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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJim and Christie Herwy Opposition to East Ridge Estates - 4.4Jim and Christine Herwy 2373 E. Taconic Dr. Meridian, ID 83642 Re: Opposition to East Ridge Estates File Number H-2016-0137 4-4-17 Meridian City Council 33 E. Broadway Ave. Suite 300 Meridian, Idaho 83642 Dear Mayor de Weerd, Councilman Cavener and Members of the City Council, We are writing to express our deep concern and opposition to the rezoning of 40.99 acres (north of East Lake Hazel Road and west of South Eagle Road) to R8 for the proposed East Ridge Estates development. We purchased our .70 -acre lot in Blackrock in 2007 after looking extensively in Ada County for more than a year. We were looking for a large lot in a community with CCNRs, great access to the freeway, and a slower, less -densely populated area with room to spread -out with our pets and family. It was important to us to find a community where the homes had character of their own rather than finding the same set of house plans duplicated throughout the neighborhood. We were looking for property where custom estate homes would be built and hold their values, similar to Banbury. This type of space proved harder to find than one would think. When we finally found that spot in Blackrock, we built our forever home in 2009. 1 would like to clarify that we are not opposed to the development of the land around Blackrock. We are, however very concerned to see such a drastic change in plans for this area. A large draw for us was that the surrounding area was zoned RUT and R2 (before the recent annexation). This gave us comfort in knowing that the area's development would follow a similar fashion and would ensure the same type of community identity that already existed. When we purchased our property we were told that the area below and around Blackrock would be developed in similar .5 to 1.0 acre lots, have equestrian trails, as well as the addition of many parks and walking trails. When the original developer optioned the acreage below Blackrock to Hubble Homes, we thought that we had made the biggest financial mistake of our lives. At that time, we greatly appreciated the City Council stepping back, reexamining the land use, and ultimately choosing to preserve the low density of the area. South Meridian and the south rim especially are very desirable places to live. The cities of Boise and Eagle both have many of these types of low-density residential areas; however, Meridian does not. The majority of homes in and around the proposed East Ridge Estates development range in value from $500K to well over a million dollars. This was purposeful. These types of areas are exceedingly difficult to find and are much desired! We love this area. We love that our children have large safe spaces to play, that we have a neighbors who have pride in their homes and have established deep roots. We love the south rim for its views and open spaces and the fact that this area still has a rural feel that creates a sanctuary from the busy lives we all have come to know. This is rare and hard to find! We absolutely support the need for future development but we urge the City Council to protect these rare spaces, the community identities and the homeowners that exist today. We ask that the proposal to rezone the area to R8 be denied, as it is not congruent with the current communities in the area. Sipic-e-Fdly, Jim and Christine Herwy r.