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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC - Public Testimony Dawn Murphy 11.28Dawn Murphy 2495 E Cyanite Dr Meridian, ID 83642 November 20, 2017 City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members 33 E Broadway Ave Meridian, ID 83642 Dear City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members: I am writing to request your consideration of the following opinion when reviewing the DevCo East Ridge Estates applications: H-2017-0129 – New application before the city on Nov.28 th . (H-2016-0137 – Remanded back to P&Z) You will likely hear testimony by Jim Conger, developer, that does not follow fact. This was testimony he gave to P&Z. Unfortunately, the public does not get another opportunity to submit testimony after the developer’s final comments. Therefore, before testimony is provided, I would like you to know the following. “The neighbors” as Mr. Conger defines them, has NOT provided him majority approval for his plat in this application as he told P&Z. He provided two options to Blackrock at a neighborhood meeting. Blackrock rejected them both and the HOA sent him a letter. The first design he offered at the Blackrock neighborhood meeting was a grid of R4 design. It was a very unimaginative take on the City’s remand. It was just a cookie cutter, squeeze as many homes onto the flattened property as possible design in a checkerboard pattern. It could not be seriously considered. No city would approve it. The second was the plat offered in his second application. This application requests taking 43% of the property to R15, directly against the city’s remand and against “the neighbor’s” – all 160 plus neighbors’ - request that the property be larger lots providing much needed half to one acre lots within the city limits on this precious rim property. In checking with Sky Mesa and the families in the homes along Lake Hazel, the Blackrock neighbors found only one neighbor who approved Mr. Conger’s design and that is Kathi Baumgartner with the 10 acres to the West of the proposed development. This does not represent the majority of neighbors as Mr. Conger stated. In Kathi’s P&Z testimony she liked the single level homes, the berm features and the fencing next to her property. Her protection of the view East has always been her priority and I understand that. However, to ask that the entire South Rim okay R15 for one neighbor is asking too much. As you know, R15 here will set a precedence for the rest of the rim. Also, in her testimony to the P&Z she stated that the sea of rooftops that the senior living section of this development would bring, since it is very tight single lane streets and shared walls, would be hidden by the trees. The first point of the south rim neighbors’ in requesting a revision of DevCo’s first design was to develop a subdivision that was like Blackrock, that matched the precedence already set by the existing neighbors, that upheld their property values, in which we could be proud. We were not and are not now looking for R15 that needs hidden by trees. City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members November 20, 2017 Page 2 In addition, I would like your consideration of the application from the stand point of water rights. The development as proposed, with a request for a waiver to irrigate using treated city water, is irresponsible by DevCo. And if approved, would be irresponsible by the city. The cost to these homeowners to water with city water would be outrageous. I currently own a home in the Sportsman Pointe Subdivision which is the only home in the subdivision where the developer did not connect to the neighborhood irrigation. It is 1/8 acre and in the summer months the water bill averages $100 a month. The burden to the property owners and to this neighborhood HOA would be a burden that no subdivision could bear. Therefore, the hope of Ms. Baumgartner for the lush trees to hide the R15 section of the subdivision could never be realized. I also would like you to consider the traffic proposed in this design. The entrance of this subdivision onto Lake Hazel, which is 50 mph and includes a significant dip in the road just East of the entrance, means a risky exit for the homeowners. It would be safer to reduce the speed limit and install a culvert to minimize the dip in the road so that homeowners could exit safety. The only other exit to the subdivision is down Cyanite Dr in Blackrock which is a network of small non-collector streets. My home is the first home on Cyanite Dr. (left) as you are exiting the proposed East Ridge Estates subdivision. What is not apparent on an aerial view of our home is the steep grade going from the front of our home to the back of our property and our driveway on a very steep angle with a narrow entrance. In order to make entry into our driveway we have to use the entire street on that curve. On the approach, we have to cross into the oncoming traffic and then swing into our drive. Below is a photo sample of this route: City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members November 20, 2017 Page 3 The above photo represents a scenario of pulling fo rward into the drive, which is not the safest way to enter our drive. It is safer to pull our cars in backward to allow our car doors to swing out and away from the car, otherwise the door slams shut on legs and hands on the steep drive. And it is safer to pull our cars forward down the steep slope so that we can see pedestrians and coming cars. In this scenario, to back into the drive, we must pull nose first to the neighbor’s curb which put us perpendicular across the street then back into the driveway. We also have a small 14-foot camper we store in our garage and it can take some time to maneuver it back and up the steep drive into the garage. Both entering and exiting our driveway on this steep slope with a narrow and curved driveway put is in the opposing lane of traffic no matter how you make the approach and it is a hazard to our safety. It will be an exponentially increased hazard with increased traffic on Cyanite Dr. If the only other exit to East Ridge Estates subdivision is down Cyanite Dr then residents will travel this road rather than try to exit at the East Ridge Estates subdivision entrance on Lake Hazel, given the hazards with speed and visibility there. This additional traffic onto our road poses a significant safety risk to our household (which includes my 80-year-old father who still drives) and our visiting friends and family. It also threatens the resale value of our home. East Ridge Estates subdivision needs another exit, likely down to the approved development for Sky Mesa below Blackrock where there is a close collector street that exits to Eagle Road. Blackrock does not have collector streets. These photos are showing the curve, elevation and slope of the road approaching our driveway with our home on the right. City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members November 20, 2017 Page 4 This photo shows the curve, elevation and angle of the approach to our driveway. City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members November 20, 2017 Page 5 This photo shows the very steep driveway. This photo shows the narrow and offset entrance to our driveway in conjunction with the curve and elevation of the street. Given the elevation, curve, steep driveway and very narrow driveway entrance (15 feet), not even two car widths wide, I request that our home and the impact of the East Ridge Estates Subdivision be considered with City of Meridian Mayor and City Council Members November 20, 2017 Page 6 a requirement that an additional exit from the subdivision be developed with access to Sky Mesa and Eagle Rd. And finally, I have stated that I am oppose to the design of the over 55, gated community due to the R15 zoning. But in addition, I believe it is a risk to the city, the homeowners in this section of the development and city services to place a population here that o ften requires fire and ambulance so far from those services. The infrastructure is not yet there to care for these residents. I also recently experienced trying to transport one of my parents from a 55+ community designed lik e this with only a single drive, no sidewalks around multi-family dwellings with no two-lane roads, and the emergency vehicles were barely able to approach her door. One single car parked in the drive for any reason for any length of time will prevent emergency services from transporting a critical patient. I request this type of housing wait until there are more services close by and I request the City to not allow housing that prevents safe walking in the development, these resid ents must walk on the road. Thank you for your time in considering my request. Sincerely, Dawn Murphy