HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 02-22
Meridian City Council Meetina
February 22. 2005.
The regular meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 7:00 P.M.,
Tuesday, February 22, 2005, by Mayor Tammy de Weerd.
Members Present: Mayor Tammy de Weerd, Keith Bird, Shaun Wardle, Christine
Donnell, and Charlie Rountree.
Others Present: Bill Nary, Will Berg, Brad Watson, Bill Musser, Brad Hawkins-Clark, Bill
Johnson, Bruce Freckleton, Kenny Bowers, and Dean Willis.
Item 1:
Roll-call Attendance:
Roll call.
~ Shaun Wardle -LChristine Donnell
~ Charlie Rountree --X-Keith Bird
-L- Mayor Tammy de Weerd
De Weerd: Okay. I will go ahead and open the regular City Council meeting and it is
February 22nd, it's 7:00 o'clock. Welcome here tonight. And we will start with roll call
attendance.
Item 2:
Pledge of Allegiance:
De Weerd: Item No.2 is our pledge of allegiance. Becky McKay will lead us in the
pledge. Please rise.
(Pledge of Allegiance recited.)
Item 3:
Community Invocation by Pastor Stan Kelly, with Capital Christian
Center:
De Weerd: Okay. Item No.3 is our Community Invocation. We will be led by Pastor
Stan Kelly with Capital Christian Center. Please join us in the community invocation or
take this opportunity for a moment of silence. Welcome.
Kelly: Thank you. I already -- I had a meeting the other night and I already apologized
to the Planning and Zoning Commission for keeping them here all hours of the night, so
I'm clean before the Lord, so I can pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I do thank you for these
citizens of this great city that give a part of their lives so that those that work and live in
this community can have a little better life and so, Lord, I ask that you would watch over
the proceedings tonight, that you would bless it with unity, you would bless it with
fairness, and, Lord, that you would resolve some very difficult issues that they have
before them. Lord, we ask your blessing upon this and your presence here tonight. We
ask this in your holy name, Amen.
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 2 of 19
Item 4:
Adoption of the Agenda:
De Weerd: Thank you, Pastor. And we will remind those words next time you come to
testify. We will have you lead us in the community invocation that night. Okay. Item
No.4 is adoption of the agenda.
Bird: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Bird.
Bird: The only change I know of is on the Consent Agenda. Item G, the agreement of
the' inspection service of Rich Greene, we just got the contract and Bruce just got us
some facts and figures, so I would like to see that put on the March 1 st Consent
Agenda, if the rest of the Council agrees with it. And with that I would move that we
approve the revised agenda.
Donnell: Second.
De Weerd: Thank you. The motion is to approve the Consent Agenda as revised. All
those in favor say aye. Okay. All ayes. Motion carries.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 5:
F.
Consent Agenda:
A.
Tabled from February 15, 2005: Amendment for Professional
Seryices Agreement with Diane Kushlan:
B.
Approve Minutes of January 25, 2005 Pre-Council Meeting:
C.
Approve Minutes of January 25, 2005 City Council Regular
Meeting:
D.
Approve Minutes of February 1, 2005 City Council Regular
Meeting:
E.
License Aareement with Namca & Meridian Irriaation District
for Bear Creek No.8:
Water Main Easement for Cherry Crossina No.2 bv Boise
Surclus 2002. LLC:
De Weerd: Item No.5 is the Consent Agenda.
Bird: Madam Mayor?
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page30f19
De Weerd: Yes, Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move that we approve the Consent Agenda, with the exception of Item G, which
we tabled until March 1 st, 2005, and for the Mayor to sign and the Clerk to attest on all
proper papers.
Wardle: Second.
De Weerd: The motion is to approve the Consent Agenda, with. the removal of tabled
Item G to March 1 st. Mr. Berg, will you call roll.
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Wardle, yea; Donnell, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 6:
Department Reports:
A.
Fire Department - Bill Johnson
1.
RFP for Paramedic Position Advisor:
De Weerd: Okay. Item 6, Department Reports. Deputy Chief Johnson.
Johnson: Yeah. Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, after months of working on it,
we finally got the request for funds proposal prepared for going out to -- for a physician
advisor for our paramedic program. In talking with Attomey Nary, he said that to go
ahead and post it and just give you guys a quick briefing that we were putting that out
and we will be getting those back by the 1st of April, so we can review them and come
up with a funding idea.
De Weerd: Okay. I guess I would have a question on - last fall we met with the Ada
County commission and discussed a countywide medical board and training program.
