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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-21 Anna Canning CENTURION ENGINEERS, INC. 2323 S. Vista Ave Suite 206 1 Boise, ID 83705 1 208.343.3381 Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission 33 E. Broadway Avenue Meridian, Idaho 83642 208.888.4433 November 21, 2024 Dear Planning and Zoning Commissioners, The purpose of this letter is to contradict statements made by the Summerlin Subdivision representative at your November 7, 2024 hearing and the email sent by Mr. Laren Bailey also dated November 7, 2024. Our client, Mr. Robert Bruno on behalf of JackJack LLC,wants to document the discussions regarding the purchase of all or part of the JackJack LLC property. Mr. Bailey states the following: "We have engaged in numerous discussions with the owner of JackJack LLC regarding Cavalli Lane. We have presented multiple proposals to the property owner, including offers to purchase the land, requests for an easement access, and proposals to develop it in coordination with his preliminary plat. Regrettably, all our offers have been declined." While Mr. Bailey's email lacks specific facts,the statement implies that Mr. Bruno has been unreasonable and that he has dismissed the offers without consideration. In fact, he has worked through many issues associated with a possible sale of both a portion of Cavalli Lane and the entire JackJack LLC property with Mr.Jake Centers of Blackrock Homes. Based on my review of emails and with some clarification from Mr. Bruno, here is the timeline of events: • Discussions begin in July of 2021. Mr. Centers sent an email to Mr. Bruno letting him know they would be developing the Locust Grove properties north and south of Cavalli Lane and stating that if he had "interest in either selling or squaring up your property,this would be the time to do it." Mr. Bruno suggests a collaboration that integrates both properties. On July 23, 2021, Mr. Centers provides an offer through an email offering a very low price per acre.The offer is about half of Mr. Bruno's expected price. • In December 2021, Mr. Centers offers to do a lot line adjustment for Cavalli Lane.That possibility is discussed, and Mr. Bruno also suggests a price for him to buy the whole property. More discussion goes on via email regarding purchase of Cavalli Lane and provisions to make that work between the two properties. • Around February 3, 2022, Mr. Centers makes a formal purchase and sale agreement offer to purchase the entrance portion of Cavalli Lane. Mr. Bruno is very concerned with the offer because it does not provide access to the remainder of the JackJack LLC property.Without a defined access,selling the entrance to Cavalli Lane affects a current offer on the C�4s:tTUI?la Over a Century of Engineering Excellence Page 1 of 3 C` �v It, CENTURION ENGINEERS, INC. 2323 S. Vista Ave Suite 206 1 Boise, ID 83705 1 208.343.3381 remainder of the JackJack LLC property. Mr. Bruno does not accept Mr. Center's offer immediately. • On February 12, 2022, Mr. Centers sends an email stating that the offer is only good through February 141".Without sufficient time to work out the access concerns,the offer expires. • In May of 2022,there is more discussion about purchasing a portion of Cavalli Lane via email. Mr. Bruno continues to have unresolved concerns about maintaining access to the remainder of the JackJack LLC property. • About nine months later in February of 2023, Mr. Centers sends an email to Mr. Bruno to check on the status of his property.There are some emails sent back and forth on what Mr. Bruno is looking for in selling the property. In these emails, Mr. Bruno states the value of a recent offer.There is a face-to-face meeting about purchasing the entrance portion of Cavalli Lane; Mr. Centers does not make an offer. • Two months later, in April of 2023, Mr. Centers expresses interest (via email) in purchasing the whole property. Mr. Bruno informs him that the JackJack LLC property is under contract to KB Homes. • On May 30, 2023, Mr. Bruno lets Mr. Centers know via email that KB Homes was asking for an extension and Mr. Centers could make an offer.When asked about price, Mr. Bruno provided the same price from the KB Homes offer, but Mr. Centers replies that he"cannot make those numbers work." • Shortly after the KB Homes deal ended, Laren Bailey contacted Mr. Bruno. Mr. Bailey asks how much Mr. Bruno was asking for to sell the JackJack LLC property. Mr. Bruno responded with the same price as the KB Homes offer. Neither Mr. Bailey nor any other person from Conger Group responded with a phone call, an offer,or any specific proposal. • At the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on November 7, 2024, Mr. Bruno committed to working with Conger Group on a shared access point. • After the meeting, Mr. Bruno met with Conger Group representatives in the City Hall Lobby. During the discussion, Mr. Conger stated that he would not collaborate on a shared entrance. He did, informally, make an offer to buy the property. Mr. Bruno rejected the offer because it was about 30% less than the KB Homes offer earlier this year. To summarize,there have been a lot of emails sent back and forth between Mr. Bruno and Mr. Centers. Both men have made good faith offers that have been rejected by the other party.They simply have not been able to agree on a fair market price and access. However, Mr. Bruno remains committed to working on a shared access. In Mr. Bailey's email he states,"it was determined that a single property owner should not impede our right to develop our property." It is very disturbing that Mr. Bruno was neither invited to this discussion where it"was determined", nor informed that it had been made so that he could appeal the determination.The"determination"does show up at a pre-application meeting for the JackJack LLC property,where the engineers were told that Cavalli Lane would need to be converted to a landscape lot.At a more recent pre-application meeting Centurion Engineers was told that Cavalli Lane would need to be developed as an access road in conjunction with the Summerlin property.The latter advice makes more sense and is a more reasonable path forward. C�"tAT URt o Over a Century of Engineering Excellence Page 2 of 3 C` �v NEE CENTURION ENGINEERS, INC. 2323 S. Vista Ave Suite 206 1 Boise, ID 83705 1 208.343.3381 REQUEST Thank you forth is opportunity to add facts to the record regarding Cava lli Lane.The goal of Mr. Bruno is to sell the property so that it is not a rural, agricultural enclave.To do so,the property needs access. Mr. Bruno assumed that access would come from Cavalli Lane—which was planned and designed in 2014 to be converted to a public road. On behalf of our client,we ask that the Planning Commission table this application until the applicant can provide a shared access or otherwise mutually agreed upon access to Locust Grove Road. Sincerely, Anna B. Canning, AICP Planning Manager Centurion Engineers, Inc. abcanning@centengr.com GENT U k to Over a Century of Engineering Excellence ' Page 3 of 3 `7 C` vG1NEE4