Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ - Narrative BOROUGH VILLAGE SUBDIVISION Written Narrative September 2, 2025 Introduction Challenger Development Inc. requests the City of Meridian's approval of development applications for Borough Village Subdivision. Included in our submittal are applications for the rezoning of 3.04 acres from L-O(Limited Office District)to R-15 (Medium-high Density Residential); a preliminary plat on 2.81 acres with a planned unit development for 2 single-family homes, 9 duets (18 units)on 1 lot, 1 common drive, 1 overflow parking lot, and 1 common lot; and a development agreement modification. The property is Lot 1,Block 1 of Borough Subdivision,plus the vacated right-of-way of N. Jericho Street. The vacated right-of-way is already zoned R-15 and is not part of the rezone, but is included in the preliminary plat at the request of staff. Property History The property was originally platted through Ada County in the RUT(Rural Urban Transition)zone as a portion of Lot 6,Block 1 of Westborough Subdivision which was recorded in 2003. The property was included in a mixed-use development referred to as Westborough Square Subdivision in 2005. The development included(40)multi-family dwelling units on the east side of the original parcel with a zoning designation of R-15 and(6)professional office lots on the subject site with a zoning designation of L-O. A development agreement was recorded as Instrument No. 105152707, records of Ada County. The subject site was annexed and zoned L-O in 2007. The Westborough Square development was delayed due to the project being foreclosed on by the bank during the recession of 2008. The ownership changed and the 40 multi-family dwelling units were constructed on the east side of the development. The infrastructure on the west side of the development was installed,but no buildings were constructed. The Idaho Transportation Department(ITD), along with Ada County Highway District(ACHD), decided to eliminate the collector street approach of Jericho Road to Chinden Boulevard(SH-20/26). ACHD formally vacated the right-of-way adjoining the subject property's west boundary along with that portion of right-of-way on the east side of Hightower Subdivision in 2008. With the elimination of the mid- mile collector road(Jericho Street) connection to SH-20/26,the opportunities for a neighborhood center at this location changed. The lack of collector access to SH-20/26 and visibility from the highway created an isolated limited office parcel without potential for development. The subject site remained vacant, and an application was submitted to the City of Meridian in 2015, for a rezone of the parcel from L-O to R-15 with a modification of the conditional use permit to allow for(34)townhome units at a density of 12.55 dwelling units per acre. The application was denied by the Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council in 2016. The decision and order cited the applicant's failure to provide a compelling reason to change the zoning as originally proposed when the project was approved. Borough Village Written Narrative 1 of 5 A short plat was submitted on the subject property and the eastern parcel in 2016. The application for the short plat was approved by the City of Meridian. The Borough Subdivision,recorded in 2017, created two lots to include Lot 2,Block 1,which encompassed the(40)existing multi-family units; and Lot 1, Block 1,which was the vacant subject parcel. The final plat delineated a 35-foot- wide landscape buffer along the SH-20/26 frontage. ITD acquired an additional 10 feet of right-of- way for the highway expansion, leaving a 25-foot-wide easement. Alternative Compliance The property was previously developed as Westborough Square,with a landscape buffer along Chinden Boulevard as required by the UDC. ITD purchased additional right-of-way and removed all the irrigation and landscaping improvements when Chinden Boulevard was widened. We respectfully request alternative compliance for UDC 11-3B-7C.Ic. A majority of the site has a 10- foot-high wall constructed by ITD immediately adjacent to the sidewalk, and ITD has installed pea gravel. The project site is considerably lower than Chinden, and the 10-foot-high concrete wall provides a better buffer than landscaping could provide. Landscaping on Chinden would be an undue burden for a small infill project, especially since ITD made no provisions for irrigation or landscaping as part of the project. Comprehensive Plan The subject property is designated Mixed-Use Community on the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map. The Neighborhood Center designation has been eliminated with discontinuation of the Jericho Street connection to SH-20/26. The Mixed-Use Community designation allows for integration of a variety of uses, including residential, and to avoid mainly single-use and strip commercial buildings. Residential uses should have gross densities ranging from 6-15 dwelling units per acre. There is a band along the south side of SH-20/26 between Meridian and Locust Grove Roads designated as Mixed-Use Commercial. The existing uses include the Holy Apostles Catholic Church, the St. Ignatius School, Zamzows, Friendship Lutheran Church, Public Storage, Intermountain Pet Hospital,Nazca Coffee, Yoga Six Meridian, Valley Life Community Church, and Central Academy. The existing residential component within the mixed-use corridor is Hightower and Jericho Subdivisions along with the (40) multi-family units within Borough Subdivision. Reviewing the south corridor of SH-20/26 from Meridian Road to Locust Grove Road, there is limited residential development. Therefore, the addition of(20) additional residential units within the proposed Borough Village development will complement the existing uses. Rezone and Development Agreement Modification: Considering the existing development along the south corridor of SH-20/26, the elimination of the Jericho Street collector roadway, the installation of a berm and concrete wall that exceeds 10 feet in height, the viability of the subject site to develop as office has been extinguished. The subject site has no direct access or visibility from the State Highway. The collector roadway is now N. Saguaro Hills Avenue, which is west of the property. Access to the parcel is a circuitous Borough Village Written Narrative 2 of 5 route from SH-20/26 to N. Saguaro Hills to E. Everest Street to a common drive. The parcel has sat vacant and underutilized since 2008. The surrounding zone and uses to the west include Hightower Subdivision, attached single- family dwelling units zoned R-15. To the west is the Borough