HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 17, 2005 P&Z Minutes
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page10of76
Zaremba: The rest of it appears to apply correctly to Spurwing.
Guenther: Okay. I got you. That one.
Zaremba: Commissioners? Commissioner Rohm.
Rohm: Seeings how there is no other comments, Mr. Chairman, I move that we forward
onto City Council recommending vacation of 05-003, including all staff comments for the
memo dated February 14, 2004, for the meeting date February 17th, 2005. I said four.
I meant five. With the one change on line two of the application summary, change
Ashford Greens Sub to Spurwing Limited Partnership. End of motion.
Moe: Second.
Zaremba: There is a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? That
motion carries.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES.
Item 7:
Continued Public Hearing from January 20, 2005: RZ 04-017 Request
for a Rezone of 61.63 acres from I-L & L-O to CoG zone for Ten Mile
Development, LLC by Hansen-Rice, Inc. - SWC of North Eagle Road
and East Pine Avenue:
Item 8:
Continued Public Hearing from January 20, 2005: CUP 04-051
Request for a Conditional Use Permit for a Conceptual Planned
Development for commercial/retail uses for approximately 615,430
square feet of building areas in a proposed CoG zone for Ten Mile
Development, LLC by Hansen-Rice, Inc. - SWC of North Eagle Road
and East Pine Avenue:
Zaremba: Ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to the beginning of the public hearing
section of our meeting tonight and I will just make a comment about the procedure that
we follow, for those of you who don't attend these meetings very often. The city
professional staff and the applicant have already spent quite a bit of time together, so
we begin each public hearing with a report from the city's professional staff. They will
present to us the location of the project and the major features of the project and some
of the discussion that they have had with the applicant. Following that, the applicant
has an opportunity to get up and respond to anything that the staff has said, clarify, add
anything they want. We give them 15 minutes to do that and that includes the applicant
or any other engineers that are part of a team, all speak within those 15 minutes.
Following that anybody from the public who cares to comment is welcome to make
comment. If you signed up on the list, I'll actual starting asking the people who signed
up first, but, then, there will be an opportunity for anybody who didn't sign up to just
speak. We do ask a couple of things. One, since it's important enough for you to come
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February 17, 2005
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down this evening and speak, it's important that we hear you, so we ask that you only
speak when you're at the microphone. Come forward; speak into the microphone, that
way we can hear you and our recorder can get it into the public record. I know many of
you are not accustomed to public speaking, but, please, don't be afraid of the
microphone. Speak up, so that we can hear you. We do limit individual public
testimony to three minutes, so that we don't end up going until 1 :00 o'clock in the
morning with our meetings. We do offer, if somebody is representing a group, for
example, the president of a homeowners association or other spokesmen, we allow
them extra time if there are people in the audience who give up their time to that
spokesman. At the end of the public testimony, then, the applicant, who has taken
notes during your comment, is given another ten minutes to respond to any issues that
have come up and, then, we will have discussion among the Commissioners and,
hopefully, make a recommendation to the City Council on what to do with the project.
That being said, we are ready for Item 7 and, actually, Items 7 and 8 are the same
thing, so these are continued public hearings from previous meetings. I will open and
re-continue the hearing for RZ 04-017, request for rezone of 61.63 acres from I-L and L-
0 to CoG zones for Ten Mile Development and also continued hearing CUP 04-051,
request for a Conditional Use Permit for a conceptual planned development for
commercial retail uses for approximately 615,430 square feet of building area in a
proposed CoG zone for Ten Mile Development, LLC, by Hansen-Rice. This is on the
southwest corner of North Eagle Road and East Pine Avenue and we will begin with the
staff comments.
Hawkins-Clark: Thank you, Chairman Zaremba, Members of the Commission. Since
you have already heard most of the background on this, I won't spend much time on
that. Suffice it to say that you did, at your last meeting, forward onto the City Council a
recommendation for approval on this Comprehensive Plan Amendment. That was on
City Council agenda this week, but the item was tabled at the applicant's request to
have that Comprehensive Plan Amendment and these two applications that you have
on your agenda tonight, the rezone and the CUP, be together. So, just was thinking you
might be able to have some information tonight on that, but, unfortunately, I can't give
that to you as far as the Council's position on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment.
What's on the screen is the Comp Plan Amendment and staff -- and just for the record,
we, obviously, have been working with the applicant on, you know, amending some of
our conditions and whatnot. We still, for this record, want to state that we believe that
this is not the correct place for this. We did recommend denial of the Comp Plan
Amendment, but the game continues on here, so what you have before you tonight is
the rezone and the Conditional Use Permit. Again, the property -- both of these items
involve the entire 62 plus acres. The rezone, I think as was pointed out last time, there
might have been a little question about the limited offices and that was noticed correctly,
so we will hear that -- that will be a part of the City Council hearing and part of any
future rezone on this property. The entire 63 acres would go CoG, commercial general
zone. You should have received a February 14th memo from myself, as well as the
February 16th reply to that memo from Dave McKinnon and those two documents,
basically, summarize the background on the conditions that we are talking about
tonight. I think the only other document that you received or that the city clerk received
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February 17, 2005
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as a part of this, in between your last hearing and this one, was the letter from Ned
McCall, who was the property owner of the approximately eight acre parcel that is
undeveloped here at the southwest corner of the site. He primarily is -- continues to be
concerned about his rights to the ingress-egress easement that he has, which is the
Commercial Court easement that cuts across through the center of this project and the
access onto Eagle Road. So, I just wanted to point out that if you hadn't seen that, we
did receive that letter in the record in between this meeting and your last one. What you
see on the screen is the initial conceptual site plan that they submitted with their
application and the one that was talked about at your January hearing, they did modify
that and here is the modified site plan, which you should have received in your packet.
