HomeMy WebLinkAboutUnbound Library ALT (A-2020-0227)
Community Development Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Ste. 102, Meridian, ID 83642
Phone: 208-884-5533 Fax: 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org
December 17, 2020
Thomas Haller
MSR Design
510 Marquette Avenue South, Suite 200
Minneapolis, MN 55413
RE: Unbound Library - (A-2020-0227)
Dear Mr. Haller:
This letter is in reference to your request for Alternative Compliance to encroach the outdoor
ADA ramp one-foot (1’) into clear zone in front of the tenant space located at 722 NE 2nd Street.
The outdoor ADA ramp is to serve the public; currently the building’s interior floor slab is raised
about seven inches (7”) above the existing exterior sidewalk and does not meet ADA compliance
standards. Per MCC 8-1-2(C), the linear clear zone must be at least five feet (5’) wide,
maintained by the property owner and free of obstructions. In lieu of a linear clear zone between
the use and street furnishing zones, you are proposing to provide a 4-foot (4’) wide “clear zone”
(see attachment).
In your narrative, you indicate that the original design was approved by ACHD and the City of
Meridian during the initial permit review phase, but after construction started, a site inspector
realized that the proposed ADA front entry ramp did not meet ADA requirements. Additionally,
you have also stipulated that the existing sidewalk in front of the building roughly measure’s 9’-
6” wide, causing complications with the current site conditions and the proposed ADA ramp. In
your request, you are proposing the ability to meet the 5-foot (5’) turning radius at the top of the
existing sidewalk ramp so that one in a wheel chair could reorient themselves at the top of the
sidewalk ramp and then turn to circumvent any front entry door ramp. To accommodate this
requirement, you have re-designed the new front entry ramp to be flipped 180 degrees on the
site, so individuals would now be entering the ramp from the north corner of the building. In
considering all these dimensions, the depth for the ramp, the handrail, and concrete curb at the
street; the sidewalk was limited to a four-foot (4’) clear zone for traveling pedestrians, which all
meet the ADA standards for clearance.
The Director hereby approves your request for alternative compliance to Unified Development
Code (UDC) MCC 8-1-2 (C) for the subject property based on the required Findings listed in
UDC 11-5B-5E, as follows:
Community Development Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Ste. 102, Meridian, ID 83642
Phone: 208-884-5533 Fax: 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org
1. Strict adherence or application of the requirements are not feasible; or
The Director finds that strict adherence to the UDC requirement referenced above is
not feasible due to the existing site conditions; full compliance is impractical in
accord with MCC 8-1-2(B).
2. The alternative compliance provides an equal or superior means for meeting the
requirements; and
The Director finds the Applicant’s proposed alternative means of complying with the
intent of the UDC as proposed in the attached exhibit provides an equal means of
meeting the requirement.
3. The alternative means will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or
impair the intended uses and character of surrounding properties.
While this is not an ideal situation, the Director finds that the alternative means will
not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or impair the intended use and/or
character of surrounding residential properties.
The Applicant, Director, or a Party of Record may request City Council review of a decision of
the Director. All requests for review shall be filed in writing with the Planning Division of the
Community Development Department on or before January 1, 2021, within fifteen (15) days
after the written decision is issued, and contain the information listed in UDC 11-5A-6B.
If City Council review of the decision is not requested, the action of the Director represents a
final decision on a land use application. You have the right to request a regulatory taking
analysis under Idaho Code 67-8003.
Thank you for contributing to the success of Meridian. Please help us serve you better in the
future. Visit our web-site at www.meridiancity.org/Planning/ to fill out a comment card and give
us feedback on how we are doing.
Sincerely,
Caleb Hood, AICP
Planning Division Manager
CH:sh
Community Development Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Ste. 102, Meridian, ID 83642
Phone: 208-884-5533 Fax: 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org