How would this work in relationship with that? And we would still need someone that
would be our own oversight, but how would it work with the countywide effort?
Johnson: That would be a joint effort, like we continue and hope to do with our
paramedic program is -- it's integrated as one, but having our standing orders there to
wor~ with. The Ada County program right now -- I'm not sure where they are at in the
process. They have just formed a committee, so I -- you know, we need to get
something, so that we can work our licensure. But we would plan on still being a team
effort, just like it is now with the shared house at Station Two and developing our
program and relationship even further.
De Weerd: Thank you. Any questions,Council?
Bird: I have none.
Meridian City Council
February 22. 2005
Page 4 of 19
De Weerd: Okay. Thank you.
Johnson: Thank you.
Item 7:
(Items Moved from Consent Agenda)
De Weerd: There were no items moved to Item 7.
Item 8:
Tabled from February 15, 2005: RP 05-001 Request for a Reduction in
Platting Requirements to divide one 1.71 +/- acre un-platted parcel into
two parcels for EP Crossinas, LLC by EP Crossings, LLC - northeast
corner of East Fairview Avenue and Venture Street:
De Weerd: So, I will go ahead and move on to Item 8, which was tabled from February
15th on RP 05-001. Start with staff comments.
Hawkins-Clark: Thank you, Madam Mayor, Members of the Council. This is a request
for a -- essentially, a lot split on a property that the Council approved with a CUP last
year. This is on the east side of Venture Street on the north side of Fairview Avenue.
This is on the very edge of our area of city impact. If you may a call, it was a Mountain
West Bank and what they are proposing to do at this point in time is this dashed line
here in the middle is there new proposed boundary and they are -- the staff knows is still
moving ahead on the bank plan, the Conditional Use Permit that was approved on what
is shown here as parcel A. Parcel B would remain undeveloped. I think you have seen
a few of these before. Since this is not in a recorded subdivision, the new procedure
requires the applicant to come to the Council on un-platted land to receive approval for
these splits. So, I guess the only thing I would point out is that we are proposing as a
condition that they make all of the improvements, in particular the landscape buffers on
Fairview and Venture - all of the required improvements that were with the Conditional
Use Permit be made on the full -- both Parcel A and Parcel B. I think other than that it's,
a pretty standard, simple staff report that's in front of you and unless you have any
questions, we are recommending approval of it.
De Weerd: Okay. Council, any questions?
Bird: I have none, Mayor.
Donnell: None.
De Weerd: Okay. Does the applicant have anything to add? If you will, please, state
your name and address.
Simons: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, I'm Andy Simons with EP Crossings,
LLC, P.O. Box 15407, Boise. We have read the staff report and agree with all the
comments, so we are fine with it. I will answer any questions otherwise.
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page5of19
De Weerd: Okay.
Council?
I don't believe there is any questions, but thank you. Okay.
Bird: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move that we approve RP 05-001, EP Crossings, LLC, and to incorporate staff's
comments.
Wardle: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. The motion is to approve Item No.8.
discussion, Mr. Berg, will you call roll.
If there is no further
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Wardle, yea; Donnell, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 9:
FP 05-006 Request for Final Plat approval of 35 building lots and 8 other
lots on 9.19 acres in a R-4 zone for Silverleaf Subdivision No.1 by
Liberty Development, LLC - 2683 West Chinden Boulevard:
Item 10:
FP 05-007 Request for Final Plat approval of 55 building lots and 5 other
lots on 16.66 acres in a R-4 zone for Silverleaf Subdivision No.2 by
Liberty Development, LLC - 2683 West Chinden Boulevard:
De Weerd: Thank you. Item 9 is FP 05-006. We will start with staff comments.
Hawkins-Clark: Madam Mayor, would it be okay if I made comments on both Item No.9
and No. 10?
De Weerd: You bet.
Hawkins-Clark: And I think the City Attorney has agreed that if the Council is okay with
that, you could actually make a motion on both of these, as the same subdivision, just
different phases, so -- the Silverleaf Subdivision -- this is just on North Ten Mile Road,
south of Chinden -- between Chinden, McMillan -- this is on the east side and this was
their approved preliminary plat. They have this five acre parcel that they have their
entry road shown as this is phase one and they would, obviously, need the parcel to the
east, which is not part of an approved subdivision at this point, to continue that roadway.
However, they do have -- their property is contiguous and the -- basically, this collector
road here kind of designates where the next phase is. Basically, everything on the
south side here. It does not include the future school site or the stuff that's fronting
Chinden. So, there is -- phase one and two are both, basically, on the south end of their
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 6 of 19
project. Staff has reviewed it, the -- since the phases do touch each other, even though
there is not a connection, we still recommend approval. Phase two gets connection
through Lochsa Falls Subdivision and we have our recommended conditions in front of
you tonight. We recommend approval of both Item No.9 and No. 10.