The applicant did submit this ten days before the hearing, as was requested. As you
can see, one of the main changes they made was to open up that 50-foot wide ingress-
egress easement that I had just mentioned that is in favor of this McCall property. They
had pulled back some buildings into this southern area. Before they had the large ones
backed up to what they show as the future transit station here on the Union Pacific
Railroad right of way and if you look at this alignment here, they have, essentially,
created a main street boulevard concept there that does provide, we think, a lot more
orientation and user friendliness, if you will, to the transit station, should that ever go in.
The other change, they have shown a possible hotel site on the property in this corner.
If you recall, that was originally shown back on the west end of the property and I
believe one of the Commissioners made a comment about that. So, they have also
accommodated -- we had three or four other site plan related concerns and they have
generally been addressed by this plan we feel, particularly this north-south movement,
they have these three main drive aisles in the site, which connect to Pine Avenue and
these do not have any parking adjacent to them, I think they provide a much better flow
of traffic in the site. There is a few other, as I mentioned, concepts that are reflected
there that I won't go into right now, I did want to touch on just a couple of changes and
comments on the staff report -- or the staff memo dated February 14th and Dave
McKinnon's February 16th reply. On the front page of my memo, before the conditions
are actually listed there, in the last paragraph I mention that one of the items that we
talked about, the staff did and the applicant related to this main street concept and I
think this goes back to what -- what this is that you're looking at. You know, what you're
looking at is a conceptual planned development that is not -- if it's moved on by this
body and approved by City Council, still does not give them building permit authority. It
basically gives them the -- the confidence that the city is going to support this basic plan
and concept. They would have to come back. We feel that -- that that's a pretty central
part of this concept, you know, this main street, pedestrian friendly, kind of area that
people can come to in this project. They have -- there is currently nothing in the
conditions that says you must retain this. I think if we approve the concept, then,
essentially, this plan generally has to be complied with, but we do feel that a main street
really isn't a main street, if you're trying to sort of replicate that feel, unless you have
historic construction on both sides and the building is fairly close, is a fairly wide
sidewalk and, you know, it's long enough to kind of do a loop around the block, if you
will. And that was not reflected in the conditions that the two story -- we had a little bit of
conversation back and forth about that. We do still strongly feel that as a concept that
that two story construction is an important element of that area and that it's -- we would
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February 17, 2005
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recommend that that be included in the conditions, but I wanted to point that out for the
Commission and ask Dave McKinnon to address that tonight as well, as to where they
feel they stand, but my understanding is they are not really ready to commit to that, but
staff feels it's an important element. In Dave McKinnon's memo he does ask that
condition number three, bullet point three and four, be addressed and, again, this is
referring to the development agreement that would be entered into between the
developer and the City of Meridian with this rezone and one of those development
agreement conditions, the third bullet point and the fourth bullet point, deal with the
access onto Eagle Road and they are -- this plan does still show three new -- well, their
commercial is existing and they are showing an access on the south side and, then, an
access on the north side, in addition to Pine and we -- while ITD, obviously, has the final
authority for the approach permits and the applicant is working with ITD very closely on
that, but I think to be consistent for what the city has done in previous developments on
Eagle Road, we have said you have to go and get your approach permits through ITD,
but we want to communicate to ITD what the city's position is on these Eagle Road and
other state highway corridors and staff's position is that at the most one of these three
would be approved and, if it was, it would only be a right-in, right-out only. And that is a
-- that is consistent with what the Eagle Road corridor study shows is having a future
median in the middle of this -- of Eagle Road, which, of course, would -- would force
right-in, right-out, unless you happened to be lined up at a signal. But because of its
proximity to Pine Avenue, which has the light, that's something that we do feel is an
important piece to keep in the development agreement and we do think that the city is --
in the past the Council has wanted to support ITD -- this corridor arterial study that they
just finished a few months ago and we think that this is consistent with that, so -- and, I
don't know, maybe if Mr. Nary, the attorney, wants to make a comment on the question
about -- that Dave McKinnon raises in his memo about the easement and right that Mr.
McCall has to that easement, particularly as it relates to full access. Did you want to
comment on that?
Nary: Sure. Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission, we did receive a -- the city
did receive a letter from Mr. McCall regarding his preference on the comments and the
recommend by the planning staff regarding the right in and right-out. It's my opinion that
-- and the reason it does give him access, the right-in, right-out is not prohibited access,
I think the city is planning and does have the ability to ultimately make that decision on
where the access points along Eagle Road should be. The City Council has done that
previously along both the Kuna-Meridian Highway and Eagle Road to be able to make a
determination on the developer on the project and where the access points should be
and I don't believe it would be restricted. If the right-in, right-out were to be a
commercial court where Mr. McCall's easement is, he still would have access to his
property and the fact that it's more restricted, I don't think it's a legal issue for the city. It
may be an issue between him and the developer for access, but it's not an issue for the
city.
Zaremba: Thank you.
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Hawkins-Clark: And, then, going down on -- still on the development agreement, which
is on the conditions -- condition number three and, then, the third bullet up from the
bottom, which is the fifth bullet down, that says prior to detailed CUP application being
approved on this property, the owner shall provide written documentation to the city that
Commercial Court access has been relinquished and this site plan, if this is the one that
you approve, really addresses that subject. That could be omitted and that is what
Dave McKinnon is requesting that we do and I agree that that doesn't make any sense
now with this new plan. As far as the truck route, which is the second to the last bullet
on page two of my memo, that talks about the site currently would allow trucks access
to Eagle Road and I think the main change I would recommend on that is just instead of
saying the applicant shall redesign the site -- this is the second sentence in that bullet --
just say the applicant shall design the site to limit the need for Eagle Road access for
trucks, this -- you know, the plan -- I think that would be really something we would deal
with at the detailed CUP level and, again, as Mr. Nary stated, I think as far as Mr.
