HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-28 Jarrod Galm
Charlene Way
From:Jarrod Galm <jmgalm@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, July 28, 2021 1:08 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:Opposition to Proposed Centerville Subdivision
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
Members of the Commission:
I’m writing to oppose the proposed Centerville community at Hillsdale Ave. and Amity Road.
After reviewing the proposal and attending community meetings regarding the development, I have identified
issues with the plan that need to be mitigated before its approval.
Traffic
As you’re aware, there is a lot of development occurring in South Meridian, especially along the Eagle and
Amity Road corridor. While ACHD is in the process of widening a portion of Eagle Road, Amity is a two-lane
road that is slated to be expanded sometime between 2036 and 2040 at the earliest, according to ACHD’s
master plan.
The traffic study for the development was conducted during the peak of the pandemic when traffic volume
was down drastically. Furthermore, Eagle Road was under construction, so many area residents took
alternative routes to their destinations. In addition, the YMCA was closed and wasn’t drawing the traffic into
the area that it usually does. While engineers “estimated” traffic and trips for the next four years, the data
they’re using to arrive at those estimations is not accurate.
When school is in session, traffic backs up on Hillsdale Avenue going South as parents dropping kids off wait to
turn right into the school. Also, traffic on S. Stockenham heading north backs up as parents dropping off kids
wait to turn left into the school, causing delays for people looking to exit the surrounding communities.
The proposed daycare in the Centerville community would also increase the number of trips to the area as it
will not just serve the Centerville community residents but anyone who needs daycare.
Furthermore, with the YMCA and aquatic center being located within a residential community, unlike the
other YMCA locations in the valley, additional vehicles will traverse to the area.
Now that the YMCA is open and construction on Eagle Road is ending, it would be prudent to reexamine the
traffic study when conditions are more in line with a typical, or average, day, especially when school is in
session.
School Overcrowding
It’s no secret that West Ada schools are being pushed to or beyond their capacities due to the prolific growth
in our area. Hillsdale Elementary was closed to new enrollment temporarily as the school board needed to
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redraw boundaries. While the firm indicated that Hillsdale and other schools would accommodate the new
students the community would bring, I don’t believe this statement to be accurate.
Consider: Hillsdale currently has 626 students enrolled and has a realistic capacity of about 650 students.
Unlike other schools, Hillsdale doesn’t have the space to add modular units to accommodate growth. Once it
reaches its max capacity, an enrollment cap will be implemented again, forcing children within the school’s
walk zone to be bussed to another nearby school. This is not good for traffic or the environment.
West Ada School District applies a formula to identify the number of potential students attending a school.
They figure .7 students come from single-family homes and .1 students come from multifamily dwellings.
Based on the 124 single-family homes and the 168 multifamily homes that are being proposed for Centerville,
that’s nearly 104 new students Hillsdale, and surrounding schools would need to accommodate.
That also doesn’t include the current construction occurring in the communities of Sky Mesa, Lavender
Heights, The Keep, Orchard Creek, Shelburne, Calistoga, and Century Farm. Based on these developments,
another 200 or so students will be within the boundaries of Hillsdale. As is evident, Hillsdale, on its own, will
not be able to support these students. As the school eclipses its capacity, the quality of education our kids
receive will diminish.
So, by the time Centerville begins development, Hillsdale will be at or above capacity, and the children residing
in Centerville will need to be bussed elsewhere. Bussing kids to other area schools, putting strains on their
capacities is not a good solution, either.
While education funding is predicated on property taxes and decisions of the state, it’s incumbent on local
government to manage growth to relieve the pressure on our education system. While there is another
elementary school planned, the funds to build that school would need to come from the passage of a bond
initiative. As we all know, most residents are not fans of raising taxes, so relying on a bond will not be prudent
to solve the issues facing our area and schools currently.
Safety
Another issue of concern is safety. The Hillsdale school zone is poorly marked. While representatives for the
development indicated they spoke with school officials, one crosswalk has a crossing guard and manually
activated pedestrian crossing lights. Beyond that, there is no flashing school zone warning lights or other
marked crosswalks for kids to use.
Having walked my daughter to and from school last year, I can speak from first-hand experience that the area
is unsafe. Inattentive and inconsiderate drivers lead to numerous close calls when pedestrians allegedly have
the right of way. Adding additional traffic to the region will only exacerbate the situation. The absence of
adequate warning lights is noticeable.
Police and fire response times are also an issue, with no stations nearby the development. A recent fire in
Century Farm took firefighters nearly 20 minutes to arrive to extinguish the flames, which far exceeds the
city’s desired five-minute response time.
Aesthetics
It’s one thing to have houses in a community, but it’s another to add several three-story complexes that don’t
fit with the suburban housing communities in the area. The townhomes and multifamily units do not mesh
with the surrounding area, especially given their height.
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Conclusion
The developer’s application narrative says, “the proposed development includes significant useable open
space, a variety of high-quality amenities, pathways and diversity with a combination of single-family homes,
townhomes, multifamily units, and a daycare facility.”
It continues, “This mixture of uses is not normally found within a standard subdivision.”
It concludes, “Challenger Development wants to create a community with the City of Meridian that will
complement the surrounding neighborhoods and utilize the South Meridian YMCA and the new Meridian
Regional Park.”
The developer’s own words say that “this mixture of uses is not normally found within a standard subdivision.”
This begs the question, why not? Because, as I’ve mentioned above, a design like this doesn’t fit with the
neighboring community. It will adversely affect education, traffic, and safety in the area and tax resources that
are already stretched thin.
I recognize that growth is necessary, but the Centerville proposal needs to be reworked using more accurate
data and designs that adhere to the city’s master plan.
I implore the commission members to deny the plans as submitted and have Challenger Development rework
their proposal to mitigate better the concerns I have raised.
Sincerely,
Jarrod Galm
3868 E. Woodville Dr.
Meridian, ID 83642
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