
a Liveable Community, a Vibrant Community, and a Connected Community. Each theme addresses several
related policies, designed to achieve the community vision statements. Alongside these topics, The plan
and its process strive to provide grass roots and citizen engagement, a collaborative community vision,
strategic planning for growth, in-depth analysis and data driven tools, alignment with other city plans,
protection of private property rights, and ease of use and readability.
The Survey for this phase of outreach asked participants, “What aspects of the planning process are most
important to get right?” and “What aspect of this chapter are you most excited about?”. Participants
were also given the option to provide in-depth comments and insight on each chapter.
TOWN HALL SURVEY
On July 24th, the planning team hosted a Town Hall Meeting to present and gather feedback on the draft
#MyMeridian Plan. The meeting consisted of a presentation asking participants 20 questions regarding
the new Comprehensive Plan and inviting them to go online and review the full draft.
TEXT POLLING
Staff attended several public events throughout this summer outreach period with two text polling
questions designed to raise interest and direct people to the website to review the draft plan.
SURVEY FORMATS
LOGAN SIMPSON4
WHAT ASPECTS OF THE PLAN ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO GET RIGHT?
WHAT WE HEARD
WHICH OF THESE CHAPTERS NEED MORE EMPHASIS?
Note: Participants could select more than one response.
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 5
THE PREMIER COMMUNITY CHAPTER INTENDS TO ADDRESS EACH OF THESE ASPECTS.
WHICH ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
THE EVOLVING COMMUNITY CHAPTER INTENDS TO ADDRESS EACH OF THESE
ASPECTS. WHICH ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
Note: Participants could select more than one response.
Note: Participants could select more than one response.
LOGAN SIMPSON6
THE VIBRANT COMMUNITY CHAPTER INTENDS TO ADDRESS EACH OF THESE ASPECTS.
WHICH ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
THE LIVABLE COMMUNITY CHAPTER INTENDS TO ADDRESS EACH OF THESE ASPECTS.
WHICH ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Distinct and engaging gathering places
Meridian's historic, cultural, and agricultural heritage
High quality development and aesthetic design
Neighborhood character and sustainability
Community pride and identity
Arts, community events, and cultural asssets
# Website
# Town Hall
Note: Participants could select more than one response.
Note: Participants could select more than one response.
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 7
THE CONNECTED COMMUNITY CHAPTER INTENDS TO ADDRESS EACH OF THESE
ASPECTS. WHICH ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
Note: Participants could select more than one response.
LOGAN SIMPSON8
BEFORE TONIGHT, DID YOU KNOW THAT THE CITY WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A
COMPREHENSIVE, LONG-RANGE PLAN?
DO THE #MYMERIDIAN VISION STATEMENTS RESONATE WITH YOU?
MORE FROM THE TOWN HALL MEETING
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 9
WHICH OF THE VISION THEMES (CHAPTERS) OF THE PLAN ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?
(SELECT AS MANY AS APPLY)
WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE ROLE OF A CITY TO HELP ENSURE HOUSING OPTIONS ARE
ATTAINABLE ACROSS ALL INCOME LEVELS?
LOGAN SIMPSON10
THROUGHOUT THE OUTREACH PROCESS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE REITERATED
THE NEED TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS. SHOULD THE CITY
ESTABLISH NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS OR ASSOCIATIONS TO EMPHASIZE, PROMOTE AND
PROTECT UNIQUE COMMUNITY IDENTITIES?
SHOULD THE CITY EXPLORE PUTTING GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITATIONS ON GROWTH? I.E.
RESTRICT ANNEXATION AND DEVELOPMENT TO SPECIFIC AREAS?
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 11
RANK THE FOLLOWING, FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST PRIORITY NEED, FOR RESIDENTIAL
NEIGHBORHOODS GOING FORWARD? (RANK 1-3; 1 IS HIGHEST PRIORITY)
RANK THE FOLLOWING, FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST PRIORITY NEED, FOR COMMERCIAL AND
MIXED-USE AREAS INTO THE FUTURE? (RANK 1-4; 1 IS HIGHEST PRIORITY)
LOGAN SIMPSON12
HAS THIS PRESENTATION AND SURVEY HAS HELPED YOU UNDERSTAND GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND HOW THE COMMUNITY PLANS TO ADDRESS THEM THROUGH THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
WILL YOU VISIT WWW.MERIDIANCOMPPLAN.COM AND REVIEW THE DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN PRIOR TO AUGUST 5TH?
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 13
SUMMARIZED FUTURE LAND USE COMMENTS
1. Make medium density residential with commercial uses along Can-Ada
2. Allow residential uses in Mixed Use Non-Residential on Ustick Rd.
3. Make lots on Chinden Mixed Use Regional to accommodate access to Mixed Use-Interchange area
4. Move School symbol northeast of Black Cat and McMillan to center of Civic Land Use
5. Increase allowable density for Black Cat Estates Subdivision to Medium Density
6. Re-evaluate necessary buffer distance from Waste Water Treatment facility and allow medium density on interior parcels
7. Reduce density on Cherry and Black Cat
8. Move Mixed Use Neighborhood off mid-mile location, transition to Medium Density
9. Retain Low Density neighborhood north of raiload tracks. Do not transition to Industrial.
10. Change Mixed Use Neighborhood at northeast corner of McMillan and Locust to Commercial
11. Do not allow more residential on Pine, west of Eagle
12. Retain Low Density in Locust Grove Subdivison / Keep changes to future land uses as proposed
13. Remove Lifestyle Center designation, replace with Commercial and Mixed Use Commercial
14. Move future school site to west side of Ten Mile
15. Remove linear civic greenway
16. Redesignate private property to Medium-High Density instead of Civic
17. Redesignate the properties facing Val Vista Ct. to Low Density
18. Increase to High Density on Ten Mile south of planned Mixed Use Neighborhood
19. Continue Mixed Use Neighborhood to northeast corner of Ten Mile and Victory
20. Retain Low Density north of Amity between Black Cat and Ten Mile
21. Move future school symbol to the West Ada property closer to the NE corner of the intersection of Ten Mile and Amity
22. Do not make this area High Density residential
23. Conserned about High Density residential in this area
24. Give Commercial designation to area at the southwest corner of Victory and Meridian
25. Clean up boundary of Office so it does not cover existing residential area
26. Allow mixed use and residential uses at currently designated Office property
27. Transition Low Density neighborhood to Mixed Use Regional along I-80
28. Move future school south of Amity and west of Eagle to be placed mid-mile
29. Clean up boundary of Medium Density to follow Pratt Ln
30. Include High Density adjacent to Mixed Use Neighborhood south of Amity Rd.
31. Redesignate to Medium-High Density on north side of Lake Hazel between Mixed Use areas
32. Remove the future school east of Meridian and south of Lake Hazel
33. Concerned with Medium Density designation south west of Lake Hazel and Locust Grove
34. Move school southeast of Discovery Park closer to Lake Hazel
35. Remove school southeast of Lake Hazel and Eagle
36. Increase to Medium Density
(SEE CORRESPONDING NUMBERED AREAS ON THE MAP ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE)
LOGAN SIMPSON14
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Future Land UsesCitywide Ten Mile Specific
Mixed Use Regional
Mixed Use Non-Residential
Mixed Use Community
Mixed Use Neighborhood
Mixed Use Residential
Mixed Use Commercial
Lifestyle Center
Mixed Use - Interchange
Old Town
Civic Low Density Employment
High Density Employment
Mixed Employment
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
Med-High Density Residential
High Density Residential
Commercial
Office
Industrial
Notes:
Symbols with halos indicate general future facility locations. These symbolsare not parcel specific and may float to nearby areas.
Land use designations in the Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area are different
from the rest of the City. Designations for that area are described in the Ten
Mile Interchange Specific Area Plan.
The information shown on this map is compiled from various sources and is
subject to constant revision. The City of Meridian makes no warranty or
guarantee as to the content, suitability, accuracy, timeliness, or completeness,
or reliability of any of the data provided, for any purpose, and assumes no legal
responsibility for the information contained on this map.
This map is intended to work in tandem with the policies of the Comprehensive
Plan to serve as a guide for future land use patterns within Meridian’s AOCI.
Land use patterns depicted on the map are generalized, recognizing thatdevelopment proposals may contain a mixture of land uses and density levels
to achieve the intent of the Comprehensive Plan. All development is subject toCity zoning and other development standards and performance guidelines.
Draft June 24, 2019
Prepared by Meridian Planning Division
Print Date: Jun 24, 2019
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MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 15
VERBATIM COMMENTS
Chapter 1
• I have commented supportively of the medical office general plan for the parcel we own under the Tebo Revocable Trust.
Also supported our neighbors in the adjoining Woodbridge Community incontrollling traffice throgh their neighborhood.
We voted against the apartment complex across from us on Magic View, but voted in favor of the Senior Campus,
currently under construction. One other usage we thought would be suitable for our property, would be no maintenance
senior patio home with no egress onto Magic View. Thank you, Roger & Linda Tebo, 2731 S. Marypost Pl. Eagel ID 83616
• Meridian’s strength is it’s family-friendly environment.
• Meridian has spread out over the past 10 years. I would prefer to see the future plans begin with infilling rather than
simply additional expansion “outward”.
• and “one” of the top ten fastest growing . . .”
• The plan is flawed in that it does fully integrate with all communities within the treasure valley and the fact the city does
not have authority over roads or transportation in this state
• This change seems like a land grab.
• Every community needs a plan.
• reduce the number of HOA and allow citizens to own their own homes and do what they want with their own property.
There should be a plan to reduce property taxes!!!!!
• Table 2: List of Adopted Plans By Reference (pages viii and ix) – I did not see the FONSI for the US-20/26 Environmental
Assessment completed in October 30, 2017. I was not a part of the project management team for this effort; is there
content that the City of Meridian is not in agreement with and therefore has not accepted this document?
Chapter 2
• Would like to see senior citizen housing options.
• Discourage the use of high density for commercial buffers.
• Could use something under the premier statement that is cross-generational. It feels geared towards the young.
Consider adding some more text. Doesn’t need to remove anything (i.e. raise a family), just more.
