Memo from PlanningProject: Zamzows Chinden (CPA-08-007)
Location, size of property and existing zoning: The site is located on the south side of Chinden Boulevard/State
Highway 20/26, approximately % mile east of Meridian Road at 545 E. Chinden Boulevard. This 10 acre property
is currently zoned RUT (Ada County) and is within the City's Area of Impact and Urban Service Planning Area
This property is not contiguous to the existing corporate boundaries of the City of Meridian and is not currently
eligible for annexation.
Adjacent Land Uses and Zoning: North: Chinden Boulevard, and single-family homes in Castlebury Subdivision,
zoned RI in Ada County; East: Lutheran Church, zoned RUT (Ada County); South: Agricultural property, zoned
RUT (Ada County); West: Catholic Church, zoned RUT (Ada County)
Application: The applicant is requesting approval to amend the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Ma CPA
by changing the land use designation on approximately 10 acres of land from Medium Density Residential to
Mixed Use — Community. Part of the property is currently being used as Commercial (Zamzows and a safeBBQ
dealer). The applicant has owned this property for approximately four years. According to the applicant, neither JR
LLC nor Zamzows Inc. were notified in advance of the 2006 City of Meridian comprehensive plan amendment that
changed the Map designation on this property.
Comprehensive Plan: This property is currently designated "Medium Density Residential" on the Comprehensive
Plan Future Land Use Map. In 2006 the Map was amended to include several changes in North Meridian. One of
the changes was to move the Mixed Use — Community (Neighborhood Center) designation in this section. With the
adoption of the 2002 Map, a Mixed Use — Community (Neighborhood Center) was planned for the mid -mile
between Locust Grove and Meridian Roads. In 2006 the MU-C (NC) designation, which the subject property was
part of, was moved off of this property, further to the east. This property then received the current, Medium Density
Residential designation. It should be noted that although this property has previously been designated on the Map
for Mixed Use — Community with a Neighborhood Center, it was on the periphery of that designation. According to
the Neighborhood Center Concept Diagram in the Comprehensive Plan, residential densities are appropriate around
on the periphery around the core commercial at the mid -mile of Neighborhood Centers. So even though the Map
designation changed in 2006 through the public hearing process, the land uses that are expected for this property
have been residential since at least 2002 when the current Comprehensive Plan was adopted.
The requested "Mixed Use — Community" designation allows up to 25 acres of non-residential uses, up to 200,000
square feet of non-residential building area and residential densities of 3 to 15 dwelling units to the acre. In Mixed
Use — Community areas that are not Neighborhood Centers, over 25 acres of non-residential uses shall be permitted
through the CUP process. All of the lands surrounding the subject site are also currently designated "Medium
Density Residential" or "public/quasi-public". The City has planned for a variety of commercial and retail
opportunities in North Meridian. This site is not one planned for commercial and retail. Staff believes that the
proposed mixed use designation will further saturate this area with non-residential land uses, making some other
sites planned for this type of development difficult to build. Staff believes that the Map currently depicts
appropriate future land use for this site, medium density residential.
Conceptual Site Plan/Elevations: The applicant has not submitted elevations or a concurrent annexation or
development application. The applicant has, however, submitted a conceptual development plan showing how the
site may develop in the future. The existing landscape nursery business is proposed to remain with new retail
buildings going in near Chinden Boulevard. Residential units are shown on the southern half of the property. Two
vehicular accesses to Chinden Boulevard are shown. Cross access to the east and west are shown, but no
connectivity to the parcel to the south is proposed. Staff will recommend that vehicular and pedestrian accesses be
provided to adjacent properties as a condition of approval of future land use applications
The UDC specifically prohibits access to SH 2O-26, a major transportation corridor, when a change or increase in
intensity of use is proposed. For this reason, if the map amendment is approved and when this site is developed,
Staff will not support any access to Highway 20-26. Because the City tries to restrict curb cuts to arterials and
collectors, specifically SH 20/26, the existing plan for medium density residential makes the most sense. Staff
believes that this site could develop with residential uses, without a need for access to 20/26 and for a commercial
development a variance to the UDC for access would most likely be requested.
Staff Recommendation: Staff is not supportive of the proposed mixed use desir and does notocation of the site adjacent to Highway 20_26 (lack-
fothis site
believe that commercial uses are appropriate because of the location of
access) and the residential nature of the rest of the area. Staff is recommending denial of the requested CPA
application as it is not in the best interest of the City. However, Staff is recommending that this application
be continued to the hearing date of August 14, 2008, in hopes that recommendations on all the CPA
applications can occur at one time.
Notes: