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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Engineering SolutioENGINEERING SOLUTIONS January 14, 2005 City of Meridian Attn: City Council 33 East Idaho Street Meridian, Idaho 83642 150 East Aikens Street, Suite B Eagle, m 83616 Phone: (208)938-0980 Fax: (208) 938-0941 REE EIV�u JAN 14 2005 City Of Meridian City Clerk Office Re: Sommersby Subdivision (File No. PP -04-035, CUP -04-040 & MI -04-011) Dear Council Members: This letter is in regard to the Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law associated with the Sommersby project. The Council motion on January 4, 2005 approving the applications included staff's recommendation to limit the number of units occupied prior to the 2007 ACHD construction project for Ten Mile Road and Pine Street intersection. We would like the Council to revisit the adoption of staff's recommendation because of the ambiguous nature of the recommendation. Staff's recommendation stated: "Staff recommends the City Council allow a limited number of units to be occupied prior to the 2007 ACHD construction project being completed (e.g., townhomes only or townhomes and up to 8 multi -family units). If the applicant can secure approval from ACHD to expedite some or all of the Ten Mile Road improvements, additional units could be occupied. Other units could potentially begin construction but not receive CO's until after the roadway project is complete. This will allow the site improvements to begin and allow for the extension of the two existing stub streets." Staff provided options for the Council to discuss and to expand upon. However, the Council adopted the paragraph as a condition without clarification of the number of units allowed and no connection to phasing. The applicant's representative requested phasing restrictions that would coincide with the improvements of Ten Mile Road and Pine Street. Our request included the construction of phase 1 & 2 (nine townhomes) and phase 3 (100 multi -family units). The applicant would not construct phase 4, which included 32 multi- family units and 21,000 square feet of office space, until the ACHD improvements were completed. 150 E. AIKENS ST., SUITE B EAGLE ID. 83616 phone:(208)938-0980 fax:(208)938-0941 It is our understanding that the Courtyards at Ten Mile project south of Pine Street was required to install two left -turn bays which consisted of a turn lane on Pine Street (westbound) and Ten Mile Road (southbound). The fact that these improvements would be installed this spring were never discussed or considered by the staff or Council. We worked diligently with the surrounding neighbors on our project. The lack of opposition at the public hearing makes it evident that conditions in this area have changed since the Valeri Heights project was processed in 2000. Some of those changes include: ACHD completing their design work for Ten Mile and Pine project; ACHD including the Ten Mile and Pine improvements in their Five -Year Plan scheduled for 2007; opening of Mountain View High School which reduced the traffic problems in the surrounding neighborhoods and the approval of other projects in the area with their improvements. According to ACHD staff in a meeting held January 14, 2005, the plans for the Ten Mile & Pine improvement project are 99% complete. For the 2005 calendar year, $750,000 has been allocated for right-of-way acquisition on the project. For the 2006 calendar year, ACHD has allocated $ 250,000 for right-of-way acquisition. ACHD staff anticipates piping any ditches or drains for the Ten Mile/Pine project in the fall of 2006. Construction of the roadway improvements and signal will begin in the spring of 2007 with completion prior to the start of school in the fall of 2007. ACHD staff does not anticipate changes to this 2007 schedule since this project is in the first three years of the Five -Year Plan. The ACHD Commission has indicated that they will not change the priorities for projects which are scheduled in the first three years of the Five -Year Plan. The ACHD staff is confident that the improvements in this area will take place within the 2007 calendar year. The Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law prepared for the project include a portion of the original recommendation made by the staff. If adopted as written, this project will not be viable. Please provide us the opportunity to discuss this at the January 18 Council meeting that includes the adoption of the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. Sincerely, ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS, LLP Becky McKay, Partner 150 E. AIKENS ST., SUITE B EAGLE ID. 83616 phone:(208)938-0960 fax:(208)938-0941