• Encourage and promote homeownership.
• Discourage land leases for residential developed properties.
• Encourage homeownership with land or homeowner’s association.
• How about roads that can accommodate the influx of newcomers? You mention vibrant job market, but really, how
many of those are high paying jobs, not just in service industries? What ARE the high paying companies in Meridian and
how many people do they employ?
• The market should decide what types of housing are available - the city should not be forcing certain housing types
based on what it considers the “correct” housing distribution. With growth, roads should allow for as much commuter
traffic as possible, not prioritize bike lanes and public transportation. Keeping rush hour traffic manageable will be a
huge benefit for the workforce.
• When I wanted to move my business, I was informed that if I wanted to build a building in a large portion of downtown
Meridian I would have to build a two-story building that had an elevator. This demand is absurd; it doesn’t make good
business sense. Second floor business space is rarely attractive except in very high density business areas. An elevator
is expensive. It seems the plan is working as there has been only one new building constructed in downtown in over
ten years. The down town is stagnant. Businesses have gone elsewhere because of this foolish preoccupation with two
story buildings. This is not business friendly in the slightest.
• There should be more emphasize on green space, walking & biking pathways, and reducing traffic congestion.
• My primary concern is adequate water and sewer services, as well as - or most important - the ability of the existing
DRAFT PLAN
LOGAN SIMPSON16
roads in the plan area being able to properly handle the increased traffic. Infrastructure in the Meridian area is not
currently adequate for the type of growth in this plan.
• We are seeing many apartment buildings going up, more elite subdivisions, lots of construction. However, in order to
get all the incoming people around the city there has to be a better infrastructure. The roads are not being upgraded, we
now have traffic jams, sit through many lights and have longer and longer commutes. The city should have considered
the infrastructure a long time ago. Seems all the city really wants is the revenue from the construction.
• Maintain a consistent development flavor to the area. Manage traffic thru neighborhoods
• Do not like the business, apt, residential layout at all. Plan looks to be including more business for more $ rather than
putting residents first...
• Roads
• Can’t have premier communities with two lane roads. Need 5 lanes at a minimum on main streets. If i have to fight
traffic to get to things, i am not likely to go.... still too many two lanes between 10 mile and eagle road. Waiting thru
several traffic light cycles in peak hours is not good....
• trees and beautiful landscaping all around the city.
• No enhancements: Having grown up in Meridian, this is long overdue. It’s exciting to at last see things shift in this
direction
• Maintain the roots of Meridian - the rural farmland. Don’t turn it into all subdivisions.
• Quality and attractive housing in my opinion is low density housing in a small acreage (1 acre minimum) rural/
agricultural setting.
• None of these express my concerns with your changes.
• You are not addressing our (my) concerns with any of these choices.
• The libertarian freedom to do whatever we want on our own land.
• Our neighborhood was originally designed to be a rural residential neighborhood with agricultural use. Properties were
designed as 5 acre parcels to be enhanced with available irrigation use. Homes are on each of the 5 acre parcels.
Families have been raised in a community atmosphere. To zone these properties into general industrial would result in
a drop in property value, and eventual destruction of most of the existing family homes.
• bike paths. Reduced property taxes
• There is nothing attractive about more housing all it does is add more gridlock, most major intersections are backed up
close to a mile or more during morning and late afternoon rush hour times, as a 3rd generation Meridian resident I have
witnessed the growth first hand and I can tell you that our family is not thrilled about it nor do we support it.
• “Thank you for the opportunity to proivde comment on the updated Comprehensive Plan being developed by the City of
Meridian.
• After conducting an in-depth review of the proposed modifications and amendments to Meridian’s Comprehensive Plan
and the June 25, 2019 Future Land Use Map (“”FLUM””) revisions, we respectfully request four (4) modifications to the
FLUM, as they relate to properties our client BVA Development, LLC, has a contractual interest in as a joint venture with
other entities and owners. These modification requests are based on language contained in the new Comprehensive
Plan as well as the existing Comprehensive Plan. If implemented, these requested modifications would promote the
objectives of the new Comprehensive Plan and would reflect recent development trends and considerations in Meridian.
• In addition to the requested modifiactions to the FLUM, we suggest one minore textual revision to the proposed the
draft Comprehensive Plan. Our four (4) requested modifcations to the FLUM are discussed in detail below:
SW Corner of Victory Road and Meridian Road. First, as depicted on the FLUM, the southwest corner of the intersection
of Victory Road and Meridian Road is designated as Medium Density Residential. As depicted upon the current FLUM
this property has both designations for Low Density Residential and Medium Density Residential. This property is
owned by an affiliate of BVA who has evaluated it for development. It has not been annexed into the City of Meridian.
There are topographical and physical limitations preventing its integration to the existing residential property to the
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 17
south. The residential streets that have been stubbed from the south, have not been stubbed to my client’s property
limiting the ability to share and integrate access. The southern boundary is a ridge that also topographically limits
integration with the residential properties to the south. The other three corners of this intersection have developed at
a more intensive level than the existing Low Density Residential and Medium Density Residential designations with
zoning designations of C-G, R-15, and L-O. We strongly believe that due to the topographic limitations of this site as
well as the other development at the intersection that a Future Land USe Designation of Commercial be applied to
this site. That would support a commercial zoning designation (C-C, C-G, or M-E) in a location that clearly is more
intensive and has developed as commercial node. This will facilitate service commercial and employment opportunities
supporting the existing residential and future residential that have been contemplated in the immediate vicinity. We
believe that this reflects the policy direction provided in the draft Comprehensive Plan.
• Pursuant to the draft Comprehensive Plan, “”an adjacent abutting designation, when approved as part of a public
hearing wiht a land development application, may be used.”” (Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 3-9.) As depicted
in the FLUm, this area is immediately adjacent to areas designed Office, Medium Density Residential, and Commercial.
Based on these adjacent designations and the location of the area on an entryway corridor, we respectfully request that
the southwest corner of the intersection of Victory Road and Meridian Road be designated as Commercial on the FLUm,
which would permit a commercial zoning designation (C-C, C-G, or M-E) when the property is annexed to the City of
Meridian.
• Northern Rolling Hill Drive. BVA Development’s affiliate, BVABC Eagle View has acquired the property located east of
Eagle Road and south of I-84. This property is presently designated as Mixed Use Regional (MU-R) on the Future Land
Use Map. Affiliates of BVA and BVABC Eagle View have either acquired, or have placed under contract properties to
the east of this property and west of the canal that are presently designated as Low Density Residential and which are
contemplated to retain that designation.
This is area is largely comprised of two older subdivisions (Rolling Hill and Jewel) developed in Ada County as large
lot agricultural type propertieis. Redevelopment of this area has begun with a portion of Rolling Hill subdivision
being annexed into Meridian and zoned as C-G. This area is adjacent to: I-84; Overland Road; Mixed Use property,
and Commercial property. Redisignating this area as Mixed Use Regional, would permit its redevelopmetn consistent
with the existing improvements and projects located at the intersection of Overland Rd and Eagle Rd. The existing
designation on the Future Land Use Map wil require modification in the future as these property owners within the
Jewel and Rolling Hill subdivisions contemplate the sale of their properties and their redevelopment. Although
this area was previously developed as residential subdivisions, future improvement of these properties will require
extension and expansion of public services, such as sewer, water, and roadways that do not presently exist. A Mixed
Use Regional designation for this site is generally consistent with the larger area and would facilitate redevelopment of
this area consistent wiht the Silverstone, El Dorado, and Eagle View Landing projects, as well as the other commercial
development of these areas adjacent to Overland Road.
• NE Corner of McMillan Road and Locust Grove Road. Third, the area located immediately northeast of the intersection
of McMillan Road and Locust Grove Road has a Mixed Use Neighborhood designation that posed isuses due to the
small size of the property. It is owned by an affiliate of BVA Development, which ahs had difficulty finding users for
the property due to its size and configuration. In the FLUM, the subject properties currently are depicted as Mixed
Use Neighborhood. The parcels located at the north east corner of the intersection are presently zoned Neighborhood
Business based upon the existing FLUM. However, the area that has been designated as Mixed Use Neighborhood is
approximately six (6) acres in area, rendering it difficult to satisfy all the requirements of the MU-N FLUM designation.
Although the property is currently zoned C-N under the City of Meridian’s zoning code, there are neighborhood serving
commercial uses that are excluded from that zone. Moreover, a portion of this site was previously developed as a
convenience store which affects the compatible uses that are adjacent to it.
• Because there is a large utility facility to the south, significant irrigation facilities adjacent to the site, a small MU-N
designated parcel to the southwest and the remaining parcels have Medium Density Residential of Low Density
Residential designations, it has been difficult to identify a user for this site that could support the type of uses
contemplated by the existing FLUm designation. Therefore, we would request a Commercial deisgnation on the FLUm
recognizing the exiting C-N zoning and which would permit other compatible zoning designations in the future. The
subject property is located in the midst of an area that already is inundated with residential designations and existing
LOGAN SIMPSON18
housing developments; redisgnation of the area northeast of McMillan and Locust Grove will enable development that
provides support to high-density housing and complements and serves existing residential developments.
• Ten Mile Interchange Specific Plan Area. Fourth, BVA Development has been working with Brighton Corporation in the
development of Ten Mile Crossing within the Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area. Although all the property has been
zoned C-G, the existing future land use designations do not presently reflect the market realities that exited when the
Ten Mile plan was adopted. Brighton presently has the property between tis parcels at Ten Mile Creek and Ten Mile
Crossing under contract and it is our understanding that Brighton has requested modification to Lifestyle Center in the
FLUM. Since this designation was first applied, two large lifestyle type centers have been constructed at Eagle Road
and at Garrity Road. While there is a need for retila serving the larger area laong Ten Mile, we believe that the eastern
portion of this stie should be designated in such a way as to contemplate expansion of the employment center that
is being developed at Ten Mile Crossing. We are supportive of Brighton’s request to ensure that future development
applications that are consistent with the existing C-G zoning are not limited by language of the Comprehensive Plan or
a new FLUM.
