HomeMy WebLinkAboutGreg ReynoldsChris Johnson
From: Greg Reynolds <reyngreg@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 6:39 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: H-2017-0088 Revised "Linder Village"
Mayor and Council Members,
Three minutes is not a lot of time to cover the issues with the Linder Village proposal, so I wanted to send in
some additional thoughts that will hopefully be remembered when I stand to testify next week...
The fact that we're talking about individual issues, compared to the total mess that was presented last year,
shows that action from DMG and affiliates will only come when City Council puts its foot down. I hope that
this is understood and that very specific and binding language is used to drive results before annexation. In
the P&Z meeting the commissioners used very soft language (e.g. "try to", "should consider", etc) which
will never produce positive action from this applicant. Please be direct, specific, and thorough when asking
for information or giving direction. You know an applicant is certainly aiming for transparency and
cooperation when the only person they'll allow to speak is the lawyer. Yes, that last bit was sarcasm.
As for specific concerns with the proposal (the one we've seen, anyway, since they keep changing it):
My biggest concern is the proposal to connect N Bergman directly to the commercial collector road
behind the businesses. With direct access to the new collector from both Linder and Fox Run,
utilizing the narrow and crowded residential roads to funnel traffic through the housing is a recipe for
tragedy. At the bare minimum there should not be a straight shot through the neighborhood (put the
final connection halfway between N Arliss and N Bergman), and the connection should not be made
until the new residential section is developed — if it's not for business cut-throughs then it's certainly
not needed until those new residents start moving in, right?
Delivery hours for WinCo (or any business in this development) should match those agreed upon for
other similar businesses in the area, specifically Walmart, Costco, and Walgreens. Winco would still
be free to operate their business and stock shelves at any time, which was their main argument, even
with the limited delivery times. To say that they can't figure out how to make it work is either
laziness or incompetence — I'll let them answer which one it is. Also, note that the noise study
excludes the major sources associated with deliveries.
The last time this application was presented to City Council, the proposal finally eliminated any
"future development" areas and showed the proposed residential and medical office areas in detail.
Now, however, we're back to nebulous "future development" zones in both the residential and
commercial areas. I'm sure the fact that the land out by Hwy 16, which was completely unsuitable
for any development last year, is now planned to house a huge medical complex has nothing to do
with the reemergence of ambiguity. Please nail down exactly what will be built there so we don't end
up with more big box stores instead of something that serves the community. Same goes for whether
or not we're really getting a library.
As for the residential "future development" area, this is obviously an apartment complex. I raised
this issue in the P&Z meeting, but unfortunately the question finally asked to the applicant by the
commission was a lawyer's dream — does the plan have single family dwellings. In true lawyer
fashion, the answer was that it did, but he conveniently left out that the application clearly states that
they are asking for multi -family dwellings. Such disingenuous behavior was the hallmark of that
evening, and I suspect you'll get it just as bad next week. The schools in and around Paramount can't
take any more apartment complexes. Please, insist on a specific, detailed, and binding plan that does
not include multi -family dwellings.
I have no doubt that Winco has the money and muscle to drive this proposal through, and we'll never get
unbiased media coverage on one of their major advertisers, so it is up to you to apply logic and common
sense to this application. This development will never be great as long as they are trying to shoehorn Winco
into a MUC zone, but at a minimum you can require every measure possible to maintain the quality of life of
residents who have been here for more than a decade. Meridian is at a major turning point, one that will
determine whether it ends up like the places people are moving away from to get to Meridian, or whether it
remains a great place to live. Please don't let the allure of quick cash and new buildings result in a legacy of
putting quality of life second.
Thanks.
-Greg Reynolds
Chris Johnson
From: Greg Reynolds <reyngreg@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 10:50 AM
To: City Clerk
Subject: H-2017-0088 Revised
Commissioners and Staff,
I plan to testify at the hearing this week, so I will keep my comments here as brief as possible.
While the proposal from Lynx/DMG has improved from its initially submitted version, there are still
significant areas of concern. Given the history of the applicants with this case, I agree wholeheartedly with
the staff recommendation that a very detailed and specific development agreement must be in place before
moving forward. To say we don't trust them after all this is an understatement...
As for ongoing concerns, I'm sure you'll hear about them in detail on Thursday evening, but here are the top
issues I have:
- Residential roads connecting to the commercial area and/or collector road. There are other options for
access that do not include the existing residential roadways, and all other parties have expressed a
willingness to accommodate. It's dangerous and irresponsible to ignore this issue.
- Hours of delivery/operation for all businesses in this area should be limited to the same as the nearby
Costco, Walmart, and Fred Meyer stores. This should include the loading and unloading of trucks/trailers
since the forklifts and other equipment can be just as noisy as the trucks themselves. There is no logistical
reason this cannot be accommodated.
- No multi -family dwellings in the "Future Residential" area. The most recent site plan shown to residents
appeared to have some areas designed for single-family housing, but there were multiple areas that were
obviously designed for apartments (i.e. no roadways through a large area). With schools already
overcrowded BEFORE the new Brighton apartments open up, Meridian must not allow more dense housing
in this area.
There are definitely other areas of concern, but these are the top three for me. I hope reason and forward
looking will prevail on Thursday, and that the city will require Lynx/DMG to adhere to a very detailed and
specific agreement, including addressing the major concerns of residents, before proceeding.
Thanks for your service.
-Greg