HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Paul Geile
February 16, 2006
Meridian City Council
33 East Idaho
Meridian, Idaho 83642-2300
RE C E ¡YEn,
FEBt620œ
CITY OF MERIDIAN
CITY CLERK OF~'r:
Dear City Council Members.
My name is Paul Geile and I am writing concerning development that is underway by the
Meridian School District at Meridian High. My father owns the twenty-.aae parcel
adjacent to the West oftbis projecl
For your referençe, the agenda items that contain these issues are:
V AR0606003 - Application for a variance (ball field lighting)
AZO5059 - Annexation andrœone of9 acres (RUT to R4)
CUPOSOS3 - Conditional Use pennit for the ball fields and technical center
The first issue of concem is the variance. I understand that the recently implemented
Unified Development Code places restrictions related to 1ig}diqg that are unrealistic for
ball field lights. In principle I am DOt opposed to the granting of a variance on the
"visible bulb" portion of this rule. As neighbors it importmrt to get assurance from the
City Council that the granting of this variance does not lift the applicant's obligation to
make every other effort to limit light spillage on. exisbng residential neighboD. Please
keep in mind that residential uses are on three sides of this project, my father' s property
and Haven Cove to the West, Vineyards subdivision to the North and Amke subdivision
(under construction) to the SouIh. "
Also with the subject of lights, Bojse City Parks bas operated for many years with an
absolute lights out at 11 :00 pm policy, some fields are on timers. Meridian> s Public
Disturbance Noise Time Period. begins-at 11:00 pm. Doe to the strong likelihood of the
co-ex.istence of noise disturbanoos and light spillage I am aslrine that an 11 :00 pm "lights
out" time be established and placed into the Conditional Use Permit. I understand
"pmni,,! a little over" a few times per year is tempting to allow, but without very specific
limitation this will certainly be "abused. Proper planning and mle making bas allowed
Boise Parks to live comfurtab)y ÙlSÎde this very reasoøable restriction.
It is my understanding that as part of the rezone the appliçant will request that the
requiIcment to pipe a portion of the Rutledge canal be waived. The School had piped
some of the Rutledge but is intending to have the requirement waived for approximatdy
900 feet, extencting westwaId beyond the newly piped portion. This secúon of the
existing open ditch fODDS a new poI1ion of our common property line. While the City
Council does have authority to waive this requirement the applicant must show that "the
public purpose requiring such will not be served and public safety can be preserved." It
is my view that this project amnot satisfy ei1her of those critcIÌ8-
The public safety issues are as follows:
1) This annexation will create approximately 900 feet of direct public school to open
canal ftontage that did not previously exist.
2) :By the applicant's own admission other groups umelated to Meridian High School
may be allowed to use these fields. This g:œtes the likelihood that children of
players and spectators will be present.
3) The applicant bas promised a slatted six-foot taU fence. While intended to protect the
~ from this hazard this fence would also isolates the space that contains a
hazard. This area will be visually isolated from the already limited security
efforts of the school. If there is a problem in this area it will be difficult to detect
or respond to.
4) Local developers I have spoken to -agree that granting oftbis waiver would be an
ex1raordinarily rare departuœ from Meridian City's treatment of other applicants.
It is tme that public dollars will be used to cover this ditch. It is also true that the
reality has been "you develop, you pipe the ditch." As residential neighbors we
were not responSlõle for the rule or the choice of having a public neighbor. To
allow this applicant a waiver would not only be unfair to previous applicants, it
wouid establish that a fence can serve as adequate "preservation of public safety"
even for this particularly vulnerable location. I would like assurance fÌ'Om the
Council that when my property develops a similar waiver will be granted.
I am asking for discussion and your favorable consideration of the folloWÙIg points:
1) Do grant the variance request for the '~b1e bulb" portion of the rule with the written
understendin£ that all reasonable efforts to control spillage are effected.
2) Do establish an "homs of operation" time limit on the use of the ball field lìghting
in their "full on" mode.
3) Do not grant a waiver for the tiling of the Rutledge canal. This is dearly a dangerous
location for multiple reasons.
Meridian High School is a neœssæy and important part of our community. From an
equally legitimate vantage point Meridian High School is one of the largest and most
intrusive commercial land uses in Meridian.. A footprint of this size affects property
value and perhaps more importantly - quality of life. I feel that it is important that this
parcel be treated as any other parcel undergoing development.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
c(~~ .
Paul GeiIe, 4711 .. Boise ¡clabo 83103 (208) 344-5269