• In addition to the foregoing, we believe these requested modifacitons are supported by numerous provisions of
the propsed Draft Comprehensive Plan. For example: “”The City realizes that the 21st Century economy requires
flexibility... The City is striving to strengthen its competitive position by creating an environment and infrastructure
where industries can create, respond, and adjust rapidly.”” (Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 2-9.)
All of the requested FLUM modifications offer the increased flexibility necessary to adapt to changing economic
conditions, without sacrificing the oversight the City feels is necessary to guide sustianble growth and development.
These changes are sought to reflect the development patterns that have emerged since the current FLUM was
integrated into the Comprehensive Plan. Conditions that existed ten years ago, do not exist today and these requested
revisions are necessary to address the flexibility identified above.
• “”Create a business-friendly environment that supports and expands existing business opportunities...”” (Proposed
Draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 2-10, Table 5, Item 2.7.)
All of the requested modifications offer expanded business opportunities, thereby helping to ensure sufficient jobs
and economic opportunities to support sustainble growth and development in Meridian. Ensuring the development
of employment opportunities and commercial services in reasonable proximity to existing residential development
inimized infrastructure demand and reduces vehicular demand.
“”Diversify Meridian’s economic base...”” (Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 2-10, Table 5, Item 2.6.1)
The requested redesignations will support meaningfully diverse development of employment centers, which, in turn, will
ensure that Meridian’s economic base continues to diversity and serves the growing residential population.
• “”Support economic opportunities for a community with diverse income levels.”” (Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan,
p. 2-10, Table 5, Item 2.6.2)
The diversity of development that could result with the requested redesignations would directly help the City achieve
the objective contained in this policy direction. Also, development at Ten Mile can be promoted as a “”center of activity
and growth.”” (See Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan. p. 2-12. Table 5, Item 2.9.3.B)
“”Pursue economic development opportunities with technology, healthcare, environmentally-friendly manufacturing,
light industrial, and professional service industries.”” (Proposed draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 2-11, Table 5, Item 2.8.2)
the requested modifications support development in technology, healthcare, and professional service industries, all of
which conform to the policy guidance contained in the propsed draft Comprehensive Plan.
“”Capitalize on the City’s central location by promoting more tourism and business growth along entryways and key
corridors.”” (Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 2-11, Table 5, Item 2.8.2.B)
All of the areas in which redesignations are requested are located adjacent to entryways and key corridors.
Implementing the requested redesignations will result in business growth along these entryways and key corridors,
thereby meeting the objective contained in policy direction in the proposed draft Comprehensive Plan.
• “”Cultivate unique and diverse destination-type acitivites...”” (Proposed Draft Comprehensive Plan, p. 2-12, Table 5,
Item 2.9.3)
The areas in which redesignations are requested are envisioned to include planned “”destination-type activities.””
We can provide additional analysis for these requested modifications as necessary. It is important to reiterate that
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 19
the FLUM is only one element of the comprehensive plannng process under Idaho Code Section 67-6508. In fact, it is
not intended that the land use component be static, rather it is intended to identify “”suitable projected land uses””.
Idaho Code Section 67-6508(e). First and foremost, the existing zoning, and not the comprehensive plan governs,
the use of land. Where a modification is sought, then the comprehensive plan comes into play, however, it is a guide.
Zoning decisions must be in accordance with the elements of the comprehensive plan, but that does not reuqire slavish
devotion to the plan. Neither the comprehensive plan nor the land use map element of it are in fact zoning ordinances.
Bone v. City of Lewiston, 107 Idaho 844, 850 (1984).
• We are concerned that in light of the very minimal revisions to the land use map in this comprehensive planning
exercise, that inadaquate attention has been paid to the actual planning process and changes that have occurred since
the last comprehensive update of the plan. The land use map and plan components should be somewhat dynamic
reflecting changes in development patterns and economic conditions over time.
• To summarize these four (4) requests:
First, the area at the southwest corner of Victory and Meridian be given a Commercial designation in the FLUM
supporting a commercial zoning designation upon its annexation and recognizing the development of the remainder of
the intersection;
Second, the area south of I-84 and west of the eastern boundary of the City of Meridian, be given a designation of Mixed
Use-Regional in the FLUM, instead of Low Density Residential, reflecting the existing development patterns in the
neighborhood;
Third, the area northeast of the intersection of McMillan and Locust Grove be redesignated as Commercial, to support
commercial development flexibility around the existing convenience store and to better buffer the adjoining residential
development; and
Fourth, within the Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area, the parcels currently depicted as Lifestyle Center be
redesignated to support general retail uses and expansion of the office uses on the eastern portion of the site.
• As we mentioned at the start of this letter, in addition to our requested FLUM re
designations, we recommend the following correction (depiected in red) in Table 4 of the draft new Comprehensive
Plan, in tem 2.5:
2.5 Plan for a multi-generational city with adequate public services and health care needs resources for existing and
future residents of all ages.
• We are grateful for the opportunity to submit these comments and requests, and we look forward to discussing them
with you at your earliest opportunity. We would request a meeting with plannings staff to discuss these request and
other issues that may arise from public comments and revisions to the updated Comprehensive Plan.”
• Monitor the property taxes generated and future forecast to ensure a balance housing types that support the City
financial. Ensure calculation take into account homestead exemption and other exemption.
• Develop standards to set allowable monitor and set mix of rental verses ownership market.
• This can be misconstrued given the extremely large number of inward migrations that buys houses here and there isn’t
a correlation between Meridian’s income level. The inward migration buyers are willing to pay a lot more for a home.
• Develop grading and draining policies to be used by developers and builders to ensure water on buildable lot moves
away from the structure through drains, French drains, trench or other mean.
• Can SC revisit this particular action item? How complex will it be to maintain this list. What is the value? Will residents
go to the City for this kind of information? What are the parameters for being included in this list? Should it exclude
daycare facilities – this realm seems a lot trickier to pin down/update/etc. Does the city hosting a list seem like a
recommendation or pre-qualified list
• Add back in: “Research potential sites with the Meridian Development Corporation for entertainment venues and a civic
center in Downtown”
• Work with existing business to streamline regulations.
• Review regulation that are costly, burdensome or cause time delays when operating, opening or expanding a business.
(i.e. liquor license for restaurants.
LOGAN SIMPSON20
• Encourage creative economic development that improve the quality of life through improved health, innovation, access
to quality healthy food, walkability, biking and place-making.
• Work to honor and promote existing business.
• Connect existing small business up with agency resources such a SBA, SBDC and SCORE.
• Develop a selection criteria list for business types, and incorporate it into the development review process.
• Encourage and work with existing business and look to this group to see how the City can assist them in thriving.
(Regulations, incentives for long term businesses, local headquarter, Idaho local business.)
• Ensure a process so taxpayers have a vote on XX dollar project when using taxpayer money now or in the future.
• Encourage and incentive plottage used to develop vertically with a minimum of 10 stories.
• Encourage mix used building. (ie. Parking, retail, office, residential mixes.)
• Suggestion to change “live, work, and grow.” to “live, work, and thrive.”
• Under Education & Community Services, consider Education, “Health”, and Community Services.
• Age in place isn’t mentioned specifically. I know we’ve talked about it though. For them, this is just about remaining in a
neighborhood. They also view it as housing that is built to support all walks.
• Accessory Dwelling Units not really touched on.
• Add: “Support an open housing market for all persons, regardless of protected class.”
Chapter 3
• No new homes until roads and schools can accommodate more people.
• Housing areas should not include things like storage units which detract from the housing values. They should include
mall community venues scattered throughout various neighborhoods and business developments for celebrations and
events would help bring people together - like they have in SLC, or like Hyde Park in Boise.
• there seems to be no interest is the people that have been in Meridian the longest, their property is just something to
change with a whim, there has been a lot of contradicting statements about the use of the subdivision Locust Grove
heights......one talks out one side of the mouth and another talks on the other side...……...there has been a road between
Eagle and Locust Grove, just because it is now inconvenient to Wood Bridge and they have a voice in City Business.....they
want another way, and that involves destroying another subdivision, seems wrong to me...…...
• Your last bullet point is failing. Open your eyes and drive the streets; traffic jams, increasing accidents, slower commutes.
One obvious solution - dramatically raise the impact fees for any residential development besides small-scale filling in in
existing residential areas. The citizens have spoken in the “ what we have heard “ area. We are sick of the pace of growth
and the lack of vision of how this is effecting our quality of life. The impact fees have inched up but not enough to pay
for the full impact of thousands of new cars pounding our streets and strain on all utilities. When the big bills for repairs
come, the people who have been here for decades will suffer disproportionately.
• Development shouldn’t come BEFORE roads and schools and parks... Development needs to fund the needed infrastructure
at the same time.
• This is a tall order when what we already have is under capacity for what we already have and need.
• diversity within a consistent plan, priortized for traffic flow enhanced by good planning.
• Make Developers pay for roads before they built large developments and clog up the roads even further. Spend money on
roads rather than education.
• Want to make sure utilities and pricing stays the SAME - NO INCREASES!
• There has been no plan for growth????We have subdivisions without basic road infrastructure so how does this fit as we
evolve?
• The biggest concern is that the roads are not accommodating the growing traffic. It would be great to think of ways to
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 21
add more roads and/or maybe spandex the existing ones.
• Add graphic for Figure 2. General Mixed Use Concept Diagram
• Roads and infrastructure are way behind..... many areas of poor traffic flow....
• High density amongst low density developments does not protect the value of current homeowners nor does it allow for
enough rural elements
• we are in a rural area that was zoned for low density when we purchased the land and built or house and believe Meridian
needs to honor that in the square mile of Amity/Victory & Black Cat/Ten Mile
• Don’t allow development without proper public utilities and roads. Make the developers put these things in.
• Upon reviewing the map, balance does not really describe the mix of uses throughout the city. More low-density housing
is needed to create a “BALANCE.”
• When we decided to make Meridian our home, it was inviting to us because of the balance between agriculture, small
acreages, parks, residential areas with very limited high density residential areas. It was an average sized town with a
small town feel, with easy access to all the amenities of the larger sized city of Boise. Over the past few years we have
begun to see a lot of urbanization of the area which is changing the feel of our community. Land use designations are
leaning a lot more towards business and high density residential. There is no longer a “balance” and the city is swallowing
what made this area so appealing to us.