McCall's access and being able to use trucks back and forth "- nothing's built on this
property today, so if anything does happen on there, this body is going to see that
application again and we will deal with truck access at that point, but I think the goal
here being you have Pine Avenue, it's signalized, that's where we want to encourage
the flow of the traffic movement of trucks and not having to pull out directly onto Eagle
Road. Then, there was two last issues for my presentation. One of them is on the
phasing plan for this project and that's on page three of the memo, item number two,
subparagraph C, identify the project phasing plan. As with most subdivisions, you
know, there is usually a phase plan submitted with the subdivision. These commercial
projects are a little bit different animal in that, of course, they, understandably so, don't
know who the clients are going to be, if they are going to have anchor tenants, major
tenants usually in these kind of situations, you know, they need a way for a major to
come in, so we understand that they are not necessarily going to be able to tell us right
away exactly how they are going to pave it. We assume that they are not going to build
all of this infrastructure for the full 62 acres right up front and our main point there was
just to insure that we understand generally for infrastructure, you know, how it's going to
be extended, sewer and water and irrigation and which access points are going to come
in, who it relates to the Hickory signal. They will require, the Ada County Highway
Districts, if you put money up for the construction of a signal at Hickory. The decision
relates to that and what Dave McKinnon is suggesting is to have the detailed -- the first
detailed conditional use permit have the phasing plan at that point and I think if the
Commission is comfortable with that, staff is. Related to the phasing, though -- and I
should apologize, because I haven't had a chance to talk with the applicant about this,
but one of the things that came up in the traffic study related to Pine Avenue and, as
you know, today Pine does not connect over to Locust Grove Road. Mr. Funkhouser's
traffic study, though, stated that -- that once Pine does connect to Locust Grove Road,
it's going to, you know, significantly reduce the impact on Eagle Road. I think his
number was about 31,000 trips that would be generated at build out by this site and you
would have somewhere between 15 and 16 thousand less trips that would need to use
Eagle Road if Pine is connected over to Locust Grove Road. I mean it makes sense,
since a lot of this will come from the west and you have the future Locust Grove
overpass and Pine being five lanes and so one of the things that we talked about at the
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February 17, 2005
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staff level was should this project have a limit on the amount of building that can go in
here until Pine actually is extended. Obviously, this applicant does not have any control
over the I.and where Pine would connect to Locust Grove. That being said, they are
proposing a project that has a significant impact on Pine and on Eagle and so we are
suggesting that that -- that no more than 300,000 square feet of this project be built until
-- until Pine Avenue is extended. And I should point out that we have application
submitted to the city that proposes to extend Pine Avenue that you will be seeing in the
near future. The last point on item number six on page four, I think that's just basically
an error on my part. I didn't really finish that condition. It talks about a minimum
perimeter landscape strip on the south property line, but that was already included in
item number two, to item number six could be omitted. And I think that ends staff
comments.
Zaremba: Okay.
Moe: Mr. Chairman, I have a couple questions for Brad.
Zaremba: Commissioner Moe.
Moe: Brad, you just talked about the point on the 300,000 square foot to Pine. Where
is that noted?
Hawkins-Clark: It's not. As I mentioned, we just talked about that before the meeting
and I haven't had a chance to talk with the applicant about it, so --
Moe: Okay. I do have a couple other things for you. And, actually, I have been -- on
your item number three, bullet point number one, where you talk about the developer
shall be required to incorporate some professional offices or non-retail use in the
development when they get 300,000 square feet. What kind of square footage are we
talking about for the professional office or non-retail? Is there. -- are we looking at a
certain amount of square footage?
Hawkins-Clark: Commissioner, that's a good point. We have struggled with this issue
on mixed-use developments on exactly how to enforce this. Since the ordinance
doesn't give us the direction, we are relying on the Comprehensive Plan, which says
this should be a mixed-use area and they are asking for a mixed use regional
designation and yet they didn't propose a mixed use. So, we have -- this is -- this
almost identical language that we had on Market Square, which is where the Lowe's is
going on Ustick and Eagle, they had 38 acres there, that was also mixed use. On that
site we said similar language and didn't put a minimum square footage. Open for
suggestions on that. I think it's a good point on how we track that. It's a little bit above -
- balanced between complying with the Comprehensive Plan and the market and should
the city be -- set, actually, minimum square footage of non-retail.
Moe: Well, my point to that was -- is that I was glad to see that there was some
possible plan for office or non-retail, but not so many type of a square footage noted.
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
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I'm kind of curious about that. And I wanted to just kind of make sure -- we are
anticipating if the city wants to have one right in, rightcout onto Eagle Road; correct?
So, I'm assuming, then, that that would be the portion for the easement right there, that
would be the one and only that we would be anticipating; right?
Hawkins-Clark: Correct. If that. I should point that out. I mean, you know, there is
other -- Pine Avenue is five lanes and a full access and I think with the median there,
that was basically a compromise, if you will, from our position.
Moe: Well, already having an easement there, the problem is we don't want to detour
from the -- from Mr. McCall's access to that point, so that's why I would anticipate that to
where it is as well.
Hawkins-Clark: Okay.
Moe: Thank you.
Canning: Chairman Zaremba, if I might. Commissioner Moe, just because staff didn't
put a square footage for the non-retail use, that is certainly something that the Planning
Commission could consider in their deliberations tonight for the Conditional Use Permit.
Zaremba: It certainly sounds to me like it would be a good use for a second story along
the main street part of it and maybe other square footage as well. I just wanted to
comment that me personally and I think all of us as Commissioners, are aware that staff
had a strong recommendation to not only deny the Comprehensive Plan Amendment,
but also this, and we do take the staff's comments and recommendations very seriously.