De Weerd: Okay. Council, any questions for staff?
Bird: I certainly have none.
De Weerd: Does the applicant agree with all conditions? Okay. Yes. Thank you.
Okay. Council?
Wardle: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Wardle.
Wardle: With that, I move that we approve Item No.9 and 10, FP 05-006, and FP 05-
007, final plat for Silverleaf Subdivisions No.1 and No.2.
Donnell: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. The motion is to approve Items 9 and 10, with staff comments. Mr.
Berg, will you call roll.
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Wardle, yea; Donnell, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 11:
Item 12:
Item 13:
FP 05-010 Request for Final Plat approval of 91 single-family residential
building lots and 5 common area lots on 29.36 acres for Messina Hills
Subdivision No.3 by Tuscany Development - east of South Locust
Grove Road and south of East Victory Road:
FP 05-009 Request for Final Plat approval of 42 single-family residential
building lots and 10 common area lots on 18.88 acres for Tuscanv Lakes
Subdivision No.2 by Tuscany Development - east of South Locust
Grove Road and south of East Victory Road:
FP 05-008 Request for Final Plat approval of 30 single-family residential
building lots and 3 common area lots on 12.61 acres for Tuscanv Lakes
Subdivision No.3 by Tuscany Development - east of South Locust
Grove Road and south of East Victory Road:
De Weerd: Thank you. Item 11 is on FP 05-010. We will start with staff comments.
Meridian City Councii
February 22, 2005
Page70f19
Hawkins-Clark: Madam Mayor, is it possible on these to do these together or -- I
guess --
De Weerd: Are 11,12, and 13 related?
Hawkins-Clark: Well, they all are the same applicant. They were all approved under
the same preliminary plat, but as you can see, they do have two different subdivision
names.
Hawkins-Clark: I would certainly -- if Council does not find a problem with it, we will
discuss Items 11, 12, and 13.
Donnell: Fine.
Bird: They are all by Tuscany Development, so --
De Weerd: That's correct.
Bird: I have no problem with it, Mayor.
De Weerd: Okay.
Hawkins-Clark: Okay. Thank you. Item No. 11 is the Messina Hills Subdivision No.3
and this is 91 building lots that is located generally in the center of what came through
as Tuscany Lakes, which stretched the full mile from Locust Grove to Eagle Road. The
Ridenbaugh Canal touches a portion of his phase, as did the Eight Mile Lateral. The
one point that I would point out, I think it affects all three of these applications and it
relates to the proposed ponds that are included in the common lots, which are in these
phases. Tuscany Lakes No.2 and it's -- just to familiarize you with it again, where these
phases are at. This was Messina Hills No.3 here. Tuscany Lakes No.2 at the north
end of the development. And, then, Tuscany Lakes No.3 is just south of Tuscany
Lakes No.2. So, essentially, we are talking about this area that's bound by the Ten
Mile and the Eight Mile and the Ridenbaugh. And if you recall, there was, actually, an
amended preliminary plat that came through just a couple of month ago, that proposed
to take a couple of the common area lots and convert those to building lots and they
have added some -- add to their existing open space. This large area here, this lot is
proposed to have enter-connected ponds and the proposal tonight, I think we are asking
Kent Brown, the applicant, to propose to the Council how -- in terms of the depth of the
water level and the gradient as you enter the edge of the pond, so the special
consideration that you may have seen in Sonya Allen and Bruce Freckleton's staff
report that noted just a concern about the -- the quick drop off out to the two-to-one
slope under the water and the ponds do go to, I think, approximately 15 feet in depth.
So, we haven't seen a lot of these -- it is basically an approved amenity, it does not
retain storm water. It's not for that purpose. It is strictly an amenity to their projects and
that was the main concern in terms of the gradient that once you hit under the
permanent water level -- and these are permanent water level ponds, so how that would
Meridian City Councii
February 22,2005
Page8of19
be constructed. So, we are asking that the applicant state how they intend to address
that. Our ordinance does not address these kind of ponds and safety issues related to
them and we'd just recommend that you add a condition that states that the applicant
will construct them per the standards that they give to you tonight, I mean if you're
comfortable with those. There has been one example, I think the Public Works found
that it was approximately six feet at a four-to-one slope before you start getting into the
steeper two-to-one slopes. Ten feet has been bantered around, but, again, there is no
ordinance for the City of Meridian that addresses these. So, other than that concern,
staff is recommending approval of all three of these final plats.