• None of these express my concerns.
• You are over-stepping your right to govern!
• Implementation of the plan outlined in your comprehensive plan would result in destruction or removal of the existing
agricultural residences and extremely devaluate the property.
• reduced property taxes increased private property rights
• Balanced and clarified land use designations? It’s all being gobbled up, soon there won’t be any open land left. The
Meridian that I grew up with and loved is now gone and getting worse each year.
• Fields area: The proposed FLUM appears to be quite different than any of the three plans presented at the public meeting
for that area held in February, 2019. Residential densities generally seem to be higher through much of the area than was
presented in the meeting. Just curious what caused the change from options that were previously presented.
• The mixed-use community zoning near Old Town, Pine, and Idaho Ave. is important to get just right. This portion of
Meridian buffers the Old Town zone and industrial zone near the train tracks. I would encourage smaller buildings and
residential units to preserve the unique feel of the neighborhood. A situation to avoid would be adding residential at 12
to 15 people/acre in a parcel adjacent to industrial use and train tracks as this will lead to rundown housing in a few
years. A 60,000 sq.ft. grocer allowed in the description would overrun the roads. Additionally, there are already too many
large commercial properties sitting empty and rundown between the train tracks and nearer the downtown corridor. BUT,
a good blend of retail boutiques or restaurants with offices and residential above could buffer the industrial zone and
transition well from the Old Town. I appreciate the need identified for the proper architecture to match the existing area.
• Policy 3.3.1.A (page 3-5) – Continue to develop and implement the desired vision in special areas, areas with specific
plans, and along key transportation corridors. Please refer to the first bullet point, above.
• These two policies aren’t a great fit here (regarding youth and senior activities).
• Consider City Master Plans and Strategic Plans in all land use decisions.
• Work to improve the neighborhood meeting process and the noticing process of all land use public hearings.
• Ensure that Plan drives the direction of regulations, polices and ordinances.
• Requires an analysis of provisions which may be necessary to ensure that land use policies, restrictions, conditions, and
fees do not violate private property rights, adversely impact property values or create unnecessary technical limitations
on the use of property and analysis as prescribed under the declarations of purpose in chapter 80, title 67, Idaho Code.
• Identify and communicate future and current fire station locations based on adopted response time standards.
LOGAN SIMPSON22
• Communicate development impact regarding adopted Fire Department response time standards.
• Build and provide services in a manner that promotes the vision of priority growth areas, reinforcing and protecting
Meridian’s growth objectives
• Require all annexed properties to be develop within two year or require an extension of time. City reserves to right to de-
annex property for failure to development.
• Develop understand with City Council, Planning & Zoning Commission, and City staff that existing landowner have
property rights and well as developing property. Both existing and developing property rights needs to be considered.
Balance existing property rights and developing property rights and develop transitions and mitigation plans to achieve
compatible developments.
• Revise or develop Unified Development Code that helps to maintain or protect the value of a property by ensuring
incompatible uses of land or kept apart or mitigated. Ie. commercial outlets like factories out of residential areas
• Add back in: “Coordinate with the City of Nampa, Canyon County, Star, Eagle, Kuna, Boise, and Ada County on land use,
transportation, and emergency services.”
• Add back in: “Coordinate with Ada County and establish and maintain an Area of City Impact Agreement, to ensure that
rural areas are developed in accordance with all applicable provisions of this plan.”
• Add back in or consolidate with other: “Coordinate with Ada County to amend City and County Area of City Impact
agreements to require Meridian land use ordinances be adopted by Ada County for developments within the Area of City
Impact but outside City Limits.”
• Add back in: “Require rural area residential development to submit alternative development plan to allow for the efficient
extension of urban services in the future (resubdivision plan).
• Add back in: “Consider City Master Plans and Strategic Plans in all land use decisions.”
• Add back in: “Discourage residential land uses in close proximity to the Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilitity, the
Intermountain Gas Facility on Can-Ada Road, and other incompatible land uses.
• Add: “Allocate land uses near the rail corridor to both support industrial and freight movement but also residential and
the movement of people within the corridor.”
• Discourage the use of multi-family as a buffer for commercial development.
• [remove “Symbol” after land use descriptions]
• Provide for transition and buffering between commercial development.
• Update Uniform Development Code to eliminate multi-family uses in a commercial area.
• Restrict access points on key transportation corridors to ½ mile section and require collector, backage or frontage roads.
• Specify neighborhood health/medical clinics or similar example uses under all mixed use areas (it’s in some).
• [replace “federal highways” with “state highways”]
• Broadband/fiber not really addressed. Meridian has some dead areas apparently. Downtown was an example.
• [replace “traditional phone and T.V. agreement” with “landline phone and cable television agreement…”]
• The language in reference to Idaho Power electric facilities looks good. Having this language in the plan will ease the
process of siting future substation and transmission line facilities in the city. Thanks for the opportunity to allow Idaho
Power to participate in the plan.
• Include a short blub of text under Utilities/Power regarding the Eastern Treasure Valley Electrical Plan. Could be something
as simple as, “Idaho Power’s long-range electrical plan for Meridian and the larger area is called the Eastern Treasure
Valley Electrical Plan, which is listed in the adopted by reference section of this Plan.”
Chapter 4
• I am not “most excited” about any of the options above. I am most concerned about the costs. Impact fees need to be
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 23
substantial. Many life-long Meridian residents - both in the city and in the impact area - are retired residents managing
on fixed incomes. Or soon to be retired residents who will be managing on fixed incomes. You are proposing development
and the resulting tax increases that will make it impossible for life-long Meridian residents to continue to afford living in
the Meridian area.
• Extended and connecting pathways allowing for safe waking, biking, etc. to parks, restaurants, schools, and neighborhoods
across the entire city.
• How about libraries?
• improved walking paths to reduce crossing at intersections beneficial
• We have enough beautiful parks already. Make sure we have the PATHS, SIDEWALKS, and less congested WIDER streets
to get to them!
• Again, without roads to move the growing traffic, all the new growth will be choked.
• We would like to see more energy expansion, not over-regulating people out of existence. Very much against Agenda21
or Agenda2030 push on our communities and the way of life.
• KEEP Farm Land here! Do NOT drive them away but incorporate THEM into the plan…
• None of these express my concerns.
• These choices have nothing to do with my concerns or desires.
• Many of the 5 acre parcels on El Gato are used for growing crops, gardens, tree groves, horses and cattle. If the land is
ursurped into general industrial all these enhancements will go bye bye.
• bike paths reduced property taxes increased private property rights
• All of this “growth” has done nothing but add more congestion, increased crime, I constantly read on our neighborhood
Next Door app about car break ins, house and car eggings, strange/creepy people snooping around peoples property
caught on their surveillance cameras.
• These are dissimilar. The action talks about outreach but objective signage. Consider removing both after draft. Small
scale signage is strategic and already being done.
• This has already been done with a plan/work in place.
• Plan to remove. Strategic time element.
• Add dust to grading and drainage policy and add to strategic action list: “Adopt a Dust Abatement Ordinance in
conformance with the prototype developed by COMPASS for governments in the Treasure Valley”
Chapter 5
• Add similar policy: “Implement the City of Meridian Design Standards and City of Meridian Architectural Standards
Manual that will ensure that downtown remains the historic center for mixed-use tourism, business, retail, residential,
and governmental activities.”
• A vibrant community needs diversity. Meridian is one of the whitest areas I’ve ever lived in. The ONE African American
family who lived in my neighborhood moved out. Meridian needs to be welcoming and accepting to people of color and
VARIOUS faiths. We need to celebrate a variety of cultures.
• I do not see anything in your plan (above) about preserving Meridian’s agricultural lands. Perhaps I missed something?
• The city needs to hold onto the historic history here in Meridian.
• I know we’re not exactly competing with Boise, but we should make ourselves distinct - what sets us apart from our
neighbor?
• Use of energy efficient materials within good design, considering baby boomers and seniors withion the comprehensive
plan, establishing walkways and inviting rest areas in the design. Keep landscaping to a min for water conservation and
usable space.
LOGAN SIMPSON24
• Jobs that pay enough to afford to live in this new California city
• We should cherish our heritage and teach kids to respect it.
• Ditto
• We do not require or need change in our designation.
• Changing these 5 acre lots from a low density residential into general industrial certainly does not sustain the neighborhood
character and the original plan of the developer to provide an agricultural heritage for families in the Meridian area.
• bike paths reduced property taxes increased private property rights
• There is no more agriculture heritage, farm land is being bought up daily to build more houses and apartments, I believe
there are no dairies left in Meridian and only 3 in Ada County. It’s pretty sad to tell you the truth. The good ole days are
long gone.
• Just echoing the ideas I mentioned in the previous comment. I appreciate the need to reflect and preserve our existing
community. For me, preserving the transition the small town feel is critical, especially as it pertains to the Old Town
zoning.
• Make sure that 5.1.2.A covers this: “Implement design criteria to set quality standards city-wide”
• Consider developing a percentage of art set aside on new development.
• Policy 5.1.4.A is a duplicate with 4.7.1.B (verbatim).
• Encourage development to incorporate part of old building material in design.
Chapter 6
• Add walkways to enhance safety and provide rest stops with sit down opportunities. encourage a variety of transportation
modes, supporting fuel efficient or electric vehicles; encourage bike transportation when weather and routes permit.
Encourage less trip shopping and ride sharing.
• Add sidewalks, trails and pathways to Chapter 6 (Connected Community). Move from Chapter 4.
• We keep hearing that there aren’t funds to expand the roads. The residents are suffering the lack of infrastructure while
the developers make a lot of money on subdivisions and businesses. The impact fees to make Meridian sustainable and
livable need to be much higher and put toward ROADS. Right now allowing basically un-restricted growth has put us in a
downward spiral as far as transportation goes.
• Please prioritize commuter traffic over biking, walking, and public transport when planning road additions. The growing
population causes increased rush hour traffic.