As you know, it was kind of a close decision not to follow your recommendation and I
just want to say I appreciate the effort that you have put into going a different direction
and giving us the study and the analysis of the direction that we, at the moment, seem
to be going. So, I just wanted to appreciate that and make a point that we take your
recommendations very seriously and struggle with it. That said, are we ready for the
applicant? Any other questions?
Borup: Yeah. I have one, Mr. Chairman. It's related to something that Commissioner
Moe had mentioned and that's on the Eagle Road access. You had mentioned that the
one access point you felt was in compliance with ITD's recommendations. Are their
recommendations general or do they have some specifics as far as distance between
access points or access points per piece of property or is it -- you know, anything a little
more specific in their -- what they are recommending?
Hawkins-Clark: Commissioner Borup, you're referring to the Eagle Road arterial study?
Borup: Yes.
Hawkins-Clark: And the recommendations in that study?
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February 17, 2005
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Borup: Yes. And I assume that's what staff's comments were based on.
Hawkins-Clark: Correct. Yes. Well, they included several exhibits in that study, which
did zoom in on, you know, segments on Eagle Road from 1-84 up to the city of Eagle.
Or maybe it was Chinden. But, anyway, so they -- and they generally are saying they
have signalized intersections identified pretty clearly in their study, but -- and they do
have a pretty detailed concept of how the landscape median and the turning
movements in the median and how it relates to the existing streets that are there. They
did not specifically state a distance, I don't believe, on separation offsets for the
driveways or the streets.
Borup: You had mentioned that you thought that the one access was in substantial
compliance with what their--
Hawkins-Clark: Well, I guess my point there was it may work with a right in, right-out --
Borup: Well, I definitely agree with that. That should be the only option, is a right in,
right-out. But I was just wondering about one access point only.
Hawkins-Clark: Right. I think that was my point was that the compliance would be that
it was right in, right-out.
Borup: Yes. But didn't he also state there would be only one access?
Hawkins-Clark: Yeah. I don't -- yeah, I don't think that that -- like I said, they did not
include separations in that. I think that's --
Borup: Okay. Thank you. I certainly agree with the right in, right-out completely.
That's all.
Zaremba: As long as that's a topic, I will chime in with an opinion also. ITD has been
very plain that they want to limit access to Eagle Road. The City of Meridian has also
been very plain that we support that and want to limit. I do think it's fair for the city to
signal to ITD that we agree with them that there should only be one access. If it
appears, because of the existing easement, where that access is is pre-established, but
I also agree with the city attomey there -- it is not terribly restrictive by causing that to be
only a right-in, right-out and I have agreement with the staff, and I think the other
Commissioners, that we should signal to ITD that Meridian is in support of a single
access and that it would be right-in, right-out at that point.
Borup: Well -- and that was my question was whether another access would really
cause any traffic problems to the extent -- being that there is a signal right there close
and that's a break in the traffic. But I would -- I would think I'd need to see a traffic study
that would indicate that -- you know, that the turning from both directions on Pine, you
know, may impact that to extend, because it wouldn't be practical or not. And I don't
know the answer to that.
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February 17, 2005
Page 18 0176
Zaremba: Okay. Any other comments before we --
Rohm: 1 guess we will hear from the applicant.
Zaremba: Yes. Okay. Mr. McKinnon, you must be here someplace.
Canning: Mr. Zaremba, I just wanted to follow up on that note before Mr. McKinnon
starts. There is -- in some ways the Planning Commission -- or the City Council may
have a little more tools for restricting access than ITD might have, because ITD
struggles with a number of access agreements that they have made in the past that
there seems to be a little bit of question of when development occurs if they need to
fully honor all those existing access points, whereas the city, with the request for a
rezone or for annexation, when that's the case, has a little more ability to have -- place
conditions on the property. So, I did want to -- you used the words support their
decision, but in some ways if it is your own decision, it might even carry a little more --
help them out more if it's a decision of the city to actually limit access. So, I just wanted
to -- to bring that to your thoughts anyway.
Zaremba: Thank you very much.
McKinnon: Good evening. Dave McKinnon, 735 South Crosstimber, representing the
applicant tonight. And just to jump in where everybody else has been talking about
tonight with our right-in, right-out, and the multiple access points, I'd love to come up
and say to you tonight that I'm an expert on traffic engineering, I'm not, but I brought
one with me tonight and he's here and Gary Funkhouser can get up in a little bit and
address the issues concerning the traffic access points. Brad talked about them just
really quick. Currently there are two access points to this site. Those of you that are
familiar with the site remember that there is two basically cinder block buildings on the
site. There is one located right here and, then, there is the old Club Wholesale building
about right here. There is an access currently on Eagle Road right here that's being
utilized by the occupant of the small building and, then, Commercial Road is the access
point right now for the old Club Wholesale building. And, then, further back it goes back
to Ned McCall's property. Brad basically let you know that already and the things that
he had to say we are in agreement with for the most part. Items number -- oh, item
number three -- condition number three, bullet points three and four, this is Idaho
Transportation Department's jurisdiction on Eagle Road and we haven't heard back with
their comments on Eagle Road and what they will and what they won't recommend. I
have talked with District Three. District Three would like to see the recommendation --
would like to see the recommendation to the super committee to have one access point
on Commercial and eliminate the other two access points, that would be the north point
-- the northern access point above commercial and the one below Commercial and that
was District Three's recommendation to Idaho Transportation Department's super
committee. And I don't have a result back yet from their super committee and what their
determination was, but that's what I can update you with with Idaho Transportation
Department. So, seeings how they haven't made a decision yet, it's hard for me to
Meridian Pianning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
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comment onto what Idaho Transportation Department will finally do, so that's why we
are asking at this time to leave it up to Idaho Transportation Department, because they
have the expertise and they know how to determine what is and what isn't a safe access
point to Eagle Road. So, that's the reason for the recommendation from us to wait until
ITD figures that out and if ITD comes back and says one access on Commercial Road,
right-in, right-out, we are happy to abide by that. And coming from District Three that
was the request at that time. So, it is at headquarters right now. You have the letter
from Ned McCall. Ned McCall does not want to see his access point limited to right-in,
right-out, and he may have some discussions with Idaho Transportation Department
with that as well and I appreciate the comments from Mr. Nary concerning that tonight.
Condition number three, bullet point five, I'll ask you to strike that. Again, I'd just ask
you to strike that when you make your motion tonight. Condition number three on page
two, bullet point number four, the truck routes. The truck routes in my comments in my
letter I mentioned that we do have an access -- full access at Pine, besides the three
north-south access points coming onto Pine Street, which would allow truck access to
come in and out on this site. With the construction of a median in Eagle Road I don't
believe any trucks are going to try to turn out into Eagle Road during the peak p.m. and
peak a.m. hours. I believe that most of the truck traffic will all be moving up to Pine
Street to gain access to Eagle Road, because that's the only place they are going to be
able to do it during peak trip hours. So, that's where that's going to go, but we can't
restrict Mr. McCall's access to be able to take trucks back there. He has a use for that
piece of property in mind and he wants to leave that open and so we have
accommodated that by this site design. Onto -- actually, let's go to my letter, condition
C -- condition C-2 on page tree. As Brad, pointed out, we have some suggested
language for that and Brad said if you were comfortable with it, he was comfortable with
it. I want to tell you that I'm comfortable with the language I suggested to you as well
and ask that you adopt that tonight. Onto page five, condition number 18. This
condition was discussed by Brad and I just before the meeting and there was some
misunderstanding on my part. We were concerned that Brad was asking for all of the
site improvements to be done at once prior to a certificate of occupancy for just one
building and Brad and I talked about that just before the meeting and he said, no, that's
just for each individual building or each individual phase. And so we don't have a
problem with that. We just were concerned with the wording and I just wanted to make
sure that it was understood that we would do all improvements for each individual
building and phase, rather than all the improvements all at once prior to a certificate of
occupancy. So, we are on the same page, we just read that a little bit differently. Brad
mentioned a couple things that -- let me touch on just a little bit concerning the build out
of Pine Street. It's not a condition that he has anywhere in his staff report, he just
recommended to you tonight to limit the amount of uses that can go onto Pine Street to
300,000 square feet of retail and other uses until Pine Street is extended. That's a
curve ball. It's not anything that we have heard until tonight and Brad did apologize and
I just want to address that a little bit. We are talking about Pine Street is going to be,
essentially, an arterial roadway, it's a 96 foot street section, it's going to be five lanes,
and the cost of the improvements for all of Pine Street fall square around the shoulders
of the developer, in addition to the cost of constructing that road and dedicating the right
of way for that road, he also puts in 105,000 dollars for the construction of a stoplight at
Meridian Pianning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 20 01 76
Hickory and Pine. To incur all those costs, yet still not be able to construct beyond the
300,000 if that becomes the limit. Brad mentioned that Pineridge Subdivision has been
submitted to the City of Meridian. It has been submitted to the City of Meridian and part
of that application as well, it will be coming to you soon. The size of these two projects
are large, over 180 acres in size. It's hard to determine the phasing of this and the
timing of this project. We don't know when Pine Street will be connected completely.
However, because of the size of this project, build out for this project is not going to be
alleviated. There may be a number of buildings that come in place and be placed on
this site. Maybe 100,000 square feet of building. Pine Street will have to be
constructed moving back. The 300,000 square feet, if we pay all that money and we
can't go any further, it's really hard to recoup those costs. And so we would ask that
you not make that a condition of approval tonight, because the timing of this site -- and
we don't know how fast it's going to develop and if it did that as quickly and there is a
demand for that, we don't want to be restricted to somebody else completing their
roadway. It's in -- the application's in, but we don't know the timing or the phasing of
that project yet either. That's in for a Conditional Use Permit as well. And, remember,
this is conceptual. We will have to come back to you with one of these individual
building plans and each one of these individual phases, so you will have a chance to
look at this again in the future and if the traffic study support more than 300,000 square
feet at that time, since Pine Street is not constructed, I don't think that right now is the
time to limit that and we can limit -- we can see where we are at once we get to that
point in construction, because you will be seeing a detailed Conditional Use Permit for
each one of these projects as they come in. Even though it is just conceptual right now,
we don't even know who the users are going to be, we don't know how many square
feet they need, and we don't want to be limited at this, because the traffic may justify
what is there, so, please, don't pick an arbitrary number tonight and limited us to that, to
just say 300,000 is all we can do before Pine Street is connected. On to some fun stuff.
Brad asked about two story buildings. Two story buildings are great and they are fun,
they are neat, they are expensive to construct, especially with retail and office together.
This project, like you said, was a very close decision last time and we have some things
to workout with their site plan. We have been working with staff and staff has been very
generous with their time in working with us on this project. We haven't done a detailed
market study to determine whether or not the two story office buildings will work on top
of the retail in that area, but that's something we will definitely look into and you will,
again, have the opportunity to review these projects as they come back to you with a
detailed Conditional Use Permit. We understand staff's recommendation for that. It's
not a condition of approval that they put in tonight and we are happy to leave it out of
the conditions of approval tonight. We will look into it. You will have the opportunity to
see it again in the future, under a Conditional Use Permit, the main street right through
here. As that project comes in, you will have an opportunity to review that and we'd ask
that you review that at this time. Please keep in mind that we are dealing with this on a
conceptual nature right now. Brad mentioned that we are just about done with this
game and I think that you have been very helpful, you have worked with us, you have
asked us to do a lot of things, which we have tried to comply with. We have increased
the open space. We have added a pond for ducks and geese up in the corner to try to
match up with what -- the wonderful things that Blue Cross has done and we have
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 21 0176
increased the open space. We valued the pathway and we have increased the plaza
areas. The request that staff had to improve this project, we have tried to incorporate
into this. We feel that we have got a project right now that you can move forward and
will become an asset for the city in the future. We'd ask that you approve it tonight and
I'd ask if you have any questions at this time.
Zaremba: Commissioners?
Borup: Mr. Chairman, I have a couple. I'm still going back to your first comment on
access points. Do you know how many access points there are in Crossroads
Subdivision across the street and how many square footage of space they have?
McKinnon: Brad, can you go to the overhead, the aerial photo? We have Presidential
that comes into Crossroads Subdivision. Above Presidential you have the access that
runs across basically from the access into Kinko's, Starbuck's, Wendy's in here. It
doesn't go far enough up. There is one more access point just north that goes into the
Applebee's area,
Borup: So, there is three on Eagle and how many on Fairview?
McKinnon: On Fairview they have one, two -- they have the traffic light at Wal-Mart
and, then, the one passed Wal-Mart, I believe.
Borup: So five?
McKinnon: They have got a number of them.
Borup: Okay. And you're not sure -- how many square foot --
McKinnon: Square foot is the entire project minus Wal-Mart -- boy, I saw projected
build-out numbers when I worked for the city. I don't know the complete build-out
numbers at this time, because that was conceptual as well. So, I don't know the
complete build out at this time.
Borup: Then the other -- and maybe just a comment and that's on the Pine Street
extension. I know for me one of the major pieces of information has influence when we
were discussing the Comp Plan Amendment was that Pine Street would be extended. I
know if I felt that that was not going to happen, my opinion of the whole project would
have been different. So, I thought that was a major piece of information as a necessity
of that extension for this project to work.
McKinnon: I'm sure it is going to be extended. That project has been submitted, so--
Borup: No. I understand that, but I'm just making my personal comment on your
concern on the full build out of the project. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 22 01 76
Moe: Mr. Chairman, a couple questions.
Zaremba: Commissioner Moe.
Moe: I know you have made mention in regards to possible office use and whatnot, but
realizing it's conceptual, do you not have any kind of a square footage idea of what may
be put into this project?
McKinnon: Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Moe, we have gone over that issue a couple
different times, just like staff has, and we sat down with Brad and said, you know, is
there a cut and dried number and we didn't come up with a number as to how much.
We added the hotel, which takes us out of the straight retail uses. So, there is the hotel
site. There wasn't a hotel site on the original application. What Brad mentioned in the
far west end was, actually, another anchor tenant, it wasn't a hotel. So, we have added
to hotel to have a mix of uses beyond just straight retail. Six hundred thousand plus
square feet of building is a lot of area and there will be plenty of room for office use
within that area. As far as picking out an individual pad site or individual building site,
there isn't one specific to this site, but there is a great deal of area that could
accommodate office.
Moe: Okay. That's alii have.
Zaremba: I have a question about what I think is Hickory. Maybe we can tell -- is this
the intersection you're being required to signalize? Is that where Hickory is?
McKinnon: Uh-huh.
Zaremba: The aerial view that was here before didn't show that this connected. Do we
know if it now connects?
McKinnon: It does. It's part of the Gemtone Five project.
Zaremba: And do you or anybody else -- now I know at Fairview -- where Hickory
crosses Fairview there is a plan to signalize that I think within this year.
McKinnon: That's correct.
Zaremba: Does this one connect all the way through? Does Hickory go all the way
through to Fairview or is there a break in it somewhere?
McKinnon: Yeah, it does go --
Zaremba: It does?
McKinnon: Yeah.
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 23 of 76
Zaremba: I think that gives us some extra traffic options until -- until Pine connects
through to Locust Grove, Eagle isn't, actually, the only choice.
McKinnon: That's correct. It will have a secondary access out. Thanks for helping me
out.
Zaremba: Well, it doesn't depict it, but I was thinking that there is a connection.
Commissioners?
Rohm: Mr. Chairman, I have got a couple of things that I wanted to just kind of throw
out, here. Dave, when we -- listening to this project last time, there was a lot of
opposition from the staff based upon the fact that Eagle Road is so congested already.
You gave us some compelling arguments that said that even though you should be
allowed development -- and, obviously, gave us enough to sway us to go your direction,
but what I'm hearing now is now that you have got us leaning your direction, you want
the whole thing and it seems to me that there should be some give and take on -- like
you mentioned the ITD -- part of staff's reluctance was not to have that additional
ingress-egress off of Eagle Road and if, in fact, you can find a way to develop this
commercially and not have multiple ingress-egress off of Eagle Road, I think you'd get a
lot more support from this body and we would be in a lot better graces with the folks that
we work with everyday. Would -- could you comment on that?
McKinnon: Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Rohm, can I put a smile on your face? We
can live without the access point above Commercial and the access point below
Commercial. Commercial is the one we definitely need to have happen. So, if that was,
you know, your recommendation that you would like to see those gone, we are okay
with that.
Rohm: Okay. Well -- and now we are moving in the direction I'd like. Thank you.
McKinnon: Thank you.
Rohm: Now, onto the non-retail. You have been at this game quite awhile and I think
that it would be appreciated if you could give us some sort of a ballpark idea of out of
600,000 square feet can you have 50,OOO? I mean you ought to have some idea of
what you can commit to from a non-retail perspective.
McKinnon: Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission. Commissioner Rohm, when I
get back up for rebuttal I will be able to have a better answer for you. I want a chance
just to talk with the developer, find out what he's comfortable with. Just one other
thought on that. We do have a large number of office spaces or bare land that's located
immediately north of this site. The Gemtone project provides high quality office space.
And we have Blue Cross, which is a very large office building just north of this site. I will
have a number--
Meridian Pianning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 24 01 76
Rohm: I want you to know that I'm not trying to kill what you have going here, because I
think that there has been a lot of give and take both ways, but I really want more than
just, well, we will see as -- and each project will come before you as a conditional use.