De Weerd: Brad, on the example that you found, is it built and has there been any
issues?
Hawkins-Clark: That's the pond in Settler's Park.
De Weerd: It is built and to my knowledge there is no issues. I'm so glad I asked. Well,
Mr. Brown, please, state your name and address.
Brown: Okay. For the record, Kent Brown. Business address 1800 West Overland,
Boise, Idaho.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Brown: Brad, if you could go back to an overall -- the ponds in question -- and I'm
handicapped, because I'm left handed. But we have ponds located here. This is the
Eight Mile Lateral right here. The ponds start here and are fed with water that we
generate and, then, they will have a pipe that goes from here into this pond and, then,
this pond flows and, then, stops short of the street and, then, water will go in a pipe into
this pond and the water will come up, come over and into the Ten Mile. These were
ponds that we initially talked about in our approval and we have been talking about
them all along in the project. What staff stated as a special concern is in all three
phases and that's why I asked that we maybe look at these as they have the same
issue, because Hills Three, Lakes Two, and Lakes Three have -- all have ponds and so
it's a special concern in all three of them. As we designed them, we looked at other
ponds and other similar locations. There isn't really a hard and fast rule, but what we
looked at is it will come in a certain distance with a four-to-one slope and, then, go to a
two-to-one slope and that the ponds will stay a little cleaner and with this water moving
through there and it's got some depth, it's actually going to stay cleaner. So, we want to
not have as -- we want them to be safe. We picked four feet, with four-to-one slope.
The Settler's is six feet and as Brad was talking about, they had been bantering around
ten feet and, basically, what we looked at is if someone fell in that first let's say eight
feet, the deepest water would be three-to-one slope. Or three feet deep. Excuse me.
And that would be pretty acceptable. The first four feet they are only one foot deep.
So, it's going from basically inches to one foot deep four feet in and, basically, we are
looking at toddlers. The applicant is planning on putting signs. He doesn't want
anybody in the ponds at all. It's not our intent that they are swimming holes or anything
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page90f19
like that. And there are a few new City Councilmen, but when we did this design
initially, the Ten Mile is called out as a greenbelt and so there is a greenbelt on the west
side that runs along these lots here. On the east side we have our own internal
pathway that's there and, then, by coming into this open space, coming around and,
then, going on the upper side here with a pathway, crossing the road, and, then, up and
around the backside, there is a means to connect back into there, so you have a loop
that you can walk in internally in case, in my opinion, the Ten Mile really never gets
completed, it's really working internally for the subdivision. There is an owner here that
has two acres and has a good section of it. We have constructed the Ten Mile path
beyond there. Nampa-Meridian has a huge structure. They pull water out of the
Ridenbaugh Canal and feed the Ten Mile with water or else it would dry up. To the
south you will have some projects in the future that will take you down to Amity Road
very quickly, with just a couple projects. And so we can see some connectivity, but see
this as being difficult in seeing this and that's why we had this internal pathway. So, we
expect people to use those and be walking around there, but we weren't intending on
fencing them, we were intending on putting signs up and, then, in our judgment we
picked four feet for it to be one foot deep for that section. Settler's Park has six feet and
I guess we can kind of leave it at that. And you guys can discuss it -- we can discuss it
if you would like. The other issue that I have is there is a lot right here. This isn't the
same configuration that we have today, but we have a common area lot and we have
proposed a clubhouse in that location in Hills Three and condition number five says --
site specific condition number five says that you cannot do any building permits prior to
the recording of the final plat and that the fences have to be in, the street surfaces need
to be approved by ACHD and so forth. We are making the request that you modify
condition five to state residential lots and that you would allow us to build that clubhouse
in the process. Earlier today I spoke with Deputy Chief Silva and said, basically, this is
what we are looking at, is that we would like to put in the noncombustible
improvements, concrete, asphalt, until a point where we can meet the fire department's
requirements for fire, being water -- acceptable water for them to fight a fire and
acceptable access. Hard weather surface. And, then, at that point we would do that.
So, what we were looking at is the Briggs Engineering, he would submit to the planning
department a ZC for the construction of that common area, which is a pool and
clubhouse, a little parking lot, get that approved through Planning and Zoning and
submit for a building permit, as we were putting in the street improvement project, the
portion of that, so that when we started building lots we have something that's done to
market out of. Hopefully, you will look upon that favorably, because we have got other
preliminary plats and it just makes sense for us to do that and we would be back asking,
hopefully, you know, for you to let us do that in some of our other future projects. The
development community, for whatever reason, says that these clubhouses and pools
are beneficial, they want to market out of them, and that's exactly what we will be doing.
