PZ - Logan Simpson Process Summary1
Charlene Way
From:Brian McClure
Sent:Tuesday, October 15, 2019 10:26 AM
To:Meridian City Clerk
Cc:Caleb Hood
Subject:FW: #MyMeridian Process Summary
Attachments:191017_MyMeridian_PublicHearing_Memo.docx
Hello,
Could you please save this in the root Comp Plan project folder; maybe as something like, “Logan Simpson Process
Summary”?
Thanks!
Brian McClure
bmcclure@meridiancity.org
From: Miriam McGilvray <MMcGilvray@LOGANSIMPSON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2019 9:21 AM
To: Brian McClure <bmcclure@meridiancity.org>; Caleb Hood <chood@meridiancity.org>
Cc: Bruce Meighen <BMeighen@LOGANSIMPSON.COM>
Subject: #MyMeridian Process Summary
Good morning Brian, Caleb,
Attached is the Comp Plan summary to share at the public hearings. It briefly outlines the process, the highlights of the
resulting plan, and reflects on whether we accomplished what we set out to do. Please feel free to edit or revise as you
see appropriate – or to reformat to fit with the packet of hearing materials.
In preparation for Thursday, please let me know how else we can assist. One of us will plan on watching live, or pick it up
on youtube afterward.
Thanks,
Miriam
Miriam McGilvray, AICP
Community Planner
C: 720-224-6762
mmcgilvray@logansimpson.com
www.logansimpson.com
⎯ 1 ⎯
#MYMERIDIAN PROCESS SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
In response to record development and being one of the most desirable cities in the nation, the City of
Meridian community undertook an important step to develop an updated Comprehensive Plan for the
City. The Comprehensive Plan is periodically updated to ensure that the Plan remains relevant and
represents community aspirations, addresses growth management, provides quality development,
reflects market and demographic trends, and is user-friendly. The process was tasked with
implementing a robust public involvement process to ensure a sense of ownership and security in how
the City moves forward with this new Plan. In May 2018, the City entered into a professional services
agreement with Logan Simpson, Leland Consulting Group, and Kittleson & Associates.
THE PROCESS
The process began by listening and learning from City leaders and staff about the high quality of life
experienced in Meridian. By crafting and using an extensive Public Communications and Stakeholder
Involvement Plan throughout the process, the planning process was designed to open conversation
and dialog with community members at key milestones. We used a series of high-tech and high-touch
tools to engage all facets of the Meridian community, including public events, robust print, webs, and
social media campaigns.
Phase 1: Foundation
The first public engagement effort focused on one-on-one stakeholder interviews and a kickoff event to
ask the community to share their love for their City. Listening to the ideas and concerns of individual
voices at the beginning of the process better informed the process and outcome. This phase received
1,111 survey responses and additional people engaged in person at the events.
The consultant team engaged City Staff, the Steering Committee, agencies, and boards and
commissions to conduct an audit of Meridian’s existing policies, plans, and standards. This task helped
to understand how Meridian’s policies operate today and what needs exist under current regulatory
guidance concerning expected future demands. The results of this audit and public involvement were
used to form the basis for the goals and objectives.
Phase 2: Visioning
From June to September of 2018, the team attended public events and created online surveys to ask
residents of Meridian what they love and what they would improve about their city. We heard from more
than 1,500 people, including residents, employees, business owners, community leaders, youth,
Steering Committee members, and stakeholders, to develop a cohesive and collaborative vision of
Meridian’s future. The responses were collected and compiled to vision statements—to become one
joint Vision Statement: Meridian is a premier, evolving, livable, vibrant, and connected community.
Phase 3: Opportunities & Choices
As part of this planning process, several areas were identified for further future land use discussions.
These areas were The Fields, Magic View/Woodbridge, Southwest Meridian, and South Rim. In group
meetings with neighbors and residents, online surveys, and Steering Committee meetings, alternatives
for each were reviewed for each. The community provided insight and ideas regarding land use,
⎯ 2 ⎯
transportation, and economic development opportunities. Over 140 participants attended the
neighborhood meetings, and over 200 provided comments online during this engagement effort.
Leland Consulting Group conducted a market analysis that addresses demographic and economic
trends in Meridian, and the greater Boise region and for each area. The result included
recommendations on how employment and residential land uses are balanced across the city.
Additionally, Leland produced a focused market analysis of 11 critical corridors in Meridian to
understand the land use opportunities that could support transit use in the future. Both reports were
ultimately housed in Appendix E of the final Comprehensive Plan.
Kittelson worked with the City to create a multi-year Master Mobility Map that reflects the vision for a
connected transportation system. This Master Mobility Map took a long-range look and went beyond
the transportation agencies' typical planning horizons to address, define, and support the vision for
Meridian’s future transportation system. Kittelson also identified areas and action items for the City to
undertake to work with its partner agencies to address these areas in future planning efforts.
