HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-01-04 James Phillips
Charlene Way
From:James Phillips <jamesphilly@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, January 4, 2022 4:09 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 rezoning application (continuation) public concerns
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To the Meridian City Council,
I want to follow up with the City Council our expectations for today's Centerville annexation and rezoning application
meeting.
First, I want to acknowledge the cognitive shift that the public was able to see in the Council Council's thinking once we
started sharing the data that is at the root of public concerns in the growth prioritized South Meridian area. In my mind
this showed that the City Council understands the importance of reevaluating Meridian's growth strategies.
We expect the City Council to address in today's meeting via sound reasoning and additional insight the following top 5
South East Meridian concerns:
We need the City Council to demonstrate good stewards of public trust by showing you understand the effects of ring
fencing Meridian growth to specific geographic areas, e.g. hyper growth in specific areas requires hyper diligence to
make sure they understand not only what is currently built but what has already been approved and the effects that has
on that region.
Meridian's current growth strategy of having specific designated growth areas is a good idea as it constrains the multi-
dimensional problem to a manageable problem space, but requires due diligence of continual follow up on where the
growth is heading based on up-to-date and accurate data.
It is the inability to adequately take stock of these designated growth priority areas that will create pockets in Meridian
of overcrowded schools, congested areas and car dependent neighborhoods - telltale signs of urban sprawl.
Growth in Meridian can most certainly continue but imperative the City works with the various public agencies - WASD,
ACHD, COMPASS, etc.. to address raised public concerns. Varying Meridian's growth strategies over time based on these
public concerns is key.
Best,
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James Phillips
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