I'd like to have some feel for what you think you could manage as part of this project.
Thank you.
McKinnon: I'll get you that.
Newton-Huckabay: I just want to -- I don't have any questions, but I want to make some
comments. I believe I was the one Commissioner who did vote against this project and
I just want to go on record again, I don't think this is the appropriate place -- could we go
back to the aerial view? And I have been thinking a lot over the last four weeks as I
drive down Eagle Road everyday, why I think this is a bad place for this project and I
drive down Pine this way, go all the way over here to Cloverdale, with the exception of
Lewis and Clark Middle School and this subdivision here, You have industrial uses,
industrial land for sale, industrial uses, industrial uses and industrial uses. You have the
Coors Distributing, you have a utility truck place here. Sorry, I can't remember the
name of it. You have a distribution center here. I think we show a pattern of a lot
potential for industrial growth in this. I think that Pine Street to the north -- I think Pine
Street creates a good stopping point, if you will, for commercial development on Eagle
Road. There is a lot of land here to the north that is already designated with the mixed
use regional where commercial development, I believe, would be more suited. I -- now,
granted, I'm not a land planner, the Mayor did not appoint me to this Commission as a
land planner, but in the time I have been on this Commission one thing I have learned is
that a Comprehensive Plan was designed for future land planning and I believe that
future land planning takes time and amending a Comprehensive Plan that is
approximately three years old I think is rushing future land development along at an
unnecessary pace, if you will. And I don't think the time is right for this project. It seems
like a very nice project, but I just want to go on record saying I am wholeheartedly
opposed to it in this area. End of comment.
McKinnon: I have just been handed a note.
Moe: The number is?
McKinnon: Fifty thousand.
Rohm: Thank you.
McKinnon: You're welcome.
Rohm: I appreciate that.
McKinnon: Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission, I appreciate the levity tonight.
We have been at this a long time with this project and we have been at it a long, your
staff has been at it a long time. Commissioner Newton-Huckabay, I appreciate your
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 25 01 76
comments. We do have this Comprehensive Plan. I was part of the Comprehensive
Plan. The area was specific for mixed use, not industrial as it was zoned. You
mentioned that it goes back along Pine Street; it's not industrial on the Comprehensive
Plan. That is all mixed use regional and you're going to see some more additional --
Newton-Huckabay: It's being marketed as industrial along the for sale signs.
McKinnon: Well, yeah, it's been marked that way, but as far as complying with the
Comp Plan and if the Comp Plan is to be taken as what it is, the Comprehensive Plan
does not intend that to be industrial. I appreciate your comments. I know we battled
through that last time and the recommendation went through and I do appreciate your
comments. I really do. Although I disagree with them.
Canning: Commissioner Zaremba? Or Chairman Zaremba, it would appear that the
applicant is testifying again.
McKinnon: I can get down and finish my testimony. Thank you very much for your
time.
Zaremba: I have been electronically challenged. Am I able to be better heard over this
microphone? Okay.
Canning: If you pull it down can we -- can we test it out for you there?
Zaremba: Well, we didn't change it. I'm using the hand held one, although I'm just
resting it on the counter. And if I can be heard that way --
Canning: That's working.
Zaremba: We will proceed with that. Let's see. I failed to mention that we had this
handy-dandy light system here. When the light is green you have time to talk. It will go
to yellow, that gives you about 30 seconds to conclude, and when it's red we do ask that
you conclude. I didn't see it light up. I saw it was green for a while. I didn't see what
happened later. Okay. The applicant has spoken. The only other person signed up is
Gary Funkhouser. Would he care to come forward and add some comments?
Apparently no further comment. Okay. The meeting is open to anybody else who
wishes to comment, even if you didn't sign up. That being said, we will give the
applicant an opportunity for his closing remarks.
McKinnon: Mr. Chairman, Members of the. Commission, Dave McKinnon. No rebuttal
to my previous testimony. Thank you.
Zaremba: Okay.
Rohm: That was perfect, Dave.
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2006
Page 26 01 76
Moe: Mr. Chairman, I actually have one question for him and that would be would that
be a minimum of 50,000 square feet?
McKinnon: Yes.
Moe: Thank you.
Zaremba: That truly helps with the nature of the -- even compliance with the
Comprehensive Plan in mixed use, as staff pointed out, all retail is not mixed. The hotel
helps, if it does turn out to be a hotel, and if there is some concept that maybe another
50,000 could be a different use than retail, I believe that helps. Thank you. There was
an original staff report, but I -- I think the staff report of February 14 addresses enough
issues that I would probably refer only to it. Staff is nodding that this is now the
operative staff note.
Rohm: Okay.
Zaremba: Okay. Commissioners, it appears that all discussion has been had.
Moe: Mr. Chairman, I move we close the Public Hearing on RZ 04-017 and CUP 04-
051.
Rohm: Second.
Zaremba: Moved and seconded to close the Public Hearing. All in favor say aye. Any
opposed? That motion carries. Thank you.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES.
Zaremba: Sometimes we all speak at once and sometimes nobody speaks. Another
motion would be appropriate, unless there is some further discussion.
Moe: Well, if that was a comment to me, Mr. Chairman, I'm just trying to get my
thoughts in order here first. I guess I'm going to ask the one question I'm a little bit
unclear on and that would be we are -- I do have some changes that I do want to
address on that. Am I addressing that to the CUP or the rezone?
Hawkins-Clark: Commissioner, are you referring to the square footage?
Moe: Well, a few things here, I guess.
Hawkins-Clark: The rezone, Commissioner, is the development agreement.
Moe: Okay.
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 27 01 76
Hawkins-Clark: So, essentially, if this site is rezoned to commercial general, all of it
mixed use and if, for whatever reason, this project doesn't happen, what things would
you like to stay with this land, regardless what goes there. Maybe that's just one way to
help you think about a development agreement. The Conditional Use Permit is also an
option to put the conditions, but I think the development agreement is for that longer
term view of this site, so --
Moe: Okay. Thank you. Okay. Well, now, having said that, Mr. Chairman, I move that
we forward to City Council recommending approval of RZ 04-017, to include all staff
comments of the hearing date of February 17 and -- hang on here. Hearing date
February 17th.
Zaremba: The staff's memo date is February 14th, 2005.
Moe: And that is correct. And the staff memo date February 14th, 2005, with the
following changes: On page two of the staff memo of February 14th, item three, bullet
point one, in the sentence where the developer shall require -- be required to
incorporate some -- I'd like to change some to read to incorporate a minimum of 50,000
square foot of professional office or non-retail use in the development. Under bullet
point five I would like to admit that in its entirety. Bullet point six, under the applicant
shall redesign, I would like to delete re and make it that the applicant shall design the
site to eliminate the need for the Eagle Road access for trucks. End of motion, The
number of access points are already fairly noted in four as one -- one only and that's
exactly what I'm asking for.
Hawkins-Clark: Chairman Zaremba, is it possible for staff to ask for a clarification as we
prepare a recommendation --
Zaremba: Yes.
Hawkins-Clark: -- for Council? Commissioner Moe, did that 50,000 include the hotel or
not?
Moe: No, it does not.
Hawkins-Clark: Thank you.
Borup: Oh, it doesn't?
Moe: That's what I got out of that.
Borup: Well, it says -- okay. But the -- excuse me, Mr. Chairman. Then, that may need
rewording, because it says professional -- it says non-retail. Professional or non-retail.
Wouldn't a hotel be non-retail?
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17. 2005
Page 28 01 76
Moe: I took it they made a point of a hotel and, then, this would be over and beyond the
hotel square footage.
Newton-Huckabay: I concur.
Borup: It's not worded that way now. I was assuming you meant the hotel was included
in that.
Zaremba: As part of the motion do you want to revisit that first bullet under paragraph
three on page two?
Moe: Yes. Mr. Chairman, I would like to amend my motion in regards to item number
three, bullet point one -- I forgot what I wanted to say.
Borup: I think you were going to say in addition to the hotel.
Moe: Oh. Basically, where it says to incorporate a minimum of 50,000 square foot in
addition to the hotel, of professional office or retail use.
Borup: Or non-retail use.
Rohm: I'll second that motion.
Zaremba: Okay. And we will clarify that all other elements of the motion as previously
made are included with that one amendment. We have a motion and a second. All in
favor say aye. Any opposed?
Newton-Huckabay: Opposed.
Zaremba: We have four in favor and one opposed. The motion does carry.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES; ONE OPPOSED
Moe: Mr. Chairman, I move that we forward to City Council recommending approval of
CUP 04-051 to include all of staff comments of the meeting date February 17th, 2005,
staff comments of February 14th, 2005, with one change. Under site specific conditions
on page three, item two, item C, like to have that point stricken and changed to read: A
phasing plan shall be submitted with the first detail Conditional Use Permit application
for this project. Revisions to the phasing plan shall be approved by the planning
director or his/her assigns if changes to the plan are requested. End of motion.
Rohm: Second.
Zaremba: We have a motion and second. All in favor say aye. Any opposed?
Newton-Huckabay: Opposed.
Meridian Planning & Zoning
February 17, 2005
Page 29 01 76
Zaremba: We have four in favor and one opposed. The motion carries.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES; ONE OPPOSED
Zaremba: Thank you all. Traditionally somewhere in the neighborhood of 9:00 o'clock
we take a break and I believe this would be an appropriate time to take about ten
minutes and reconvene.
(Recess.)
Item 9:
Continued Public Hearing from January 6, 2005: AZ 04-033 Request
for an Annexation and Zoning of 15.92 acres from C-2 and RUT zones to
CoG zone for Star-It by Avest LP - 355 North Ten Mile Road:
Zaremba: Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, we will reconvene our meeting. Let the record
show that all Commissioners are present again and we will move on to Item 9. I will
open the continued Public Hearing for AZ 04-033, request for an annexation and zoning
of 15.92 acres from C-2 and RUT zones to CoG zone for Stor-It by Avest LP, 355 North
Ten Mile Road, and we will begin with staff comments.
Guenther: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board. I will try and be very brief
with this one and if you have any questions, please ask. This is an annexation. The
location is right off of Ten Mile just south of the railroad right of way. This is bisected by
Ten Mile Creek. The east portion is the C-2 zone and the west portion is the RUT zone.
At this time the front -- there is the aerial photo. At the time the front here has existing
storage units on it. The bridge in this location recently was completed, as well as they
are going -- they are proposing to put in new buildings in this area in the rear and two
new ones in the front. This is a conceptual plan. There is no approval for the actual
buildings at this time. What we are looking for the -- being addressed in the
development agreement for the site would be the compliance with the five year work
plan along Ten Mile Road, as well as meeting the Comprehensive Plan for the multi-use
pathway along Ten Mile Creek on the western portion of the site. This site is also
bordered by a proposed multi-use, multi-family high density to the west and this is all
proposed, since everything there is vacant currently. And a church site to the south.
We have met with the church site and they will be putting the pathway to the Avest
property off of Ten Mile Creek and that's part of the reason why this pathway needs to
continue up -- continue through. To the north is a recent R-8 development that has also
continued the pathway on the west side of Ten Mile Creek. At this time it's -- the staff
report reflects what our comments would be. We believe that all of the issues for the
site can be addressed during the development agreement and the site would just be
redeveloped through certificate of zoning compliance in the future.
Zaremba: Commissioners, any questions for the staff?
Newton-Huckabay: I have none.
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