• Interconnect with what? there is no bus system
• Sidewalks needed alongside every roadway. Currently ten mile is unsafe for walkers and bikers with no sidewalks.
• Already too late - but there should be a train system like Boston or NYC - nothing overhead like the stupid and ridiculous
“light rail” that WA State is doing - imminent domain EVERYWHERE. Would be great to put something like this along the
new Hwy 16 to i-84 that then goes into downtown. However would need a MASSIVE parking garage. All the other cities
never build enough parking to use the transportation system.
• ACHD is not able to keep up with these grand plans, so what are we doing for roads. Stop with the beautification and fix
the real problems.
• We need enough 4-5 lane roads to be able to handle the huge amount of traffic that has been allowed to grow because
of uncontrolled growth.
• This is the single largest problem with this master plan. The vision can not be fulfilled as stated without significant
development of the roads and highways. We have already seen the challenges on Eagle road as result of not effective
planning. What makes the treasure valley desirable is the lack of congestion yet this plan only creates for more business
to flourish at the expense of residents unless you build the roads or mass transit to support it first. If you look at well
done master city development plans they built the infrastructure to handle the development
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 25
• These choices have nothing to do with my concerns or desires.
• Any community is enhanced by providing safe walking and biking. El Gato provides that now.
• preserving hobby farms and low density residential areas bike paths reduced property taxes increased private property
rights
• Traffic is a joke in Meridian, gridlock everywhere you go, when a light turns green there are still 3-5 cars going thru a red
light at all major intersections all day long. I see and hear nothing about taking care of these problems. lets build it all
first and the worry about road/transportation problems later which only compounds the problem.
• Policy 6.1.1.E (page 6-5) – Pursue bicycle routes/lanes/paths on roadways that will be appropriate for a wide range of
ages and abilities. Recommend “. . . on or adjacent to roadways . . .”
• Policy 6.1.1.F (page 6-5) – Work with transportation providers to implement transportation plans, projects and studies.
Reference to first bullet point.
• Policy 6.1.3.C (page 6-6) – Require the public street system to be continuous through each mile section, avoiding long
straight stretches. Would this be applicable to both collectors and non-collectors? Is there any desire that such roadways
connect across mile sections too?
General Draft Plan Comments
• Everything is great for all the new people moving in and great jobs but there are also many seniors that live here and
property taxes keep going up. There should be some kind of freeze on property tax for seniors if they stay in their home
or a much much lower rate. Property tax is the one thing that could prevent many seniors from living in their homes for
the rest of their lives that they love and don’t want to move. They have memories and it’s very hard to let go. I understand
there are tax breaks for low income individuals but there are some that don’t meet that criteria just yet and can’t even
enjoy life. They are between low and above income. With everything going up, food, clothing, etc which is out of our
control, we need to come up with something else to help seniors before they reach that level. Maybe a proportion that
gives them a larger discount as long as they live in the house BUT if they move then they lose it. I hope the committee can
think about us seniors and come up with something to help us continue to live in our homes comfortably with no stress
or worries and enjoy our golden years. Thank you for listening.
• In Oregon and California, taxes are limited to a set percentage each year. Maybe this could be an option. I am a senior
who moved back to Idaho after 50 years because I couldn’t afford to live in Oregon any more because the property taxes
funded everything. My property assessment has increased $100,000 here in two years but my house still needs lots of
renovation that I cannot now afford. New roof, new windows and new flooring. What happened to the idea of removing
sales tax on food? That would help a lot. We definitely need more professional and better planning leadership in Meridian!
• As a Meridian resident and business owner for over five years, I’ve seen a lot of change in the area -- no kidding right?
The City of Meridian “plan” is lacking (no surprise) in common sense and realistic planning. There’s reference to “guiding
growth” and this isn’t well defined given we clearly need to control or mitigate growth at the same rate as our infrastructure
and with the actual community (not city revenue) in mind. For example, the roads and schools are not growing at the
same rate as new subdivisions. The plan suggests the impact of growth is an increase in crime and vehicle collisions and
the solution is “coordination with fire and police.” How is “coordination” an actual solution? There’s no mention of a light
rail, no suggestion for mitigating/controlling/slowing growth so infrastructure can catch-up, but there is an emphasis on
“mixed-use” which has already caused challenges (there are so many blocks in Meridian that are MU and the property
values of one subdivision are either improved or negatively impacted by the neighboring subdivision -- no consistency
and definitely not a win-win -- it’s a long-term lose-lose). And finally, this is probably a concept no politician will touch
and I’m not advocating to stop growth but I am advocating that our elected officials need to actually have our interests in
mind -- population growth that’s aligned with infrastructure and planning/zoning that uses common sense!
• Greg, You’re right on. The planning is just that, a plan that shifts like the wind with these folks at Meridian. They just
can’t say no to the developers and their money. I was in the fight over the Costco issue at Ten Mile and Chinden, only
because I felt it was the wrong site at the wrong time due to lack of infrastructure and the negative impact these large
developments have on the neighbors. My concern and fight was how the city came to decide to permit this development-
it looked pretty shady in my opinion. I’m not against growth, it’s going to happen. It just needs to be smartly planned and
LOGAN SIMPSON26
executed smartly, we don’t have this here at this time. Elections are coming up soon, the current leadership downtown
should see some change, not only the elected but the staff as well. Just my thoughts and opinion is all.
• Residents and community FIRST - not BIG BUSINESS.
• “I live in the Locust Grove Heights subdivision and I wanted to share my feedback with you on the Comprehensive Plan. I
know you’ve been getting a lot of negative feedback from my neighbors on the plan and the future land use designation
for our area, but I just wanted to express my support for the plan. I’ve reviewed the plan in it’s entirety and I see that
our neighborhood is in the middle of everything. It only makes sense to change the land use destination for this area
so that as Meridian continues to grow people have more flexibility in how they use or develop the area between Locust
Grove and Eagle. I know that the rate of growth in the valley and especially in Meridian has been overwhelming and
difficult to keep up with and I appreciate the city taking a more proactive approach to planning for the city’s continued
growth. I especially like that the comprehensive plan accounts for varied types of housing, with more low cost options.
I also wanted to convey that I have found the communication on this project to be exceptional. I found the website and it’s
maps easy to follow and understand. Staff responded quickly to my emails, and made sure all my questions and concerns
were addressed.”
• “I reviewed the comp plan website and the will continue to review the details of the comp plan. Based on my review,
and discussions I’ve had with a few committee members, I have 2 comments for you.
First, regarding future land uses or densities for specific parcels, I think it is really important for the city to listen more
to an actual land owner and their desired or requested density. I know that the city has talked about taking away
step-up in densities and so it is really important to get the future density right in the new comp plan. Also, during this
process I am concerned that some will want to tell another landowner what they can or cannot do with their land and I
really struggle with that.
Second, I appreciate and respect the process the city has followed to get to this point with the new comp plan. The city
has done a great job trying to blend and transition densities throughout the city. I hope they city continues to strike
the proper balance of future land uses and densities as they also listen to concerns and not allow small, anti-business
groups to try to impose their interests.
Lastly, keep reaching out to landowners that have not yet been annexed but probably will within the next 5-10 years.”
• “As a long-time residents of Idaho and the Treasure Valley we appreciate access to so many wonderful activities,
shopping options and restaurants. However having been in the Boise/Meridian/Nampa area for the past 50 years
and watching the continued growth, we also treasure the quiet and peacefulness living in the country provides.
It is understood improvements and growth are a natural progression of Meridians future but it must be planned and
managed by informed leaders of the community who have the ability to balance growth in appropriate areas while retaining
undeveloped and rural areas. Not everyone wants to live surrounded by thousands of people, asphalt, business complexes
and retail centers. We do not want to look out our window and see a 2-4 story apartment complex or a mass of roof tops
of homes sandwiched into a subdivision. There is a reason the neighbors in Mason Creek paid large sums of money to
live in the neighborhood; we desire and appreciate the space, tranquility, and lack of development this area provides.
We want the current land use to remain as is, we do NOT want the proposed future development plans to take place along
the Amity & 10-Mile corridor. The last thing the residents of Mason Creek want or need is more traffic, lack of developed
roads to accommodate the increase in traffic, and the devalue of our properties by incorporating low and middle income
homes on top of us. If we wanted every square inch developed and people and homes on top of us we would live in California!
We currently deal with a significant amount of traffic coming from Canyon County, risk our children getting on the
school bus on a 50-mph road and not getting rear-ended when turning off Amity into our subdivision. The areas
around Mason Creek which the City of Meridian is proposing to develop currently has power transformer poles
running through it, a large lava flow along the aqua fir, mature trees which house several bird species to include
MY MERIDIAN DRAFT OUTREACH SUMMARY 27
Red Tail Hawks and Barn Owls, a canal and beautiful farm land. Had we known about the planned development
for this area, we would not have chosen to settle in Meridian and certainly would not have invested our retirement
savings into purchasing this property only to be surrounded by apartments and Corey Barton type homes.
We are also perplexed how the City of Meridian can force this change on the Mason Creek residents and surrounding
farm land as we are in the COUNTY, not CITY. We have not been annexed and have no desire to do so. The homes
in Mason Creek are on individual septic systems and wells and do not need city services. If development must take
place how about considering expanding with similar development; homes on 1-acre or larger parcels with minimum
3,500 sf homes? This would provide increased property tax revenue for Meridian, reduced waste of natural
resources, attract educated financially stable families or retirees who respect each other and what Idaho has to offer.
The residents of Mason Creek and surrounding properties have millions of dollars invested in their homes and property and
plan to fight the proposed development. We will use all means of communication to include the Governors Office, news media,
Home Owners Association, friends and family to continue to educate the community and fight the City of Meridian on this matter.
To reiterate, we do NOT want the proposed development!”
• “Thank you again for meeting with me and discussing the Proposed Collector Road. After leaving the meeting
it is apparent that the Butte Fence development was a mistake. Our properties are not ready for City services.
Had they been denied this conversation would be mute.”
