HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ - Narrative Rodney Evans+Partners,LLC
1450 W.Bannock St.
Boise,ID 83702
p:208-514-3300
www.reandpartners.com
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Landscape Architecture+Urban Planning+Land Use and Site Planning+Entitlements+Project Management
January 13,2025
Community Development
Planning Division
City of Meridian
33 E. Broadway Ave.,Suite 102
Meridian, Idaho 83642
Re: Latitude Forty Three Subdivision—675,715,&955 S.Wells St.,Meridian,ID 83642—Letter of Explanation
To Whom it May Concern,
The application before you is for the Annexation and Zoning of the parcels located at 675,715,and 955 S.Wells St.,Meridian,Idaho
83642,along with a portion of unopened/unmaintained Ada County Highway District right-of-way.The three parcels combine for a total
of approximately 16.58-acres and the portion of right-of-way to be vacated is approximately 0.25-acres,making the development area
approximately 16.83-acres in total.The adjacent rights-of-way will be annexed with the project,as required,and constitute
approximately 0.44-acres,making the total area annexed 17.27-acres.As the parcels are within a Medium Density Residential and Mixed-
Use Neighborhood Land Use areas as defined in the City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan and shown on the Future Land Use Map,zoning
designations of R-8(Medium Density Residential)and C-N(Neighborhood Business District)are requested.The application also includes a
Preliminary Plat application for the development of ninety-four(94)total lots(81 single-family residential buildable, 1 commercial
buildable,and 12 common)to be created for the construction of eighty-one(81)single-family homes,private and public streets,and a
commercial pad,along with associated utility,site,and landscape improvements.The development is planned as two phases.
Current and Requested Zoning
The current zoning of the parcels is RUT in Ada County,and the property is proposed to be annexed into the City of Meridian with zoning
designations of R-8(Medium Density Residential),R-15(Medium High-Density Residential),and C-N (Neighborhood Business District),
which meets the intent of the City's Future Land Use Map and Comprehensive Plan goals for the redevelopment of this area as a MU-N
(Mixed Use Neighborhood)Land Use.The R-8 zone will be applied to the residential development area north of Five Mile Creek,which
comprises approximately 13.78-acres.The sixty-one lots within the R-8 zone reflects a density of 4.43 dwelling units per acre.The R-15
zone will be applied to the residential development area south of Five Mile Creek,which comprises approximately 2.42-acres.The twenty
lots within the R-15 zone reflects a density of 8.26 dwelling units per acre. The overall density of the residential portion of the project is
4.93 dwelling units per acre.The C-N zone will be applied to the commercial lot,which comprises approximately 1.07-acres.The
roadways adjacent to the C-N zone will also be assigned a C-N zoning designation.Zoning of the surrounding properties includes R-8
(Waverly Place Subdivision)and L-0(assisted living and transitional care facility)to the north;RUT(Ada County zone),C-G(hotel)and L-0
(currently vacant)to the east; L-0(real estate,medical,and dental offices)to the south;and R1(Ada County residential zone)and R-4
(Woodbridge Subdivision)to the west.The R-8,R-15,and C-N zoning designations are requested to provide for additional single-family
homes and commercial development opportunities in an area with existing adjacent infrastructure improvements(utilities,roads,etc.)
that meet the standards of the City of Meridian UDC and Comprehensive Plan.Additionally,care was taken with the site design,lot sizes,
and open space to increase compatibility with the adjacent Woodbridge Subdivision.
Annexation and Land Use
This requested annexation,zoning,and preliminary plat are compatible with the land uses adjacent to the site and with the overall
comprehensive plan for this area of Meridian.No variances or waivers are requested with these applications,and all future construction
will comply with the density,lot size,setbacks,and other applicable provisions within the City of Meridian's UDC.The land use
designation of the project area north of Five Mile Creek is Medium Density Residential,with which the R-8 zone is appropriate and will
allow for the development of single-family homes that are cohesive with the adjacent residential homes to the north and west,as the
Medium Density Residential land use contemplates residential densities ranging from three to eight units per acre.As the land use of the
parcels to the south of Five Mile Creek is Mixed Use Neighborhood,the R-15 and C-N zones are appropriate and will allow for a mix of
medium density residential development and low-intensity commercial and office uses that are appropriate for the location.The
residential and commercial uses will have an integration of open space to create connectivity between the land uses,as encouraged by
the Comprehensive Plan,and will be primarily residential in use with supporting non-residential services on the commercial portion of
the development.
Subdivision
The proposed preliminary plat as submitted will establish 81 single-family residential home lots and 1 commercial buildable lot.The
commercial lot will be developed to the point of a building pad with all stubbed utility services for a future user to be determined.Sixty-
one of the single-family home lots will be within the R-8 zone,and twenty will be within the R-15 zone.Ample open space for passive and
active recreation will further enhance the subdivision and improve the riparian area around Five Mile Creek that crosses the property.A
variety of housing options are proposed,with home sizes ranging from 1,870 sf to 5,100 sf,with both single and two-story homes
available,as well as options for 2 or 3 garage spaces each.Specific home designs will be selected by the future individual lot purchasers.A
future Homeowner's Association and CC&R's will be established to ensure high-quality architectural design standards which include
specific provisions regarding the exterior elevations,colors,accent materials,lighting,fencing,and landscaping,as well as long-term
maintenance of the development landscape and private roadways.All existing perimeter fencing will be either retained and protected or
replaced,and the developer will coordinate with all affected neighbors. Proposed lot sizes are larger than the required minimums for all
residential lots in both the R-8 and R-15 zones,and all residential development will be single-family home development.The R-8 portion
of the subdivision will be a gated development,with proposed private streets.The R-15 and C-N portions of the subdivision will be
accessed from existing and proposed public streets.
