HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-20 Colleen Shaw
Charlene Way
From:Colleen Shaw <writetheshaws@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, July 20, 2021 4:56 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Letter in Opposition to the Proposed Nightclub on the Corner of Ustick and Eagle
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Dear Planning and Zoning Commission,
I am writing to you regarding granting the Oasis Nightclub a temporary license to operate off of
Eagle/Ustick in Meridian, Idaho. As a resident of that area, I strongly object to this Nightclub
placement. The negative consequences of allowing a nightclub in a residential area will ripple
throughout our entire community. Do not support trendy business development operations to
consume and destroy the livability of our community.
The decision involving the location of the Oasis Nightclub and the subsequent planning and zoning
process in Meridian directly affects ALL the residents of our city. This decision will set a precedent
for other similar venues in the future and how they will be placed within our community.
Basing this decision solely on whether or not you “would go to the nightclub” is very short-
sighted. Meridian needs to be progressive and focus on the tremendous population increase we are
experiencing.
Because of our city’s prodigious growth, the Oasis Nightclub location decision should focus on
structuring our city to maintain safe and sustainable traffic patterns throughout the city. Meridian City
Council should responsibly manage growth to avoid serious traffic congestion, delays, and
accidents. Protecting the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and residents in the area should be given
the utmost consideration.
The intersection of Eagle and Ustick has already been stretched to full capacity. It is in the heart of
our community. It is the connection between the interstate and State Street. With placement of this
type of venue directly at this essential intersection we can reasonably expect to see an exacerbation
of accidents from drivers under the influence, increased travel times, and a decrease to the safety of
motorists, pedestrians, and the surrounding residents.
United States, as well as throughout the world, have zoning ordinances prohibiting nightclubs from
being built within certain distances to residential areas, and well as churches, schools, day cares, city
parks, hospitals, etc. These ordinances help protect residents from the harmful effects of excessive
noise, traffic congestion, vandalism, increased crime, and other adverse environmental effects
caused by a nightclub in the area. (Who would want their child to find used condoms and needles
while walking home from school?)
Many cities in the United States, as well as throughout the world, have zoning ordinances prohibiting
nightclubs from being built within certain distances to residential areas, and well as churches,
schools, day cares, city parks, hospitals, etc. These ordinances help protect residents from the
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harmful effects of excessive noise, traffic congestion, vandalism, increased crime, and other adverse
environmental effects caused by a nightclub in the area.
Residents in this area specifically chose to live in this area for this lifestyle. Residents here chose to
live in a place surrounded by elementary schools, day cares, city parks, churches, and medical
facilities.
As our community grows, city planning for the future becomes even more critical to the livability of our
city and the surrounding areas. Nightclubs and other venues of this nature will best serve our city by
being placed in entertainment districts and commercial areas, where the impact on residential
communities will be minimized. The negative consequences of allowing a nightclub in a residential
area will ripple throughout our entire community. What residential area in the city will be targeted
next? Once the Oasis Nightclub is allowed in a residential part of our city, it sets a precedent and
there will surely be more to come at various locations around us. We have the opportunity right now
to prevent this from happening.
During the planning and zoning meeting, the Oasis Nightclub was mischaracterized by being
compared as SIMILAR to restaurants that serve alcohol, such as Chili’s or Baracoa. This is not true.
Many major cities throughout the US have made this distinction very clear in their zoning laws and
ordinances. Retail and commercial zoning is very dissimilar and completely unalike to nightclub
zoning.
Chilli’s and Barbacoa DO NOT have or need security guards at the door, like the Oasis Nightclub
does. While most patrons may be law abiding, intoxicated, disorderly, and violent individuals are
anticipated to come. There is a reason all nightclubs have security.
EDM nightclubs, like the Oasis, particularly need security. In 2009, the Pacific Institute for Research
and Evaluation found that at the entrance, 25% of EDM nightclub patrons test positive for drug use,
and half have already consumed alcohol. (Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Overuse Among
Nightclub Patrons: A Randomized Trial of a Group-Based Mobile Intervention at Nightclubs Hilary F.
Byrnes, Brenda A. Miller, Beth Bourdeau, Mark B. Johnson, David B. Buller, Julia Berteletti, Veronica
A. Rogers, J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2019 Jul; 80(4): 423–430. Published online 2019 Sep 10. doi:
10.15288/jsad.2019.80.423 PMCID: PMC6739647).
It is reasonable to expect these statistics will hold true for the Oasis. And Chilli’s and Barbacoa do
not charge a different amount for the men than the women who are attending, like the Oasis
Nightclub does. The Oasis Nightclub is a nightclub, not a restaurant.
Placing a nightclub in a residential area does not work. Adding a nightclub will gravely impact the
safety of the area, decrease property values, and negatively impact the sustainability of the traffic
infrastructure of the area.
Thank you for your consideration,
Colleen Shaw
2344 East Garber Drive Meridian, Idaho 83646
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