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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSouthridge Sub Schumaker Comments July 13, 2006 ~ ~ ~~:-..::.:.: !i ',' ;,~" '~' Mel R. Schumaker 1620 S T~nMile Meridian, ill 83642 Meridian City Clerk's Office 33 East Idaho Avenue Meridian, ill 83642 :" -.i: RE: James L. Jewitt's proposed AZ 06-031 Annexation and Zoning of290.87 acres from RUT to R-8 and Application PP 06-031 for preliminary plat In reference to the above annexation, zoning and platting, please put on record that we are against the massive South Ridge s~bdivision. The expansive South Ridge Subdivision that Mr. Jewitt has laid plans for the agricultural c, property located to the South and East edges of our property is out of context for the rural area. My family and I live and raise livestock on our property located at 1620 S Ten Mile Road. The proposed South Ridge Subdivision that would tower over our property with thirty-five foot high buildings to the South and East of our property is not suitable; thus, we are against the plans Mr. Jewitt has put forth for the agricultural property. Our rural lifestyle will be destroyed by the massive influx of people that Mr. Jewitt will bring to the neighborhood with his substantial and overwhelming South Ridge subdivision. The Ridenbaugh Canal runs through Mr. Jewitt's farm, which concerns us in three (3) ways: 1 St - Based upon observations in areas similar to ours, the large amounts of people will walk, run, operate cars, trucks and other vehicles (i.e., 4-wheelers), motorcycles on the canal, which is against canal regulations, due to safety issues. The canals are not for recreational purposes. Furthermore, the large amount of people using the canal for recreational purposes will impact our livestock, which are sensitive to being startled by people, vehicles, dogs and loud disruptive noises. < 2nd -Through the years of using the Ridenbaugh Canal for irrigation purposes, we have encountered more and more garbage floating in the canal, which includes, but is not limited to, lawn clippings, shrub and tree trimmings, trash which covers and chokes water irrigation inlets, into ours as well as others property. With the amount oflots Mr. Jewitt is showing bordering the canal, one can conclude that his South Ridge subdivision will substantially contribute to this litter problem in the Ridenbaugh Canal. 3rd _ The Ridenbaugh Canal that runs through Mr. Jewitt's property has dry cheat grass 'banks for a good portion of the year. We are concerned that during the dry season someone from his huge proposed subdivision could possibly set the grass on fire putting our property in peril from a deadly fu:e caused by carelessness with fire. ;Ii ii ~ '" ~ " Meridian City Clerk's Office July 13, 2006 Page two Our personal drinking water system is a well, which provides ground water for our hom~ and livestock. We have concerns that Mr. Jewitt's South Ridge Subdivision will have storm water run off that will pick up contaminates, such as oils from vehicles using the roads and parked with the subdivision, yard fertilizers, and other haMrdous chemical that someone may dump into the catch basins, which, in the long run, will contaminate the gravel strata above Ollr property and which will eventually contaminate our well and eventually the aquifer that many families use as a source for drinking water. NonnaIly, grease traps catch oil and fuel leaks from vehicles when impeccably maintained, if not, grease traps do little, if any, good to stop the contamination of ground water. Furthermore, any sewer line that may develop an undetected leak is just as deadly as sewage is raw and untreated. We feel that the South Ridge Subdivision will eventually contaminate not only our drinking water, but other families water that also use the aquifer as a clean, pure water source. ~ 1 acknowledge that your document says to direct traffic concerns to the Ada County Highway District, although, it must be said that the volume of traffic related to and associated with this proposed South Ridge Subdivision will be tremendous. Already, this valley is overwhelmed with traffic. The traffic from Mr. Jewitt's Sout~Ridge Subdivision's ingress and egress on Overland and Ten Mile Roads will be overwhelming to the surrounding infrastructure. 'i< At one time, there was discussion in the Meridian community about "referral area" "where existing farmland would be preserved by limiting new development to lots no smaller than 10 acres." "I think Ada County is kind of at a crossroads," said County Commissioner Roser Simmons. "There's somethifi! to be said for Ag preservation in a county that's losing more of its agricultural roots just about every day." (Reference Idaho Statesman article) Please do not let our agricultural land be turned into massive high traffic subdivisions. Go back to and toward Boise, infill the land that is vacant, and please stop the policy of urban sprawl. Solve traffic issues and congestion first, don't ruin the rural countryside. In summary, we are against the South Ri4ge Subdivision for the fgllowing reasons: 1) Out of context for the rural area. 2) Destruction of our rural life style with 35' high buildings to the South and the East of our property. 3) Ridenbau8h Canal issues: a. Large amount of people using the Ridenbaugh Canal for recreational purposes [i.e., walking, running, operating cars, trucks, other vehicles, such as 4-wheelers, motorcycles] which is against canal re!Ulations, because of safety issues. :!: .: ... $ ~ 'Meridian City Clerk's Office July 13,2006 0>: Page three ,. '. :t. b. Large amounts of people using the canal for recreation will impact our livestock that are sensitive to bein! startled by people, vehicles, dogs, and loud disruptive nOIses. c. People throwing';garbage, lawn clippings, shrub and tree tri11JItlings, trash, which covers and chokes ~ter irrigation inlets to our property and others property. d. Concern that dry cheat grass canal banks could possibly set - grass on fire and put our property in peril from a deadly fire caused by carelessness with fire. 4) Concern that Mr. Jewitt's South Ridge Subdivision will contaminate our well by pollutants penetrating throu8h the gravel strata above our well. a. Storm water run off that will pick up contaminates, such as oils, chemicals, yard fertilizers, other hazardous chemicals that will leach into or be dumped into catch basins, which in the Ions run will contaminate the:gravel strata above our property, and will eventually contaminate our well and the aquifer that is our source of drinking water. b. Sewer lines that may develop an undetected leak will leach raw sewage into the gravel strata and contaminate our drinking water. 5) Concern about Mr. Jewitt's huge subdivision generatins lar.ge volumes of traffic on and to an infrastructure that is already overloaded. 6) Concern that the preservation of farmland is not being done, even though the concept of."referral areas"~as been advocated. 7) Mr. Jewitt's PP 06-031 of233 lots is only the 'tip of the iceberg' compared to the huge size of subdivision he wants to build on the 290 acres. The total size of his eventual subdivision is three to four times the 233 lots. We are against the annexation of the 290 acres and against Mr. Jewitt's huge subdivision in a rural agriculture area. 'Mr. Jewitt's application for the 290 acres is AZ06-031. ... ~ ,. Respectfully submitted, 'AI Mel R. and Sharon Schumaker /f} · ~~ ft~:J~