HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-14 James Phillips
Charlene Way
From:James Phillips <jamesphilly@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, November 14, 2021 4:52 PM
To:City Clerk; Robert Simison; Liz Strader; Joe Borton; Brad Hoaglun; Treg Bernt; Jessica
Perreault; Luke Cavener
Cc:Melissa Phillips
Subject:Centerville annexation and re-zoning application public concerns
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
To the Meridian City Council,
My name is James Phillips. My wife and I live with our four kids at 4140 E. Rockhampton St. Our
home rests on a 1/3 acre lot immediately south of the proposed Centerville development at the
entrance of the Hillsdale Creek neighborhood.
The current public frustration felt in South Meridian is palpable as evident by the November Meridian
City Council election results where the incumbent and fellow South Meridian resident Luke Cavenar
did not receive a 50% majority but managed to retain his seat because of a non-incumbent vote split.
For me, I see the results not so much as an indictment of Mr. Cavenar as it is a signal that people are
wanting to see things change from our current trajectory of placing developer greed over public need.
The following is what south Meridian residents are experiencing:
Unsustainably low jobs/housing ratio (see COMPASS report) (South Meridian is a "food
desert")
Growing traffic concerns as South Meridian's housing construction continues to outpace the
transportation construction including major and minor arterial roads
A seemingly inept ACHD that allows developers to cite 3 years old data and use an inaccurate
2% annual rate of traffic increase to extrapolate impact numbers that come just below
thresholds and avoid paying traffic impact fees in priority growth areas (see Agency Comment)
Overcrowded schools at all levels (but particularly at the high school levels) with no immediate
viable funding solutions.
Overall unwillingness and inability for Meridian to check development and provide sustainable
and balanced growth via the economics of development impact fees.
While the concerns above continue to play out, below are the public's specific Centerville application
concerns that compound public frustration.
There has been a unnecessary high level of public frustration, anxiety and loss of sleep that could
have been avoided had the applicant listened to the public at the initial neighborhood meeting held by
the applicant last year (see change.org 1,500+ signatures). Citing the applicant's own words from the
second P&Z meeting on Oct 21st, the original plan “missed the mark”, the density "was too great” and
the three story apartments were "not appropriate.” This narrative of not listening to public concerns
continues today.
So, when the applicant cites that they reduced their plan by 108 units or 33% of density it is important
that the Council understands that this reduction came at the unnecessary and completely avoidable
expense of the public. As a community, we shed tears, felt powerless and frustrated as we not only
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lost sleep but lost neighborhood friends who sold their homes to avoid what they thought at the time
to be the inevitable development of an inappropriately dense plan. Even today, my wife and I are
frequently asked whether or not we plan to move if the Centerville application goes through as is. (We
have every intention to continue to make South Meridian our home and be a contributor to this
community that we've come to love.)
While improvements were finally made at the behest of the original P&Z meeting in August of this
year, public frustration continues to mount for the following unaddressed areas:
1. Applicant continues to not take into account concerns brought up during neighborhood meetings
with applicant:
Applicant unnecessarily floats MU-N's residential component of townhomes outside the
FLUM's designated MU-N 9 acre area. Since day one, the public has been adamant that the
applicant respect the FLUM designated areas per the Comp Plan.
o Meridian's Comp Plan's Policy Direction 3.03.03D Requires all development to be consistent
with Future Land Use Map designations for the property
o While Comp Plan 3-11 General Guidance does allow for floating abutting designations, it is
clear that this provision is in place for developers that purchase specific parcels that do not
align with land use designation and even then there are limits to how much they can float.
Developers are aware before purchasing parcels to develop that per the Comp Plan this
provision must come at the discretion of the Council as part of a public hearing with a land
development application and is not guaranteed provision. In this case, this provision is not
applicable to the Centerville application as the developer has purchased all three parcels
that constitute the FLUM designation area in question. There are no grounds for the City
Council to extend this provision to the applicant except to accommodate a developer at the
expense of the public needs (see bullet points above).
o
Applicant continues to inadequately address neighborhood compatibility concerns as outlined
in Comp Plan 3.07.01a transitional requirement.
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o Centerville application has 1/15 acre townhome lot both adjacent and across the street from 1/4
and 1/3 acre single family lots. How can this extreme difference in adjacent neighborhood lot
sizes even across buffers be adequate transitional density with existing neighborhoods? The
answer of course is that it is not. (This is compatibility concerns is compounded by the higher
elevation that Centerville lots sit relative to lots found across the Hillsdale Creek entrance)
o
o
2. MDR Designated Public concerns overview:
o
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o
Applicant addresses east/west walkability concerns but ignores
north/south walkability concerns. Comp Plan's Policy Direction action 5.01.01A
requires developers to foster walkable and bikeable communities through good site and
street design.
Applicant continues to ignore Comp Plan 3-13 that says alleys and roadways should be
used to transition between residential densities. Centerville application transitions
density across back fences. This goes against Meridian's Comp Plan and is not in line
with public expectations. Back fence density transitions creates unfavorable and
unfortunate situations for future residents that buy homes not realizing their backyard
backs up to multiple lots yet to be built.
Applicant requested R-15 zoning for much of the single family Medium Density
designated area. This should be R-8 in order to align with public expectations set by the
MDR land use cutsheet. R-8 has a minimal single family lot size of 4,000 sq ft. This is
just 500 sq ft more (4.5 ft additional street frontage) than the smaller single family
residential lots of 3,500 sq ft currently proposed. R-8 zoning benefits its future residents
in one of many ways, e.g.
it’s additional storage space that makes parking in the garage a possibility
It’s a nursery for a family just getting started
it’s a front porch where neighbors can wave to each other
it’s a patio where family can enjoy each others company
It’s additional living space where friends can watch Boise State game
Lastly, as mentioned above, applicant is floating MU-N designation and has inadequate
north/south transitional densities on the west side of the site plan.
3. MU-N designated public concerns overview:
o
o Lack of Amity fronting commercial, inadequate parking and awkward internal traffic flow
continue to be a concern for the MU-N designated area.
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For the reasons above Centerville's application should be denied.
As you know, this is an infill project in a growth designated area and as such comes with its own
unique challenges. A critical component to overcoming these challenges is listening and addressing
public concerns. To say the above concerns are born out of a hypocritical-anti-growth-not-in-our-
backyard sentiment is a complete mischaracterization of the public's position and concern. We
understand the value of growth and want to see the Meridian's Vision as detailed in City of Meridian
Comprehensive Plan come to fruition.
A great thing about infill projects is that they also come with their unique advantages. The
surrounding variables of schools, traffic and adjacent built and planned to be built neighborhoods are
known. Successful infill projects require due diligence from the community agencies to do
accurate analysis of community impact using recently collected data and latest known
plans. Meridian's City Council can demonstrate good stewardship of public trust by ensuring that this
takes place. As a growing and highly desirable community we have time on our side to get it
right.
Feel free to reach out to me if there are any follow-up questions or concerns.
Sincerely Your South Meridian Constituent,
James Phillips
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