Subdivision, which includes townhomes in an R-15 zone. North of the subject side is a berm, block retaining wall, and 10- foot-high concrete wall installed by ITD with the improvements of SH- 20/26. South of the subject site is Westborough Subdivision, which has a zoning designation of R-2. The adjacent parcel to the south is developed with a single-family dwelling with a garage and a tennis court near the boundary. I met with homeowners of the parcel, David and Wendy Lieberman, since they were the homeowners most affected by the development. To provide for proper transition, we propose two single-family homes which will be one-story. The parking lot that adjoins their property was installed in 2008. The subject property has an existing development agreement that is outdated and no longer applicable to the site. Therefore, we request to enter into a new development agreement for the Borough Village Subdivision. Infrastructure Water: Domestic water for this development will be provided by the City of Meridian. An 8-inch water main is in the common drive and within the drive aisle of the parking lot. The applicant's engineer will coordinate with Meridian Public Works to abandon some water services and install additional services for proposed structures. A utility plan accompanies the application showing the existing improvements on the property and modifications to the sewer services to serve the proposed development. Sewer: Sewer service will be provided by the City of Meridian. An existing sewer line and services are within the common drive and the drive aisle on the parcel. The applicant's engineer will coordinate with Meridian Public Works to abandon some sewer services and install additional services to accommodate the new buildings. A utility plan is included in the application reflecting the existing utilities and other improvements. The proposed changes to the water services are delineated in the plan. Transportation: N. Jericho Street is a local public street and provides access to the subject parcel to the street network. A common drive into the subject parcel is in alignment with E. Everest Street. The common drive will provide access to the proposed single-family lots and to the drive aisle and parking lot serving the (9) duet buildings. The common drive is 28 feet in width with rolled curb, gutter and 5-foot-wide attached sidewalk in front of the two proposed single-family dwellings. The drive transitions to 25 feet in width to the east and within the duet area. The UDC under Section 11-2A-3(B)3 allows access to be taken from a common drive without public street frontage. SH-20/26 abuts the subject site and is improved as a 5-land highway with 80 feet of right-of-way from centerline. Borough Village Written Narrative 3 of 5 Gravity and Pressure Irrigation Facilities: The Karnes Lateral provides irrigation water in this area and is under the jurisdiction of Settler's Irrigation District. The Borough and Hightower Subdivisions share a pressure irrigation pump station located east of the subject property. Storm Drainage Facilities: Storm drainage facilities have been constructed with the Borough Subdivision. An existing ACHD storm drainage facility and easement encumber the subject site and are delineated on the preliminary plat. Preliminary Plat and Planned Unit Development The preliminary plat application consists of 6 total lots; 2 single-family lots, 1 multi-family lot, 1 common drive lot, 1 parking lot and 1 common lot. The Borough Village Subdivision will consist of two detached single-family homes on lots ranging from 4,176 to 4,228 square feet, with an average lot size of 4,202 square feet. The multi-family, or duet, lot consists of 2.10 acres and will be improved with nine duet buildings, or 18 dwelling units. The multi-family area consists of 5.091 square feet per dwelling unit. The gross density of the overall project is 6.58 dwelling units per acre, with a net density of 8.70 dwelling units per acre. A sheet has been included with the preliminary plat reflecting the existing conditions on the site. The utilities, parking, trash enclosures and existing landscaping with trees are delineated on the plan. A site plan is included reflecting the proposed building locations along with the existing easements and improvements. A total number of(11) residential buildings are proposed with(2) single-family homes and(9) duet buildings for a total (20) dwelling units within the project. The required parking requirements for the (18) duet units are 36 spaces with 18 open and 18 covered spaces. There are a total of 78 existing open parking spaces on the site, which includes 6 ADA parking spaces. A parking lot was constructed on the south side of the common drive which includes 14 open parking spaces and 2 ADA spaces. We proposed the parking lot be utilized for overflow parking for the Borough Subdivision townhomes located to the east of the subject property. The multi-family development was constructed without sufficient parking facilities. Parking has been a source of contention with the adjoining neighborhoods, with residents and guests of Borough Subdivision parking along Jericho and Everest Streets. We will make the overflow parking lot available to the guests and residents of Borough Subdivision to eliminate parking along the side streets within the adjoining neighborhoods. The subject site is less than 5 acres in size, so the common open space and site amenities are not applicable to the development. A landscape plan is included with the application reflecting the existing turf, trees and shrubs. The applicant proposes a xeriscape type of landscaping utilizing rock mulch. The berm along the north boundary is steep with a small block retaining wall and a 10-foot-high concrete wall. The applicant will install a horseshoe pit as an amenity since the target residents of the development will be 55 and older. The original 35-foot-wide landscape easement was reduced to 25 feet in width due to the highway project. The berming, retaining block wall and 10-foot-high concrete wall provides the buffer for the property. Borough Village Written Narrative 4 of 5 The Borough Village development complies with the Comprehensive Plan by promoting various types of housing to meet the needs and preferences of citizens regardless of age, race, income or family size. The Comprehensive Plan encourages an emphasis on high-quality residential development and a variety of housing. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to a public hearing. ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS, LLP c� Becky McKay Partner and Chief Planner Borough Village Written Narrative 5 of 5