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018BIG PICTURE
Evolving Regional Role
Meridian’s Unique Economic Geography
Most metropolitan areas, especially in the
interior U.S., have grown over the years around
a central primary city, with connected suburbs
and other secondary satellite cities encircling
that center. Due to mountainous terrain just
east and north of downtown Boise, however,
this metro area has taken on a shape more like a
coastal urban area, with the primary downtown
pressed to one side and its suburbs (including
previously free-standing towns) spreading out
primarily to the west.
Over the past two decades, downtown Boise
has prospered through vigorous infill
development and continues to add both jobs
and housing near the core. This renaissance has
had significant spillover effects in Meridian for
both commercial and residential development.
Because of the terrain-shaped geography of the
valley, workers wanting to live X miles (or
minutes) from downtown have a limited array of
suburban options, with Meridian emerging as
the increasingly clear choice.
Locational Advantage
The map at right shows where area residents
live and work (the dots are proportional to
count of workers in each census block). We
computed a weighted center of gravity for both
jobs (workplaces) and homes (worker
residences) across the whole two-county metro
–both of which now fall in the city of Meridian.
The home-weighted center falls just north of
Franklin Ave. and Meridian Road, while the jobs-
weighted center is closer to Boise, just west of
Cloverdale Rd.
Traffic
Meridian’s growing center-of-the-universe role
in the region comes with one significant
downside: worsening traffic congestion –on I-
84 as well as most primary east-west arterials.
Without a viable regional mass transit option,
road service levels will degrade further over
time. While this is a quality-of-life concern for
Meridian, longer commute times may actually
further solidify it as a wise residential choice
(especially for families with members
commuting in different directions)
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018BIG PICTURE
Value Geography ?
Edge-Driven
Central Meridian has some scattered high-value
properties, primarily of arterial commercial uses, but
the city’s pattern of value density is generally
inverted –with highest values pushed towards the
edges and lower values more common in the
middle. This is in contrast to a more traditional
“bullseye” value distribution with a downtown
anchoring the strongest real estate and stepping off
towards less central locations.
There is nothing inherently bad about having edge-
driven growth in real estate values, but the risk is that
economic and cultural critical mass becomes more
difficult to achieve as investment chases an ever-
widening ring.
Enclaves
From this citywide perspective, the patchwork of
“missing teeth”--where total property values
(including buildings) drops below $5 per parcel
square foot –is readily apparent. This pattern
generally occurs across the city’s many
unincorporated enclaves. These typically vacant or
agricultural tracts may help preserve a semi-rural feel
desirable by many, but also serve to interrupt
localized development momentum.
East Versus West
Property values tend to run higher to the east,
near Meridian’s boundary with the Boise. While
Canyon County to the west also includes major
population centers in Caldwell and Nampa, western
Meridian is notably lacking in high-value commercial
land uses. The single family edge subdivisions west
of Ten Mile Road near Fairview follow the higher-
value pattern as those on the north and south edges,
but to a lesser extent.
Note that significant new office development
activity is occurring near the I -84 and Ten Mile
Road interchange, but those rising values are not yet
reflected in the late-2017 parcel data used here.
Primarily
Retail
Primarily
Single
Family
Office, Medical,
Employment
Primarily
Retail
Primarily
Single
Family
$2.2B
$4.9B
$2.8B
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Total Property Value by Year Built
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018BIG PICTURE
Outward Expansion
Meridian Development Over Time
In 1970, the Meridian planning area consisted mainly
of a highly centralized downtown area surrounded by
scattered farmsteads, including larger agricultural
operations towards the southeast. These early
developments are shown in blue at right.
Development from the 1970s through the 1980s has
since expanded outward from downtown in fairly
regular procession –ending in the most recent
developments, in red, pushed mainly towards the
norther and southern extents of the city.
Some instances of “leapfrogging” are evident, such
as in the southwest quadrant of Chinden & Linder,
where 2000s development lies further out than
adjacent 2010’s construction. This phenomenon,
which tends to strain infrastructure resources, can
often be due to projects approved and platted only
to be stalled by real estate down-cycles.
Note that areas of most recent construction –mainly
residential to the far north and south, and largely
commercial along Eagle Road and at scattered key
intersections –very closely matches the areas of
highest value density shown on a separate map.
Unimproved
2010-2017
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
Pre-1970
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018KEY ASSUMPTIONS
Projected Growth
57,639
39,400
65,373
67,420
42,345
65,937
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
55,000
60,000
65,000
70,000
2019 2029 2039
Meridian Housing Unit Projections Compared
Compass R4 Meridian Area
LCG Market Analysis
20-yr Historical Permits/Yr
Raftelis/City Staff
Estimated & Projected Housing Units, Meridian
2019 2029 2039
Starting Point
Assumption Growth Assumptions
Compass R4
Meridian Area 39,432 52,045 57,639
2018 HHs + 1 year at
3.4% growth + 5%
vacancy/2nd home
overage
Nearest year projections
adjusted by nearest 5-yr
CAAGR
LCG Market
Analysis 39,400 52,386 65,373
2010 Census units plus
building permits from
2010 to 2017
Wtd Avg CAAGR from
Compass for 2018 to 2028;
then second decade reverts
to straight-line (i.e. repeats
the absolute unit growth
from Decade 1)
20-yr
Historical
Permits/Yr 39,400 53,410 67,420
2018 set equal to LCG
starting point
Straight-line at average
absolute unit growth from
2000 to 2018
Raftelis/City
Staff 42,345 54,811 65,937
starting point is 2019
units less one year of
growth at 7.2%
n/a, but follows Compass in
assuming decreasing CAGR
rates over time
Notes
LCG and Raftelis end at very similar 2039 unit count, but Raftelis appears to start with too
many units in 2019 (more than 2010 Census count + total permits issued by 2018).
Compass slows more steeply than either LCG or Raftelis in Decade 2. It’s common to have
forecasts with declining long-term growth rates, but should be based on some actual limiting
factor like land supply or water supply.
This sheet is more for internal debate,
rather than final inclusion as a snapshot.
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018KEY DEMOGRAPHICS
Age, Diversity & Household Characteristics
Meridian
Ada County
Canyon County
State of Idaho
USA
$40,000
$45,000
$50,000
$55,000
$60,000
$65,000
$70,000
$75,000
20%25%30%35%40%45%
Me
d
i
a
n
H
o
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
I
n
c
o
m
e
Pct. of Residents with Bachelors Degree
Income by Educational Attainment
Education-Income Link
6.9
5.3
7.0
12.1
22.7
14.5
17.7
8.4
5.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
<$15,000 $15,000 -
$24,999
$25,000 -
$34,999
$35,000 -
$49,999
$50,000 -
$74,999
$75,000 -
$99,999
$100,000 -
$149,999
$150,000 -
$199,999
$200,000+
Percent of Households by Income Bracket (2018 est.)
Meridian
State of Idaho
USA
30.0 33.4
59.3
40.6
64.3
Meridian Ada County Canyon
County
State of Idaho USA
Diversity Index (2018)
(chances that two
randomly picked
individuals will be of
different ethnic groups)
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
11%
12%
13%
14%
15%
16%
0-4 5-9 10-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+
Population by Age Group Meridian
Ada County
USA
Meridian’s age distribution
differs from Ada County and the
US overall in few key ways that
speak to Meridian’s skew
towards younger families.
Meridian’s relative
affluence is apparent
across the board in
comparison to the state &
nation, with fewer low
income and more high
income households
Income and education go hand in
hand. While Ada County overall
has a higher share of college
grads –Meridian’s incomes are
higher –due in part to its multi-
income families (and Boise’s lower
earning grad student population).
Diversity Rising
Meridian’s ethnic diversity is
currently lower than all
comparison groups, but it’s
on the rise as the city
expands and urbanizes. The
index climbed from 26 in
2010 and is expected to top
34 over the coming five years.
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS
Jobs and Commuting Patterns in Meridian
29%
40%
32%
23%
35%
42%
less than $1,250 $1,251 to $3,333 over $3,333
Monthly Wage Comparison
Work in Meridian
Live in Meridian
17,806
7,231
2,474
909 865 787 239 171 148 107
4,662
Where Do Meridian Residents Work?
(2015)
6,458
6,401
3,953
3,260
2,999
2,489
2,453
2,003
1,520
1,200
973
695
687
475
450
292
279
70
11
8
Healthcare
Retail
Lodging/Dining
Education
Construction
Prof/Tech Svcs
Finance/Insurance
Admin/Support
Wholesale
Manufacturing
Transport/Warehsng
Other Svcs
Art/Rec
Pub. Admin.
Real Estate
Information
Management
Ag/Resources
Utilities
Mining
Meridian Employees by Industry (2015)
WORK in Meridian
LIVE in Meridian
67%66%
48%
56%61%
18%17%
32%25%21%15%18%20%19%18%
Meridian Ada County Canyon County State of Idaho USA
Occupation Types by Place of Residence
White Collar
Blue Collar
Service
2005
2015
17,600 IN-commuters
29,500 IN -commuters
Meridian’s Daily Commuter Flow
4,200
7,200
20,700 OUT-commuters
28,100 OUT-commuters
Live & Work
in Meridian
Meridian’s evolution from bedroom
community into a more complete
live/work city began a few decades
ago, but the trend is still visible in its
changing commuting patterns.
Meridian out-
commuting
residents tend to
earn more than its
in-commuting
workers.
Most out-commuters drive east from
Meridian to Boise, but over 10,000
commute to other destinations
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018RESIDENTIAL
Multifamily Supply Conditions
Scattershot Locations
Pre-2010 apartment inventory was fairly centralized within Meridian, whereas recent projects have been
fairly scattered, with a few centralized but generally pushing towards more edge locations. There is
little clustering of new or proposed projects.
Inventory & Rents Both Climbing
By the end of 2019, the count of Meridian apartment units will have quadrupled since 2000. Despite
some spikes in vacancy as major projects have come on line, the overall vacancy rate has generally
remained healthy, at around 5%, even through the recent recession. With the recent spate of new
construction (Costar shows over 1,900 units under construction at the end of 2018)
Rents across the city now average $1,127, versus $994 metro-wide. Meridian rents are 63% higher than
at the trough of the recession. Over that same period, metro rents rose just 42%. While above average
rent growth reflects the generally increasing prosperity for Meridian, there may be negative economic
development impacts as the lack of rent diversity makes hiring more difficult across the wage spectrum.