As part of the process, Logan Simpson created a GIS model to identify and illustrate areas of change
and areas of stability. Specifically looking at the collective patterns of growth with building permits,
shifting demands for goods and services due to changing demographics, current redevelopment areas
and land use densities, and vacant or underutilized lands. This spatial analysis resulted in a Service
Impact Tool to communicate the metrics of proposed projects and whether they would meet locational
standards. This tool was developed in tandem with the Comprehensive Plan, but will ultimately be used
internally to help inform policies and city investment in regards to growth and development.
Task 4: Strategies and Plan Development
Based on input received at the neighborhood meetings, coupled with the service, market, and corridor
analysis, our team, started revising the Future Land Use Map with targeted changes. These land use
revisions were considered in tandem with the development of the plan, explicitly pulling out
implementation strategies for the Strategic Plan, and making preliminary revisions to the
Comprehensive Plan’s goals and objectives to achieve the community vision.
Task 5: Draft & Final Comprehensive Plan
The preliminary draft was developed and reviewed by City Staff and Steering Committee in a phased
approach over a series of committee meetings. This gave the Steering Committee a prolonged
timeframe to review and provide comments on the plan chapters while allowing time for targeted
discussion on each section at the meetings.
With the committee’s buy off, a draft of the Comprehensive Plan was released online for public review.
Staff attended and facilitated a series of events and meetings throughout July and into August 2019.
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. Through careful review of the draft Plan and Future Land Use Map,
roughly 448 participants offered thoughtful comments and final changes to ensure the Plan reflects the
community’s desires and hopes for the future.
After the public review, we met again with the Steering Committee for final review final revisions and
the formatted version. This final formatted version was then prepared and packaged for the public
adoption hearing process.
⎯ 3 ⎯
THE RESULTS
A year-long planning process resulted in a Comprehensive Plan document that continues to elevate
Meridian as a significant population and employment center within the Treasure Valley and one the
most desirable places to live in the nation. This updated Comprehensive Plan:
• Is inspired by a grass-roots and citizen-based and collaborative process
• Defines approach to areas of growth and change
• Supports the diversity of housing types and for all income groups
• Cultivates sustainable quality neighborhoods with diverse and context-sensitive amenities
• Promotes the creation of distinct, engaging places
• Clarifies land use designations for consistency of implementation.
• Highlights city services for prioritization of future projects and programs
• Reinforces the direction of providing an unsurpassed level of parks and recreation facilities
• Strengthens Meridian’s historical and community character
• Prioritizes walkability, bikeability, and interconnectedness of mobility systems that promote a
healthy environment
• Encourages multi-modal corridors
• Embraces emerging trends and technologies in transportation
• Anticipates demographic changes and plans for an integrated community
• Addresses livability and service needs for all
• Fosters partnerships and participation in education to realize the workforce we need for the
diverse economic base that we desire
• Aligns transportation modes with population needs
• Emphasizes environmental stewardship and the importance of parks and open spaces
• Supports existing neighborhoods and future planning efforts that will contribute to ongoing
success
• Provides new tools and ways to evaluate where growth is most appropriate
• Is accessible in multiple formats, from traditional hardcopy to digitally online through the form of
a living plan
⎯ 4 ⎯
DID WE ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL?
At the first Steering Committee meeting on June
2018, we asked the team what would make this
plan a success. We are confident that the
original responses have been accomplished.
“Greater participation from the community.”
Over 5,500 community participants provided
feedback at community events, workshops, and
online engagement polls and surveys.
“Participation from the private development
community.”
The private sector provided their insight into the
future land use map and what policies were
feasible as well as participated in events and on
the committee.
“Be aware of market conditions and
realistic.”
The Market Analysis and Corridor Analysis that
Leland produced accomplish this directive. We
based our decisions on data and analysis at
every phase of the process.
“Comprehensive yet flexible.”
The revised policies in this new Comprehensive
Plan provide guidance for the City to grow strategically to accomplish the vision. There is a lot of
flexibility within the implementation of how strategic actions are accomplished down the line.
“Good vision and collaboration.”
Visioning was a crucial part of building a sense of ownership with this plan. The resulting MyMeridian
Vision was developed by the community and reinforced throughout the rest of the process through
collaborative community engagement.
“Creates a lasting legacy that spurns immediate gratification for tomorrow's cherished
community.”
The City is cherished by its community. The Plan seeks to provide additional amenities, place-making,
housing choices, transportation, and quality of life.
“Equilibrium of citizen happiness and effectiveness.”
The Plan considers public involvement while providing additional regulation associated with thoughtful
growth.
“Easy to use and understand.”
⎯ 5 ⎯
The new Comprehensive Plan significantly trimmed and tailored the policies and content to be a much
more user-friendly document. The structure is organized around the elements of the vision and follows
a strategically modular format to facilitate the ultimate transformation to a web-based plan.
“Blueprint for unforeseeable.”
The plan seeks to balance land uses, including the provision of additional residential to support a
diversity of residents and reinforce our commercial areas. The Plan also promotes new base
employment areas as the community becomes a city where one works, lives, and recreates.
“Growth is maintained reasonably.”
The Service Impact Tool and a series of new policies will be very useful for City Staff to quantitatively
understand the locational impacts of new development on services. This approach was integrated into
the strategies of Chapter 3 and work in tandem with the updated Future Land Use Map.