HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-18 Robin Card
Charlene Way
From:Robin Card <rcard68@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, July 17, 2023 1:06 PM
To:City Clerk
Cc:Liz Strader; John Overton; Jessica Perreault; Brad Hoaglun; Robert Simison; Joe
Borton; Luke Cavener
Subject:Linder Village - H-2023-0005
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
To Whom it May Concern:
My name is Robin Card, and I am a resident in the Paramount subdivision, living at 6031 N Booth Ave. I am writing to, strongly
and respectfully, request Meridian City Council deny request #H-2023-0005 seeking to modify the zoning at Linder Village.
The biggest issue in my mind is the multi-family zoning change. This is not allowed in a C-C zone and would require a
conditional use permit. The conditional use permit means that the developer has sufficient cause for the city council to
grant that request. To my knowledge I have not seen anything that the developer has submitted that provides "sufficient
cause" for future use. The developer has not even provided a plan that would state what the future use is supposed to be.
The land in the northwest corner of Linder and Chinden has already had an application for a zoning change, back in
2017, for apartments that was denied because adding an apartment complex would not fit in with the local area, and it
was deemed that there were already enough multi-family options available within a 3-mile radius. Please, honor the
decision of The Council from 5 years ago.
This section of property has already had several modifications approved. WinCo’s footprint was bigger than it was
supposed to be for the zoning, businesses were opened before the Chinden improvements were completed, and the
latest amendment was the increased density allowed in the Sagarra Subdivision by using a PUD allowing smaller setbacks.
This developer likes to push the envelope and take advantage of the situation to increase the density whenever possible,
all with the seeming blessing of Staff, and City Council has been extremely willing to allow this to happen without realizing
the cumulative effect of allowing all of these modifications to what was originally approve. If this change is approved the
developer will be free to build whatever they see fit, which could include a 500+ dwelling apartment complex. The
increase in traffic and resource requirement alone would make it a nightmare to enter and exit the area, which increases
risk of accident and injury. As for resources, Idaho Power is already strapped in providing power to the area; adding over
1,000 new bodies could cause uncontrollable power outages. Imagine losing power when it is 106 degrees or 5 degrees.
Other cities in the US have seen this issue and it always culminates in a person’s or people’s death(s).
Paramount has already had to bear the brunt of recent approved increases in allowable density. The recently
approved Sagarra development has pushed the density of the area significantly, and once completed it will impact the
safety of the subdivision. This includes the Crystal Barn and other local attractions. These buildings and businesses are
going to attract a large amount of people, and cars, to the area, and adding even more density will simply make it
untenable. The higher density that is allowed in the area makes the traffic worse, overcrowds the schools and quite
literally makes it more difficult for residents to safely go outside; walking dogs or letting children play.
Regarding the Crystal Barn, the developer is seeking to modify what was approved, once again, by increasing from
the approved single level building to a 3-level building. This will, as my letter has pointed out ad nauseam, create a
bottleneck of traffic flow and increased safety concerns.
It is my hope that the City Council sees this developer for what they have been; a boundary pushing, evasively communicating,
money at all costs motivated group who lacks transparency but tries to show themselves as community focused. The fact that
they are seeking a change without submitting a proposed plan speaks volumes to their lack of integrity, as they are making
every attempt to get City Council to approve something sight unseen. And, to be brutally honest, they have played this City
Council as fools for all of the changes that have been allowed. Just once, please stand for the people who voted for you, and
their interests. Not everything needs to be about money. There needs to be quality of life mixed in as well. This change will
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negatively impact that quality of life, more than it has already been. Please, do not allow for a continuance. I beg of you to say,
“NO” and force the developer to honor the plan that is in place moving forward or sell to a developer that will.
Kindest regards,
Robin Card
6031 N Booth Ave
Meridian, ID 8364
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