Just to bring you up to date, we have a bridge constructed here and a bridge
constructed here and a bridge constructed here. If you weren't afraid to get your car a
little bit dirty, you can drive all the way through from one end to the other in there today.
We have talked to our clients, when we were originally approved, the fire department
had concern that these were basically islands out here with only one means in. So,
what we are trying to accomplish is by submitting all three of these we are going to
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page100f19
construct this one and this at the same time. Hills Three and Lakes Two, basically, are
just going to go side by side through the process and try to be recorded in two or three
months. And that's our intent. So, I stand for any questions.
De Weerd: Okay. Council, any questions?
Bird: I have none.
Donnell: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Donnell.
Donnell: Kent, when -- when I think of other subdivisions that have water running
through them and have ponds, I haven't seen that that's really been any kind of issue in
terms of them becoming swimming holes, but they do. Ten Mile Creek in Meridian
Greens, where I used to live, the kids would float down that, because it proceeds pretty
rapidly, but it is also very shallow. So, I'm assuming that -- I guess I don't understand
what kind of liability a developer would have for those kinds of waterways or open areas
of ponds and perhaps, Mr. Nary, you could comment on that or perhaps you don't know
either as well, if there is liability to the developer or to the association. Certainly not to
the city if we approve them.
Brown: That's correct.
Nary: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, these are private amenities on private
property. They are -- there is no charge for access to them, so there is no liability to the
city for those open ponds being there. The homeowners association are the owners of
them and if I was a member of that association, I would want to make sure they had
insurance in case of liability questions, but I mean they can post the property and it
doesn't mean some lawyer wouldn't find some way to sue them if someone were to get
injured, but as for the city's liability -- or their personal liability for the homeowners
association, they could probably cover that through insurance.
Donnell: Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you. Any other questions?
Donnell: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Yes.
Donnell: Just a comment. I think it looks like a very nice development. I mean I think
those are wonderful amenities. I think that's very attractive for people living there. So, I
hope you didn't misunderstand my concern about them becoming swimming holes.
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2006
Page 11 of19
Brown: My personal opinion is that even though these clubhouses are very nice, my
brother-in-law happened to live in Columbia Village and there is a couple of clubhouses
there. They -- when they are paying their dues, their key opens the door and they can
go in and swim and so forth and I don't think that he uses that amenity that much. The
one that I think that is the most beneficial is the pathway. From my experience of the
past in being a planner for the city of Boise, what I physically saw was that people
walked of all ages and that a mixture of sidewalk and pathway together really --
basically what people want is you come to a certain point and if you have -- let's say at
this open space right here a map and it says that that's a half mile, they either do that or
they go to see Mr. Wardle and do it on the machine in his -- I mean they just -- they
want to know about how far they are walking and so that helps them and they will do it
on the sidewalk if they have to. These streets are tree lined and I think that they can
still do that and be just fine, but if they want to walk around the pond and ducks and
geese or whatever that might be there or habitat there, we are proposing some
landscaping there to make those a nice amenity.
Donnell: So, Madam Mayor, follow up?
De Weerd: Uh-huh.
Donnell: So, could I ask Chief Bower to comment on the idea of having them proceed
with the clubhouse until the water is available, if I understood what you were telling us.
Noncombustible materials.
Bowers: Madam Mayor, City Council Members, we do allow that in commercial
buildings, basically. We allow them to pour the footings, foundations, concrete before
their -- before they bring on any wood or anything like that. We do allow that.
Donnell: Okay. Thank you.
Bowers: Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you. Okay. Any other questions, Council? Staff, do you have any
questions for the applicant?
Hawkins-Clark: Yes, I do, Madam Mayor, if I could ask one other thing I think that was
missed in the staff report. There is one lot that is below 8,000 square feel. It's only 80
feet below, but they, technically, will have to meet the 8,000 and there is plenty of room
to shift it around.
Brown: Which one?
Hawkins-Clark: But it's in Messina Hills Subdivision No.3. It's Lot 7, Block 11. And so
if -- the Conditional Use Permit that they got allowed for reduced frontages, but did not
allow for the reduced lot sizes, so -- both lots on either side are over 8,000, but if you
wouldn't mind just adding that they do need to have all lots meet the minimum 8,000.
Meridian City Councii
February 22,2005
Page 12of19
De Weerd: Okay. Okay. Council?
Donnell: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Donnell.
Donnell: I would like to make a motion that we approve FP 05-010, Item 11, and Item
12, FP 05-009, No. 13, FP 05-008, that's Messina Hills Subdivision No.3, Tuscany
Lakes Subdivision No.2, Tuscany Lakes Subdivision No.3, incorporating all staff
comments and agreements to follow those conditions in site specific requirements.
Wardle: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. I have a motion to approve 11, 12, and 13. Would that also allow the
opportunity to build the clubhouse prior to --
Donnell: It would. I assumed -- Madam Mayor, my motion did include that approval
based on our staff's approval as well.
De Weerd: Okay. And it also --
Wardle: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Yes.
Wardle: If I could just add for clarification from the second. Did the maker of the motion
intend to specifically address all the comments from Briggs Engineering in the letter
dated February 22nd, 2005?
Donnell: That's just a wonderful clarification, Councilman Wardle. I'm so glad you're
there.
Wardle: Thank you. Second agrees.
De Weerd: And that letter is what detailed the ponds?
Wardle: Yes.
De Weerd: Okay. The motion is to approve 11, 12, and 13. If there is no further
discussion or clarification needed, Mr. Berg, will you call roll.
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Wardle, yea; Donnell, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 130f19
Item 14:
Public Hearing: PP 04-044 Request for Preliminary Plat approval of 6
office lots on 4.65 acres in an R-8 zone for Verona Subdivision No.3 by
Primeland Development, LLP - NEC of North Ten Mile Road and West
Milano Drive:
De Weerd: Thank you. Okay. Item 14 is a Public Hearing on PP 04-044. We no
longer require swearing in, but we do have a little notation down there that although the
city no longer swears in, we do assume or expect that testimony be truthful and honest
to the best of the ability of the presenter. You like the little footnote, counsel?
Donnell: Are you going to do that every meeting, Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: No. I just thought it was kind of fun. I guess -- the only thing I would
suggest is maybe a little asterisk by the public hearings that that would send their eye
down to that little statement.
Nary: We can add that to next week's agenda, Madam Mayor.
De Weerd: Okay. But thank you. I appreciate the additions to the agenda. Okay. We
will open Item 14 with staff comments.
Hawkins-Clark: Thank you. Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, this is a request
for a preliminary plat, six lots. The land has already been annexed and zoned as part of
Verona Subdivision. This is -- would be a third phase. It's located on North Ten Mile
Road. The other property you just saw tonight, Silverleaf, is just to the north here. As
you can see, a couple of phases have already been platted in Verona and this phase
was shown on there. The approved preliminary plat and their planned development
application to be office lots, so just so you're aware, as far as the R-8 zone, it is part of
the 20 percent use exception in the residential zone. So, what they are proposing to do
is as you come in off of their main entry road into Verona Subdivision, they are
proposing to create six office lots and there would be access from the main entry and
from this new local street here on the east side. Internal cross-access amongst the lots.
They would make improvements to Ten Mile Road in terms of the buffer there. The
Planning and Zoning Commission did hear this item at their January 20th meeting and
Becky McKay testified in favor of it. There was no other public testimony and the
Commission had all ayes for their recommendation. The preliminary plat dated
September 3rd, 2004. And I think the only condition that I wanted to point out is the site
specific condition number one, which says prior to occupancy of the first structure the
applicant shall rezone the property to L-O and we have been encouraging this as we --
this is a little bit of a change for our department. Rather than having these office lots be
residentially zoned, even though the planned development ordinance allows it, I think
for the assessor and/or real estate agents and futures users, it helps to have the
underlying zone match the use. So, prior to the first occupancy of one of these six lots
we'd ask them to come back to rezone the property. So, I think that's all staff has.
De Weerd: Okay. Any questions for staff?
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 14 of 19
Bird: I have none.
Donnell: None.
De Weerd: Okay. Would the applicant like to comment?
McKay: I'm getting old. I can't see the board anymore without glasses. Becky McKay.
Engineering Solutions, 150 East Aikens, Suite B, Eagle. Just want to state for the
record this was previously approved as three lots, a little over an acre each. We were
finding once we started that platting process on our phase two that we were getting
interest from some dentists, doctors, and so forth and a little over an acre is too large for
what they need and they are looking for about a half acre or .7 and so we decided to run
this preliminary plat through to re-subdivide the three previously platted lots into six. We
did install all the services when we were constructing the streets, so all the services are
already in, so we don't have to cut any streets or tear anything out, any improvements
that were already previously installed.
De Weerd: Is one of them yours?