Roads and Access
Public and private roads are proposed for access to the homes,with a 33'back-to-back road section and 5'wide attached sidewalk within
a 47'right-of-way in conformance with ACHD standards.The private portion of the subdivision(north of Five Mile Creek)site will be
accessed via a private street connection to S.Wells St.along the eastern side of the project site.This access will be gated,and all streets
within the gated portion of the subdivision will be private.The Meridian Fire Department has provided approval of the private streets for
width and dimension,ensuring that they have adequate access in any emergency situation.A second emergency-only access is provided
from the gated portion of the subdivision,which will allow for additional safety for the residents,while directing traffic away from E.
Magic View Dr.to the north.The public portion of the subdivision(south of Five Mile Creek)will be accessed via existing and proposed
public roadways,as shown on the submitted Preliminary Plat.All adjacent public roadways will be improved,as required by the City of
Meridian UDC for subdivision development.Landscape buffering will be provided along the north and east sides of the private portion of
the subdivision,as required along Collector roadways.
Open Space
Open lawn areas,playground space,covered picnic areas,walking paths,and two pickleball courts will be included within the interior
common spaces,which will provide for active and passive recreation.The total open space provided is 123,710.4 square feet(2.84-acres),
of which 109,771.2 square feet(2.52-acres)is qualified open space,equating to 15.56%of the site.The amenities proposed within the
subdivision consist of covered picnic areas,two full-size pickleball courts,open grassy areas,micro paths within open grassy areas,and a
continuation of the regional/mixed-use pathway along Five Mile Creek,as shown on the proposed preliminary plat,landscape plans,and
open space exhibit.With the residential property size of 16.2-acres,there would be 4 total points of site amenities required(16.2/5=
3.24).The proposed picnic areas(2),tot lot(1),pickleball courts(8),and multi-use pathway(1)amenities provide for a total of 12
amenity points,which is triple the amount required.The collector street buffers and natural Five Mile Creek riparian zone provide
additional amenity points and aesthetics to the site.
Phasing
The development of the project is planned as two phases.The area of the preliminary plat north of Five Mile Creek will be developed in
the first phase,with sixty-one(61)single-family residential lots and associated roadway,infrastructure,and landscape improvements.
The area of the preliminary plat south of Five Mile Creek will be developed in the second phase,with twenty(20)single-family residential
lots,one(1)commercial lot,and associated roadway,infrastructure,and landscape improvements.The multi-use pathway along Five
Mile Creek will be developed during the first phase of the subdivision,providing connectivity for the future and existing adjacent
residential developments.
Community Outreach and Neighborhood Meetings
The development team has held multiple meetings with the adjacent neighborhood association,as well as conducting multiple formal
neighborhood meetings in the lead up to the application submittal. During the final neighborhood meeting,there were approximately 23
attendees(including the development team),and the discussion included concerns about overall density of the proposed development,
traffic,parking,privacy,property values,cohesiveness with existing homes(from a size and aesthetic standpoint),and access to E.Magic
View Dr.The neighborhood to the west has concerns about cut-through traffic from additional residences,and the development team
took the opportunity to address that as best as they could with the proposed layout.The density and proposed lot sizes of the
development as outlined in this narrative,are very cohesive with the R-4 and R-8 developments adjacent to the proposed project and
reflect the underlying Land Use and desired development pattern of this area of Meridian.By creating a mix of residential units and a
commercial space,the development will provide a transition from the commercial,office,and hospitality uses that are adjacent to the
south and east along the Interstate 84 corridor.The addition of the private,gated portion of the subdivision will further increase the
value of the proposed homes and will not have a negative impact on adjacent properties.The development of open space,trail
connectivity,and future commercial development will increase services in the area,which also conforms with the mixes of uses
contemplated in the Comprehensive Plan.Proposed homes are to be built by Pacific Lifestyle Homes,and conceptual elevations of home
options have been included with the application materials,demonstrating the high-quality of the future homes within the development.
The change from a full access to and emergency-only access connected to E.Magic View Dr.on the north side of the project will prohibit
regular traffic from exiting onto E.Magic View Dr.and going directly through the adjacent neighborhood.By directing all residential
traffic to S.Wells St.to the east,traffic will be encouraged to use the public surface streets to the east.The project can't prohibit public
traffic from utilizing the public roadways in the area,and the development and design team has done as much as possible to mitigate for
potential traffic impacts on the affected neighbors. Homes are proposed to have either a 2-or 3-car garage,along with a driveway that is
a minimum of 20'deep from the back of sidewalk,which will provide for more than an adequate amount of parking.Additional on-street
parking within the proposed subdivision is also available. Lots have been oriented to place back yards against existing back yards along
the western boundary,and care has been taken to keep lots as consistent as possible with those adjacent.The inclusion of landscaping
and fencing will ensure the privacy of both existing and proposed residents will be protected.
Ultimately,the developer and design team feel that the proposed project will bring additional high-quality single-family residential homes
to the area,along with additional businesses that will support the surrounding existing and proposed residents through thoughtful infill
redevelopment of the site which will continue to enhance underutilized spaces in this area of Meridian.Please contact me directly with
any questions regarding the project at
208-514-3300 or ben@reandpartners.com
Sincerely,
Rodney Evans+Partners,LLC
Ben Semple,PLA
Principal,Senior Landscape Architect