CC - Streetlights Conversation1
Charlene Way
From:Kevin Holmes
Sent:Monday, October 07, 2019 9:24 AM
To:Meridian City Clerk
Subject:FW: Streetlight for Nick Estates Subdivision H-2019-0086
Good Morning!
Can you please upload this email chain into the Nick Estates Sub. folder?
Thank you!
Kevin
From: Warren Stewart <wstewart@meridiancity.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 10:02 AM
To: Aaron Rush <aaron@lr-geo.com>; Al Christy <achristy@meridiancity.org>; Kevin Holmes
<kholmes@meridiancity.org>
Subject: RE: Streetlight for Nick Estates Subdivision H-2019-0086
Aaron,
Al is out of the office for the rest of the week. He is more familiar with your situation, but I might be able to offer some
clarification. The cross walk warning light is owned by ACHD and not the City of Meridian. This causes jurisdictional
problems, and I don’t know if the pole is the right height anyway. Like you, I would also like to see the whole mile of the
road lined with street lights that meet the City’s standards, but the only way to make that happen is to require new
development to install lights whenever posable. That is why you will need to install the light as requested. The
requirement of this light is consistent with what dozens of other developments have been required to do, and its
proximity to a school crossing makes it even more important.
Feel free to contact me if you have more questions,
Warren Stewart, P.E.
City Engineer
From: Aaron Rush < aaron@lr-geo.com >
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 8:09 AM
To: Al Christy < achristy@meridiancity.org >; Kevin Holmes < kholmes@meridiancity.org >
Cc: Warren Stewart < wstewart@meridiancity.org >
Subject: Re: Streetlight for Nick Estates Subdivision H-2019-0086
Thanks, Al.
I was hoping their may be some leeway, as there is a light approx. 100' south of the south property line, making 2 lights
within 300'.
The location that you guys want to use is near an existing overhead flashing caution light for the cross walk.
The street light at the cross walk is mounted on the mast of the crosswalk lights.
Could we do something similar at the cross walk warning light? Use the existing infrastructure to mount a street light?
I'm hoping this would be a cheaper option for my client.
This would create 3 street lights within 300' of each other in front of my client's small development.
2
I drive this road, and many other arterials in Meridian, and I agree that the city has effectively enforced this requirement
on development.
However, I still don't see the benefit of having lights every 200' for 600' of R/W, then stretches of 1000' or more with no
lighting.
It's just disjointed and not a good aesthetic look in my opinion.
I'm not convinced it serves any reasonable purpose and is reminiscent of Boise's "sidewalks to nowhere".
When the day ever comes that "development-driven" street lights line the arterials every 200' consistently for a 1 mile
section of road, the design, light types and styles will likely have changed.
Do you replace the ones 25 years old at that point with the new look? I wonder...just my thoughts. But code is code.
Neither here nor there I suppose.
Let me know if mounting a light on the existing arm is an option and what we need to do from here to make that
happen.
Thanks,
Aaron
On 9/30/2019 8:17 AM, Al Christy wrote:
Aaron,
The policy is in the design standards. These standards are in place to ensure lights get added to existing
roads that are deficient. Here is the link to the Meridian Design
Standards: https://meridiancity.org/land/files/Design%20Standards%202019.pdf Section 6 covers
street lighting.
Section 6-3 states: “6-3 STREET LIGHTS REQUIRED: Street lights will be required for all developments
within the urban area, along all streets and pathways offered for dedication, including existing streets
bordering the development unless exempted by Section 6-4 below. In addition, street lights may be
required for lots and parcels containing existing structures which are being improved or altered,
depending on the nature and extent of the work. Illustrations of street lights generally required are
shown on Design Standards Drawing 6A.”
In addition section 6-4 states: “Street lights will not be required under the following circumstances: A.
For planned developments, residential, commercial, and industrial developments where internal streets
are not offered for dedication, a street lighting system will not be required for the internal non-
dedicated streets, but shall be provided by the developer on external public street frontage.”
Drawing 6C states that roads 65-84’ wide require types 1 lights 35’ in height with a 12’ mast arm every
200’.
Development has installed hundreds of streetlights within the last year along existing roads that have
previously been widened by ACHD. I do not see how your client’s property is different than any other
subdivision. The Brinegar Prairie Subdivision on Ten Mile Road is an example of a residential subdivision
that had to install streetlights on Ten Mile Road after the road was widened by ACHD.
Sincerely,
Al Christy | Transportation & Utility Coordinator
City of Meridian | Public Works Department
33 E. Broadway Ave., Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: (208) 489-0352 | Cell: (208) 501-3892 | Fax: (208) 898-9551
3
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From: Aaron Rush <aaron@lr-geo.com>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2019 7:45 AM
To: Al Christy <achristy@meridiancity.org> ; Kevin Holmes <kholmes@meridiancity.org>
Subject: Re: Streetlight for Nick Estates Subdivision H-2019-0086
Al,
Can you provide me with the exact language of the Design Standards that call for the 200' street light
requirement, as well as some justification for the policy?
All policy needs to be rooted in some type of justification, and I'm not seeing it on this.
Certainly it's not a matter of safety, or else this would have been part of public works project by now, or
at least considered during the ACHD R/W improvement projects, such as the one that just widened 10-
Mile in front of my client's property and installed sidewalk.
Thanks,
Aaron Rush
On 9/18/2019 2:24 PM, Al Christy wrote:
Kevin,
The new light needs to be at the south boundary of the property along Ten Mile. It is
approximately 205’ south of the existing light you mentioned. The Design Standards call
for Type 1 lights every 200’ on this type of arterial road.
If you have any additional questions please let me know.
Thanks,
Al Christy | Transportation & Utility Coordinator
City of Meridian | Public Works Department
33 E. Broadway Ave., Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: (208) 489-0352 | Cell: (208) 501-3892 | Fax: (208) 898-9551
Built for Business, Designed for Living
All e-mail messages sent to or received by City of Meridian e-mail accounts are subject to the Idaho law,
in regards to both release and retention, and may be released upon request, unless exempt from disclosure
by law.
From: Kevin Holmes <kholmes@meridiancity.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2019 1:44 PM
4
To: Al Christy <achristy@meridiancity.org>
Cc: 'Aaron Rush' <aaron@lr-geo.com>
Subject: Streetlight for Nick Estates Subdivision H-2019-0086
Hi Al,
I had a quick question about a condition you had on the Nick Estates Subdivision PFP, H-
2019-0086.
You wrote that a type one streetlight would be required along Ten Mile. I’m looking at
that stretch of road and it looks like there is currently a streetlight at the crosswalk
that’s maybe 25’ north of the proposed common drive. Per our streetlight requirements,
the applicant (cc’d here) would like to know where would the new light have to be
installed?
Thank you,
Kevin Holmes | Associate City Planner
City of Meridian | Community Development Dept.
33 E. Broadway Ave., Ste. 102, Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: 208-489-0573 | kholmes@meridiancity.org
Built for Business, Designed for Living
All e-mail messages sent to or received by City of Meridian e-mail accounts are subject to the Idaho law,
in regards to both release and retention, and may be released upon request, unless exempt from disclosure
by law.
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