McKay: I'm still working out there on Pine. I'm this close.
De Weerd: Council, any questions?
Donnell: No.
Bird: I have none. Other than you have no problem with the site number one, item
one?
McKay: No, sir. And we already submitted our request for rezone, to just clear that up
and make it a little easier for your staff.
Bird: Thank you.
McKay: Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you. Okay. Is there any further public testimony on this item? Okay.
Council?
Wardle: Madam Mayor, hearing none, I move that we close the Public Hearing.
Bird: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. The motion is to close the Public Hearing. All those in favor say aye.
All ayes. Motion carries?
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 150f19
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Wardle: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Wardle.
Wardle: I move that we approve Item No. 14, PP 04-044, preliminary plat for Verona
Subdivision and to include all staff and applicant comments.
Bird: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. The motion is to approve Item 14. Mr. Berg, will you call roll.
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Wardle, yea; Donnell, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
De Weerd: Thank you. Council, I'm sorry, I failed to ask if we could add an item before
the Executive Session and that would be from Brad to update us on the Brownfield
Study, the EPA and the DEQ. Would you have an objection to that?
Bird: I certainly wouldn't.
Donnell: No. That's just fine.
Bird: We will make it 15 and the Executive Session 16.
De Weerd: Okay.
Wardle: Second.
De Weerd: Thank you. All those in favor say aye.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 15:
Brad Hawkins-Clark: Update.
DeWeerd: I like how those motions go. Okay. I appreciate your willingness to do that.
We had Mr. Hawkins-Clark on earlier this month and kind of got lost in the shuffle. We
have Clair Bowman with us also here tonight. Thank you, Clair, for coming.
Hawkins-Clark: Now that I get this up there, I'm thinking maybe it's not going to do you
much good. I don't think you can see it. I can make copies for you on this. Let's see.
Maybe I can zoom in. Here we go. There we go. The work that Meridian -- that our
department has done on this, the first couple items there, I just wanted to show you,
basically, private party studies have been done on the creamery site. And, again, this
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 160f19
does include both parcels. There are, actually, two tax parcels at the creamery site with
the four buildings that are split by the alley and all of these studies do, actually,
incorporate both of those parcels. But in 1993 there was three underground storage
tanks that were removed as part of Ada County Highway District's railroad crossing
project on Meridian Road. When they worked on that they built that new crossing and
made the taper there and at that point in time they discovered three underground
storage tanks that had petroleum and they were removed as part of that project in 1993.
Those were all just west of the boiler house at the time. The boiler house is that -- the
southern most building there closest to Meridian Road. And CH2M Hill was the
contractor on thaI. There was some question at the time as to whether some
groundwater and/or soil contamination may have occurred and so they did make a
recommendation that further down the road that be done. So, in 2000 there was a
phase one site assessment that was done that showed a history of petroleum handling
that pointed out there that the Fletcher Oil, I believe it was called, that operated there for
probably 30 years, identified some of the specifics on the property. They showed there
was a potential of leaking and spills and soil contaminants and, basically, they -- it was
a pretty thorough study that, again, was done privately by MTI, Materials Testing, and,
then, in 2002 the -- there was limited phase two and, again, these are environmental
type studies. That investigation looked at both the soils and asbestos on the property.
There was -- no soil material showed petroleum hydrocarbons, if that's -- under that that
exceeded 1.5 parts per million. And, again, I'm not claiming to be the geologist or the
surveyor or anything else on this, I'm just pointing out what these are. We have very
detailed studies. These are technical reports that if the Council wants, maybe we
would, you know, bring some of these people in that did the studies, but these are just
the summaries of their studies that they actually gave to us. Then, the public agency
study is the second item -- header there. In 2003 we submitted an application to EPA
for a targeted Brownfield assessment, they call it, and this Brownfield is a project that
EPA has that, frankly, is more of an economic development tool than it is an
environmental tool, because it is geared towards industrialized usually former areas that
are either contaminated or perceived to be contaminated and they do provide quite a bit
of assistance. This was, actually, a program that President Bush, when he first came
on, put in quite a bit more money and there has been a lot of activity in the last several
years on this Brownfield project. Or the federal Brownfield program. So, anyway, this is
a small subset of what EPA has to offer. Western Solutions was EPA's subcontractor.