$690
$1,127
13.6%
4.7%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
20
0
0
20
0
1
20
0
2
20
0
3
20
0
4
20
0
5
20
0
6
20
0
7
20
0
8
20
0
9
20
1
0
20
1
1
20
1
2
20
1
3
20
1
4
20
1
5
20
1
6
20
1
7
20
1
8
Meridian Apartment Vacancy & Rents
Avg Effective Rent
Vacancy Rate
3,485
4,666
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
20
0
0
20
0
1
20
0
2
20
0
3
20
0
4
20
0
5
20
0
6
20
0
7
20
0
8
20
0
9
20
1
0
20
1
1
20
1
2
20
1
3
20
1
4
20
1
5
20
1
6
20
1
7
20
1
8
20
1
9
Meridian Unit Inventory
Assumes 60% of
currently under-
construction units
get completed in
2019
Size Inflation
In 2018, the average apartment unit size in Meridian
topped 1,000 s.f.(now 1,008), up from 901 s.f.as late as
2005. Across the two-county metro, the average unit size is
currently just 883 s.f.
This change appears to be partly in the form of increasing
the share of 3-bedroom apartments (despite little change
in average household sizes).
The unusually high unit
production in 2014-15
caused only a brief spike
in vacancy (see below)
5%
22%
64%
9%3%
29%
46%
23%
Studio 1-bed 2-bed 3-bed
Percent of Units by Bedroom Count
Built pre-2006
Built 2006 or later
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018RESIDENTIAL
Where are we now?Where are we headed?
717
482
500
550
442
188
161
55
34
179
206
409
1,021
2,506
1,695
2,138
1,036
642
up to $15K
$15-25K
$25-35K
$35-50K
$50-75K
$75-100K
$100-150K
$150 -200K
$200K+
Units
Per-Decade Meridian Residential Demand by Income
Rental Owner
3,100 rental
9,700 owner
13,000 Total
765 843 944
1,627
2,661
3,248
1,633
845 770
626 509 595
1,045
1,399
1,260
1,470 1,569
2,414 2,396
48 12 6 194 324 76 74 32 202 0 0 56 220
498 496 414
88
820
980
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Meridian Building Permit Trends
Total Units
Multifamily Units
Recent Permit History
2017 and 2018 have been the busiest
years for new home permitting for
over a decade, but still not equal to
the pre-recession record of 3,248
units built in 2005 (almost all single-
family then).
For 5 of the past 6 years, Meridian has
seen multifamily units accounting for
at least 20% of all residential permits.
Last year, multifamily permits hit a
historic high of 980 units, 40% of all
units.
Although the past two years might
suggest a “new normal” of nearly
2,500 annual permits, mid-and long-
term planning
10-yr Averages
Total Units 1,328
Single Family 971
Multifamily 357
About the Market Projections
Meeting the 13,000 new housing units required to
accommodate household growth over the coming decade
would require average annual production of 1,300 units
annually (just below the previous decade’s average).
Assuming no substantial change to Meridian’s current
income distribution and a slight decrease in the city’s
homeownership rate, approximately 3,100 units through
2029 will be in the form of rental units. Almost 1,600 total
units would be meeting demand for households earning
under $25,000 –most of whom would require some form of
housing subsidy. As such, Meridian’s future share of regional
affordable housing absorption will flow more from political
choices than “market” forces, per se.
Thanks in part to a handful of larger, master-planned
subdivisions, Meridian now has increased the diversity in lot
sizes among its single family parcels at least somewhat. The
absorption projections shown here assume the City will
encourage further diversification in lot sizes and price points
for both ownership and rental new housing.
Key Demand Assumptions
Sources, Rationale
Starting 2019
Households
37,430 2010 Census count + permitted units from 2010 to
2018 (adjusted down 5% to account for vacancy)
Growth Type Decade 1: Fixed annual
percent rate (exponential)
Decade 2: Fixed annual unit
count (linear)
Assumes long-term growth will slow due to shrinking
land supply. Decade 2 unit demand will match Decade
1 unit demand.
Annual Growth
Rate (Decade 1)
2.90%Weighted Avg. CAAGR from Compass for 2018 to
2028
2029
Households &
10-yr Unit
Demand
43,173 households
(increase of 12,368)
Approx. 13,000 new units
required
Adding 12,368 households requires 12,986 new units
(a 5% overall add-on to maintain healthy vacancy rates
and account for a modest amount of 2nd homes &
demolitions)
Household
Income
Distribution
Pegged to ESRI (Census-
based) 2018 estimates by
income bracket (i.e. each
bracket grows at the same
overall CAGR)
No compelling evidence for changing income
assumptions. Recent new households have had higher
incomes due to rising rents/prices, but declines in
aging Boomer incomes could be countervailing force.
Percent Renter Sliding scale by income with
most affluent households
being least likely to rent.
Overall share to increase
moderately from current 22%
to 24% in first decade..
Renter households as a percent of total in Meridian
have been steady at 21-22% since 2010, but are up
from 16% in 2000. Although Millennials are aging out
of prime renting years, empty nest Boomers could
offset somewhat. Reasonable to assume that Meridian
would gradually move closer to the Ada County overall
rate of 31% as population increases.
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018OFFICE
Supply Conditions
Office Supply, Meridian vs. Metro, Mid -2018
Inventory
(s.f.)
Pct.
Vacant
Asking
Rent/Mo
2018
Delivered &
Under
Construction
Meridian 4.6 million 6.0%$1.44 224,500
Metro
Boise 30.6 million 6.8%$1.38 365,300
$1.39
6.6%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
$0.00
$0.20
$0.40
$0.60
$0.80
$1.00
$1.20
$1.40
$1.60
Vacancy
Re
n
t
/
s
f
/
m
o
.
Metro Office Vacancy & Rent
33
5
,
6
1
5
30.6M
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
26
26
27
27
28
28
29
29
30
30
31
31
S.
F
.
U
n
d
e
r
C
o
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
o
n
Mi
l
l
i
o
n
s
.
f
.
Office Inventory & Activity
Meridian Strong
Meridian accounted for 60% of metro-wide
office construction in 2017-18, including
the 83,000 s.f.Magellan Building under
construction at the fast growing Ten Mile
Road interchange along I-84.
Asking rents in Meridian are slightly higher
and vacancy rates are slightly lower,
compared to metro area averages.
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018OFFICE
Growth in Office Jobs Where are we headed?
854
377
563
900
221
1,416
1,237
1,407
2,252
1,940
3,070
3,587
968
3,478
4,827
6,725
5,432
42
109
143
143
150
261
314
341
358
461
765
867
906
1,330
1,561
1,705
2,648
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000
Pub. Admin.
Information
Real Estate
Other Svcs
Management
Manufacturing
Art/Rec
Wholesale
Admin/Support
Prof/Tech Svcs
Finance/Insurance
Education
Transport/Warehsng
Construction
Lodging/Dining
Retail
Healthcare
Projected Meridian Job Growth (10 -yr)
Existing 2018 Employment
10-yr Projected Growth
Projected growth in
office-intensive
industries
(highlighted in blue)
drives future office
space demand
2018 Jobs Est. Pct. In
Office
Space
Est.
Gross
S.F. per
Office
Job
Est.
Current
Office
Space (sf)
10-yr
Growth
Rate
10-yr Office
Space
Growth
Information 377 95%350 125,353 2.6%36,406
Finance/Insurance 3,070 100%350 1,074,500 2.2%267,708
Real Estate 563 100%350 197,050 2.3%49,967
Prof/Tech Svcs 1,940 95%350 645,050 2.2%153,444
Management 221 100%350 77,350 5.3%52,486
Admin/Support 2,252 85%350 669,970 1.5%106,616
Healthcare 5,432 35%350 665,420 4.1%324,427
All Other 25,448 (mixed)_350 528,825 (mixed)132,652
Total 39,303 3,983,518 2.72%1,123,705
Note: This graph omits agriculture, mining, and utilities, which together accounted for less than
50 jobs in 2008
2018 Employment based on State of Idaho QCEW data. Industry growth rates taken from State of
Idaho Long Term Industry Employment Projections (2016-2026), then adjusted upwards by a
factor of 1.92 to account for Meridian’s faster projected growth rate (per Compass).
Bedrooms and
Boardrooms
Meridian’s declining role as
simply a bedroom community
is especially evident in
primarily office-sector jobs. In
2005, there were1,000 more
office sector workers living in
Meridian than working in
Meridian. In just a decade,
that relationship has flipped –
with 500 more office sector
workers now employed in
Meridian businesses than
living in the city.
Adding the estimated 1.1
million square feet of office
space supported in Meridian
over the next decade should
further diminish the old
“bedroom” role for the city.
4,465
5,963
5,476 5,445
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
5,500
6,000
6,500
2005 2015
Meridian Office Sector Employment
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018INDUSTRIAL
Supply Conditions
Scaled by property
size: This industrial
space is 77,000 sf
$0.55
3.5%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
$0.00
$0.10
$0.20
$0.30
$0.40
$0.50
$0.60
Vacancy
Re
n
t
/
s
f
/
m
o
.
Metro Industrial Vacancy & Rent
61
2
,
1
0
8
44.1M
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
20
0
7
20
0
8
20
0
9
20
1
0
20
1
1
20
1
2
20
1
3
20
1
4
20
1
5
20
1
6
20
1
7
20
1
8
S.
F
.
U
n
d
e
r
C
o
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
o
n
Mi
l
l
i
o
n
s
.
f
.
Industrial Inventory & Activity
Industrial Supply, Meridian vs. Metro, Q4,2018
Inventory
(s.f.)
Pct.
Vacant
Asking
Rent/Mo
2018
Delivered &
Under
Construction
Meridian 5.4 million 2.6%$0.63 44,540
Metro
Boise 44.1 million 3.6%$0.55 733,563
Meridian Strong
Almost 15% of Meridian’s industrial space
was constructed after 2010, versus less
than 4% for the Treasure Valley overall.
Meridian has higher rents and lower
vacancies than the metro-wide industrial
market.
Both rents and occupancy have been on
the rise in Meridian and across the region
since the recession bottom in 2012.
Flex space is
shaded purple
Role of Rail
Meridian industrial space is a westward continuation of a manufacturing, warehousing and
logistics corridor in west Boise, clustered around the Union Pacific rail line.
Some occupants still make use of the rail for receiving supplies (including major shipments
of wax to the Scentsy plant) and shipping, but the clustering today is more a function of
following the zoning rather than rail-dependence.
Today’s industrial users rely more on easy interstate access and would probably prefer
locations more directly accessible to I-84 (or a future Hwy 16), if zoned land were available.
That said, current highway proximity appears to be adequate–as evidenced by the spate of
recent construction in Meridian (bold outlines on the map).
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018INDUSTRIAL
Estimating Demand
854
377
563
900
221
1,416
1,237
1,407
2,252
1,940
3,070
3,587
968
3,478
4,827
6,725
5,432
42
109
143
143
150
261
314
341
358
461
765
867
906
1,330
1,561
1,705
2,648
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000
Pub. Admin.
Information
Real Estate
Other Svcs
Management
Manufacturing
Art/Rec
Wholesale
Admin/Support
Prof/Tech Svcs
Finance/Insurance
Education
Transport/Warehsng
Construction
Lodging/Dining
Retail
Healthcare
Projected Meridian Job Growth (10-yr)
Existing 2018 Employment
10-yr Projected Growth
As with office
space, new
industrial demand
comes primarily
from a handful of
industry sectors
Meridian Industrial Employment & Demand
2018
Jobs
Pct. In
Industrial
Space
Est. S.F.
per
Industrial
Job
Current
Industrial
& Flex
Space (sf)
10-yr
Growth
Rate
2028
Jobs
10-yr
Industrial
Space
Growth
Construction 3,478 10%800 278,240 3.3%4,808 106,365
Manufacturing 1,416 95%800 1,076,160 1.7%1,677 198,410
Wholesale 1,407 95%1500 2,004,975 2.2%1,748 486,157
Transport &
Warehousing
968 90%1500 1,306,800 6.8%1,874 1,223,496
All Other 32,034 mixed mixed 552,313 mixed 41,307 127,122
Total 39,303 5,218,488 2.72%51,414 2,141,550
Increasingly Industrious
From an acreage standpoint, residential dominates Meridian’s land use mix –and will well into
the future. The city, however, is adding to its industrial, flex and R&D jobs base. By 2029,
projected employment growth in industrial-oriented sectors should drive demand for 2.1
million s.f.of new industrial and flex space. Fully 1.2 million of that is likely to be devoted
to logistics –the transportation and warehousing of goods.
Automation & Productivity
In decline for decades, the US manufacturing sector has
seen a gradual rebound of late. While manufacturing
jobs have begun a modest resurgence, most of the
sector’s rebound has been evidenced by increased
output (sales) and productivity. In other words, thanks
to widespread automation of a growing range of
processes, more money is being made using fewer
human employees. So, while manufacturing regains its
hold in the US, new related job growth may be
moderate.
Industrial Trends
State of Idaho Key Industries BVEP Target Industries Meridian Proposed Clusters
Advanced Manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing
Back Office/Shared Services Professional Services Professional Services
Technology & Innovation Technology Technology
Health Care
Food Production Food Processing andAgribusiness
Aerospace
Idaho’s Energy Industry
Outdoor Recreation
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018RETAIL
Where are we now?Where are we headed?
52,874
52,923
58,908
60,786
69,183
71,850
113,970
144,848
224,303
272,518
332,652
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000
Health & Personal Care
Clothing & Accessories
Furniture & Home Furnishings
Sporting Gds, Hobby, Book, Music
Electronics & Appliance
Misc. Store Retailers
Building Material, Garden Equip
Foodservice & Drinking Places
Other (cinema, storefront office, banks, etc.)
General Merchandise
Food & Beverage (grocery)
est. square feet
Meridian 10-year Retail Demand by Source
Household Growth
Leakage Recapture
Replacement
1.5 Million s.f. total
-$90.3
-$56.2
-$44.8
-$27.6
-$23.6
-$18.9
-$11.6
$7.5
$18.5
$107.5
General Merchandise
Furniture and Home Furnishings
Health and Personal Care
Foodservice and Drinking Places
Misc. Store Retailers
Clothing and Accessories
Sporting Gds, Hobby, Book, Music
Building Material, Garden Equip
Electronics and Appliance
Food and Beverage (grocery)
Meridian Household Spending Power minus Meridian Sales
Retail Leakage/Surplus by Category (X 1,000,000)
Rooftops Drive Retail
Over the next ten years, Meridian’s robust residential growth is expected to continue at
2.9% annually –more than 3.6 times the national pace. Household growth alone should
add some $330 million in retail spending potential, resulting in approximately 1.15 million
s.f.of supported retail space.
Except for within the food and beverage (grocery stores) category, the lion’s share of
growth in Meridian retail demand over the coming decade will be driven by these new
rooftops. Together with recouped leakage and a modest amount of replacement of
obsolete space, Meridian will be able to support approximately 1.5 million square feet of
new retail –led by over 300,000 s.f.of grocery store space.
While Meridian may eventually require another regional scale lifestyle-type shopping
center (like The Village), that level of support in shoppers goods spending will not likely
manifest within the next decade.
Mind the Gap
Based on a comparison of estimated Meridian resident spending power and estimated
Meridian store sales, it appears that over $100 million in resident grocery spending alone is
currently “leaking” to stores outside the city limits –enough to support up to 200,000+s.f.
of new supermarket space. Additional leakage is occurring, but to a lesser extent, for
spending on electronics and at home centers.
As Meridian matures as a more well-rounded suburban community (and as traffic congestion
in and out of the city increases), it becomes increasingly important to shore up these
spending gaps by adding more retail inventory within the city.
In fact, as of the date of this report, a considerable amount of grocery -anchored retail
is already under construction or has concrete plans to open in Meridian, including an
80,000 s.f.WinCo, a 100,000 s.f.Alberston’s flagship store, branded Market Street, and a
new Costo (with a large grocery component) is slated to open in 2020 –additions that
together would address the lion’s share of currently identified pent-up demand.
Albertson’s 100,000 s.f.
Market Street flagship store
under construction
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018RETAIL
Supply Conditions
Retail Supply, Meridian vs. Metro, Q4,2018
Inventory
(s.f.)
Pct.
Vacant
Asking
Rent/Mo
2018
Delivered &
Under
Construction
Meridian 6.1 million 6.0%$1.36 21,846
Metro
Boise 40.5 million 4.9%$1.05 320,389
$1.05
4.9%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
$0.00
$0.20
$0.40
$0.60
$0.80
$1.00
$1.20
$1.40
Vacancy
Re
n
t
/
s
f
/
m
o
.
Metro Retail Vacancy & Rent
19
1
,
1
3
5
40.5M
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
S.
F
.
U
n
d
e
r
C
o
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
i
o
n
Mi
l
l
i
o
n
s
.
f
.
Retail Inventory & Activity
Comprehensive Planning
MARKET ANALYSIS 2018DEMAND VS. LAND SUPPLY
Estimated 20-year Demand Designated Land Capacity Meridian’s Supply of Developable Land
Meridian is technically land-locked to a certain extent, in the sense that other
municipalities lie outside its boundaries that will one day limit its expansion
through future annexation. That said, with the exception of the eastern border
with Boise, those obstacles are unlikely to be a major constraint during the 20-
year horizon for this plan update.
In addition to this room at the edges, Meridian has substantial stocks of
vacant and highly underutilized land already within its boundaries that are
available for development in the near term. This supply is further boosted by
the abundant, largely undeveloped, unincorporated enclaves within the city
limits. Some of those enclaves will probably remain as rural ag holdouts
through the planning horizon, but most will likely sell and be annexed by
2039.
Single Family
Residential
2,900 acres
14,600 units
at 5 units/ac
Attached
Ownership
Residential
Multifamily
Residential
Retail
Office
Industrial &
Flex
Demand Totals
Residential (units)10-year (Units)Est.
Units/Ac
10-yr
Parcel
Acres
20-yr
Parcel-
Acres
Multifamily Rental 2,200 18 122 244
Multi/attached Ownership 800 14 57 114
Single Family Detached 7,300 5 1,460 2,920
Non-Residential (s.f.)10-year (s.f.)Est. FAR
Retail 1,414,000 0.25 130 260
Office 1,124,000 0.40 65 129
Industrial 2,483,000 0.25 228 456
Future Land Use
Designation
Est.
Buildable
Acres
Mixed-Use Assumptions
Low Density Residential 2,314
Medium Density Residential 3,577
Med-High Density Residential 433
High Density Residential 218
MU-Community 560 50% residential
MU-Neighborhood 158 70% residential
MU-Residential 75 90% residential
MU-Regional 675 20% residential
Old Town 39 40% residential
Commercial 401 50% office/50% retail
General Industrial 355 100% industrial
High Density Employment 31 70% office/30% industrial
Lifestyle Center 126 80% retail/20% office
Low Density Employment 18 50% office/50% industrial
Mixed Employment 257 50% office/50% industrial
Mixed Use -Interchange 82 40% retail/30% office/30% industrial
MU-Commercial 125 30% retail/30% office/20% residential
MU-Non Residential 212 30% office/30% retail/40% industrial
Office 41 100% office
114 acres
1,600 units at 14 units/ac
244 acres
4,400 units at 18 units/ac
260 acres
2.8 million s.f.at 0.25 FAR
129 acres
2.2 million s.f.at 0.4 FAR
456 acres
2.5 million s.f.at 0.4 FAR
5,890 total capacity acres (Low Density Residential + Medium Density Residential)
430 total capacity acres (Medium-High Density Residential)
720 total capacity acres (High Density Residential + multiple MU categories)
435 total capacity acres (multiple FLU designations –see table at lower right)
551 total capacity acres (multiple FLU designations –see table at lower right)
611 total capacity acres (multiple FLU designations –see table at lower right)
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