HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-11-14 Gloria BeattieChris Johnson
From: Gloria Beattie <gloriabeattie53@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2019 3:26 PM
To: Meridian City Clerk
Subject: Comments Regarding Comprehensive Plan Update for Consideration at City Council
Meeting 11/19/19
The following comments are respectfully submitted by Chuck Sundby and Gloria Beattie (6155
W. EI Gato Lane) to the Meridian City Council, and others as appropriate, for consideration at
the City Council Meeting to be held on November 19, 2019. Comments relate to the Draft
Meridian Comprehensive Plan.
On October 7, 2019 a petition was submitted to the City Clerk by Gloria Beattie and Chuck
Sundby on behalf of, and in cooperation with, the residents of EI Gato Lane and the immediate
vicinity, designated as the "Affected Area" in the petition. The Affected Area includes existing
residential properties on EI Gato Lane and Pine Lane, and nearby adjacent agricultural
land. The petition has eighty-one (81) signatures and clearly states the opposition of the
signatories to the proposed change to the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) land use designation
for the Affected Area from Low Density Residential to General Industrial. The petition
identifies five specific areas of concern which conflict with the core principles of the Draft
Comprehensive Plan text. Supporting information is provided for each of the
concerns. Additionally, numerous public comments were submitted by individuals in, and
near, the Affected Area both prior to the petition submittal and the subsequent Planning and
Zoning (P&Z) hearing held on October 17, 2019. All comments expressed opposition to the
proposed General Industrial land use classification for lands within the Affected Area.
On October 17, 2019 additional comments were submitted to the City Clerk by Chuck Sundby
for further consideration by the P&Z Commission at the public hearing held on October 17,
2019. These comments in part reflect information contained in the P&Z Staff Report published
on October 11, 2019. As a designated representative of residents in the Affected Area, Mr.
Sundby testified at the hearing and emphasized points expressed in the written comments.
While not contesting the conclusion of the planning team as to the future need for additional
industrial land use in the Meridian Area of Impact, the point was made that there are
significant impediments to this industrial land use occurring in the Affected Area in the
foreseeable future. In fact, it is highly probable that a new Comprehensive Plan Update will be
necessary prior to this demand materializing. There will, however, be immediate negative
impacts to residents in that the General Industrial land use classification can be expected to
adversely impact current marketability as low density residential properties. The avoidance of
adverse impact to existing properties is a key element of the Comprehensive Plan!
Multiple residents of the Affected Area attended the public hearing to demonstrate support
for Mr. Sundby's statement, as well as, provide additional comment supporting retention of
the current Low Density Residential land use for this area. There was no public testimony in
support of the proposed General Industrial land use designation.
Following discussion, during which key points presented in public comments were
acknowledged by individual members, the commission and staff concluded that a reasonable
compromise is to retain the Low Density Residential land use classification north of Pine Lane
and impose the General Industrial land use south of Pine Lane and the Purdam Drain. This
removes the EI Gato Lane parcels from the industrial area, but not the six residential parcels
along Pine Lane. This compromise is depicted on the map shown on the top of page 20 of the
Staff Report prepared for the City Council hearing.
From the standpoint of residents along EI Gato Lane, this compromise presents a reasonable
and acceptable solution. That said, we urge the City Council to consider the arguments and
rational presented to the P&Z and its applicability to those existing properties along Pine Lane,
assuming these residents express the desire to retain their current land use. This could be
accomplished by using the Purdam Drain to delineate the boundary between General
Industrial and Low Density Residential. In this case, the land designated as future Industrial is
limited to undeveloped agricultural ground with rail and highway access.
Additionally, we wish to express our concurrence with, and support of, the staff
recommendation presented in item 3 "Outstanding Issues for City Council" on page 28 of the
Staff Report, section ii relating to low density residential and estate lots. This appears to be a
positive approach and addition to the Updated Comprehensive Plan.
In summary, we support P&Z recommendations for revisions to the FLUM for the existing
residential parcels on EI Gato Lane but request that the City Council reconsider the change in
land use classification for the six existing residential parcels on Pine Lane.
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