At this point in time we only have a draft report from them. What that draft report did --
they analyzed asbestos materials, lead-based paint, all the drums and the containers
that were on the property, the floor drains inside the building, which up until this point
most of the work did not deal with internal to the buildings. They also looked a little bit
at the ground water and some surface sediment. We did receive a summary of those
findings, which copies of -- have been made for you, to kind of give you an idea of what
that -- what that found. But most of their concerns, frankly, were tied to what -- the
question was what were the results of anything of any remaining' contaminants from
these underground storage tanks and DEQ, then, came into the picture just early last
year and, basically, chipped in another 50 or 60 grand and completed some of the work
that Western Solutions could not finish. They focused on the groundwater and the
hazardous materials in their study. We do have a final report from Maxim Technology,
Meridian City Council
February 22.2005
Page 17of19
who was DEQ's subcontractor on that, and they did soil borings and they put in four
monitoring wells on the site and I was going to show you where those wells were. So,
again, this is the Donald Shell site right here and they did -- or, actually, just to the east
of that. This is the city's parking lot, actually, and so there is a site here and a site here
and, then, down near the garage/pump station or pump facility, this is that on the south
end, that's -- there is a -- they dug a well there and, then, there is another one out close
to Meridian Road over here. So, those are the four monitoring wells that they put on the
site. Again, this is the boiler building. And, in summary, what they -- what they have
found -- their main concerns relate to the ditch, actually, which runs on the south side of
the property and what they -- the DOC -- the compounds in the surface soil and the
ditch did exceed what they call the initial default target levels, which are technical
standards that they set for all kinds of contaminants and their recommendation is public
access to these soils be prevented in the future. Where they come from is the question.
They could easily come from off site and probably do, actually. Even though there is
some history at the creamery of some use of this ditch for dumping waste into. But it's
very doubtful that the contaminants that are there today are a result of the activities that
happened on that property. So, needless to say, since this was a point of the scope,
their recommendation is to deal with that with any future development and just,
basically, limit any access at all, which, of course, the city ordinance requires them to
pipe ditches anyway. Subsurface soil impacts, arsenic levels were found in some soil
samples that they took. There was a question raised as to all of these naturally
occurring standards that were just in the soils anyway, some metals. Apparently, that's
not uncommon for this part of downtown to have some higher levels that exceed the
state's maximum threshold. That being said, their recommendation on that is to -- as
long as these are capped over or, you know, a capped surface or some other limitation
to the soils is done, that they believe that that would probably take care of any potential
threats to users of the site in the future. As you can tell, there is really not a flaming
arrow that is coming out of this study. Generally, they found while -- you know, while
there probably was asbestos issues, those are things that need to be cleaned up and
our fire department often has to deal with asbestos cleans when they do their fire burns
and whatnot and we do have experience with that. There was not a detailed lead paint
study done. Some samples were taken, but it's a large facility and who is to say for
sure, but most of the time those can be pretty easily and pretty cheaply addressed in
terms of dealing with the lead paint. So, what we have, then, are these two studies from
EPA and DEQ. EPA, as I said, we don't expect, really, any changes, even though we
don't have a final report from them. The maximum -- when they went onto the site they
actually did recycle about 300 gallons of petroleum chemical related substances that
were on the site. They did take care of those. There remains, of course, a number of
issues that would probably need to be addressed in terms of standard cleanup of sites
with some of the auto uses that have been there for years and years and years. But
coming out from the professional geologist standpoint, the main issues that are typically
looked at from a contaminant standpoint under these Brownfield studies, they are
coming back and saying that the main things was the ditch and some soils that need to
be -- that need to be looked at and addressed by any future user of the site, so -- and,
like I say, I will make a copy of this and the -- a little bit more detail in the findings of the
EPA study. I can try to answer any questions you have.
Meridian City Council
February 22. 2005
Page 190f20
De Weerd: It's been moved and seconded to adjourn into Executive Session. Mr. Berg,
will you call roll.
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Wardle, yea; Donnell, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
De Weerd: I would entertain a motion to come out of Executive Session.
Bird: So moved.
Donnell: Second.
De Weerd: All those in favor say aye.
ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED.
De Weerd: We want to remind you of the workshop on Friday and I gave you some
homework to prepare yourself with and I did also photocopy a letter from Ada County on
our area of impact request and we will have a report for you next week.
Donnell: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: Ms. Donnell.
Donnell: I make the motion that we adjourn.
Wardle: Second.
Bird: Before we do that, you have got to make a statement that no decisions were
made.
Nary: The law presumes that you didn't violate it by going into Executive Session.
Bird: Okay, I didn't want to get into trouble.
De Weerd: All those in favor of adjournment say aye.
ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED.
Meridian City Council
February 22, 2005
Page 20 of 20
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:37 P.M.
(TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS)