HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-07-15 Natalie Purcell
Charlene Way
From:Natalie Purcell <nataliewixom@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, July 14, 2024 3:22 PM
To:Clerks Comment; planninginquiries; citycouncil
Subject:Stop The Gateway at Ten Mile
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Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission,
I write to you as a concerned citizen, expressing my deep apprehension about the rapid and unbridled approval of
housing projects within our city. The Gateway at Ten Mile CANNOT BE APPROVED. The surge in apartment complexes,
condos, and expansive neighborhoods is occurring without due consideration for the resulting strain on our local schools
and community.
Presently, our classrooms are overflowing, particularly in our overcrowded elementary school, Chaparral. This new
development will put all the schools in its area overcapacity. My son had 35 students in his 5th grade class last year.
If this reckless developments continue, without proper community structures in place, it will be catastrophic to our local
schools.
The overdevelopment is causing significant stress on our teachers, schools, and students, leading to a decline in
educational standards and teaching quality at our local elementary schools. Approving another massive housing
development will lead to further decline in education for our children.
Despite our love for Meridian and the joy of raising our family here, the continuous approval of these housing projects is
adversely affecting the overall quality of education, living standards, and the appeal of our city.
The only park in the vicinity of the proposed development is Fuller Park. It is currently bursting with over-use, often
flooding the local neighborhood with large amounts of traffic, people parking in the streets and blocking peoples homes,
and is creating safety issues for the local neighborhood and school children walking home. We cannot add more strain or
use to this area.
Allowing these developments without proper infrastructure in place is not only a sign of poor planning but also
jeopardizes access to quality education for current students.
Our community should not bear the brunt of collateral damage while developers profit. Trevor Gasser will be set to
profit and have to pay ZERO in impact fees to our schools and parks - while the surrounding homeowners will
be forced to pay higher property taxes to pay for the new schools and parks that are needed to support this
massive, unwanted development. And this is saying nothing about the traffic nightmare it will create for the
surrounding area.
Trevor Gasser gets rich, and I get to pay higher taxes, I get lower education quality for my children, an
overcrowded park with cars flooding my neighborhood and blocking my streets, and on top of it there is
bumper to bumper traffic on ten mile road. The only person set to gain anything in this is the developer, not
Meridian. We do not want this.
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We deserve better, and it is imperative to establish robust community structures before allowing our city to be
inundated by high-capacity housing.
As residents within the boundaries directly impacted by these developments, we cannot allow wealthy developers to
compromise our community's well-being and our children's access to education. Meridian must prioritize education
and schools in its growth planning, making them a primary consideration rather than an afterthought.
I implore you to NOT APPROVE The Gateway at Ten Mile until adequate plans for parks, traffic, and new schools are
established to accommodate the increased capacity. Our existing schools cannot sustain the burden imposed by the
current pace of development. You represent the citizens of Meridian, not the developers and not Trevor Gasser, I hope
you govern yourselves accordingly.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I trust that, as stewards of our city's future, you will make decisions
that prioritize the well-being of our citizens and the education of our community's children.
Sincerely,
Natalie Wixom Purcell
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