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Home My WebLink AboutPZ - Narrative BRIGHT0N January 20,2026 C.Caleb Hood, Deputy Director Community Development Services Meridian City Hall RE:Driftwood Townhomes—Preliminary Plat Dear Mr. Hood: Enclosed are the applications for Driftwood Townhomes, a 4.81-acre residential project at the northwest quadrant of Ustick Road and Venable Lane (as depicted below). r� 1 • a •�ILy A Vicinity Map Included applications are as follows; The Planning and Zoning Commission is the recommending body, while City Council is the decision- making body for the following applications: • Rezone of 5.01 acres from the C-N zone to TN-R. • Preliminary plat of 4.81 acres for 61 single-family residential lots and 5 common lots The Community Development Director recommends to the City Council,the decision-making body for the following application: BRIGHTON—Creating GREAT Places—2929 W. Navigator Drive,Ste.400, Meridian, ID 83642 www.brighton.co 208-378-4000 Driftwood Townhomes Page 2 • Development Agreement Modification pertaining to 4.81 acres,to supersede the existing development agreement(Instrument No. 108059803). • Waiver Request to allow a 4' attached sidewalk. The Community Development Director is the decision maker for the following applications: • Private Streets, which will be submitted separately. Property History Driftwood Townhomes has a Future Land Use designation of Mixed-Use Community(MU-C) and is currently zoned Community Business (C-C),we are requesting to rezone to TN-R, depicted on the following images. This project was originally approved as a multi-family development (associated DA Instrument No. 108059803).The requested rezone is not intended to increase intensity or shift land use direction. Instead,the TN-R zone is necessary to support individual lot platting; enabling each unit to be separately sold or rented. While the building footprints and site design remain largely consistent with the previously approved multifamily project,the new configuration offers improved housing flexibility. LLI4 6 ¢ a UW Woodpine St = Z Z - — W Crosswind St ' �y sSN,irya4r �m ' 'Z 100 ' 1 too a 0 -a U - 2 W-USTiC K-Rd a 3j Pebblesfonesf m n W Pebblestone In --- `a •'1+1 >= Jm`'4 low. I d � m 17CeC� UseOfnr7-YlJrllt z Future Land Use Designation Driftwood Townhomes Page 3 _ 1 Woodpine � 0 i ; 1 CL EMU 0 1 � 1 -- � + III W,USTIGK-RD L y , ch a ` [C-C] Community Business Parksfo 6 Current Zoning U Z I ID 1 LY►,RSS � 1 1 !�� --- 1 1 L.mr'� 0 1 1 — 1 L1 F z — iF ... 9 ! .� Pet�ble 'o€ e: Ln II VV Parkston XMI , --_�� gWPaIFk; [TN-R]Traditional Neiofou -TM 'I �I II Residential �- ..- Proposed Zoning Driftwood Townhomes Page 4 Site Integration and Compatibility As represented below, the project site is located between Settlers Park to the east, a future City of Meridian Community Center to the northeast, and a mix of single-family and multifamily residential to the west and south. Directly to the south of Driftwood Townhomes are two commercial lots to be developed in the future by a separate owner.The townhomes act as a transition residential use between the various land uses within the surrounding neighborhoods. Single - �I Family Future Settlers Dwellings Community Park Center ' Multi Family • � �� • -4E3 e i - w -- Future Carnmarcial f Single Family + _ Dwellings 1 Q Multi-Family 1 Surrounding Land Uses At a gross density of 12.7 dwelling units per acre, Driftwood Townhomes complies with the Comprehensive Plan,where the expected density range is between 6 and 15 dwelling units per acre. Driftwood Townhomes integrate well with the existing multifamily and single-family neighborhoods as well as the commercial zoning bordering Driftwood Townhomes. The proposed TN-R zone enables a housing type that is supportive of the City's goals for housing variety and thoughtful neighborhood transitions. The perimeter layout has the same unit configuration and scale abutting existing residential, ensuring continued compatibility in massing and orientation as the previously approved design. Driftwood Townhomes Page 5 71-1 o. . . 3 . m J west wkd oFirrsf—r n m m c COMMERCIAL AREA NOTA PART 1 � Wj- qq I rV s . a 1 FlR1RF CITY OF MFRrpliM - hCCHMWHRV(FRIER 1 l 1 FJ1uRE FuiliRE y bEVF1CW DPJEIDPMEM eran�EFS Rs_ �77�IILLL . s � I Proposed: • • ' / Lots — 61 SingleHomes Along the northern boundary,the lot layout has been intentionally designed to provide a transition in scale and character to the existing detached homes within the Woodburn Subdivision. The configuration Driftwood Townhomes Page 6 ensures that the homes directly abutting these neighbors provide transition and soften the edge between established single-family residences and the higher density multi-family to the west and south. Application In Detail Design Overview The proposed Driftwood Townhomes Subdivision includes sixty-one residential lots,three common open space lots, one alley lot, and one private street lot. Buckstone Avenue is proposed as a private street rather than a public extension to better reflect the scale and character of the Driftwood community. Compliance with all private street standards of the Unified Development Code will be demonstrated in the separate private street application, which has been submitted concurrently.This ensures that Buckstone Aveenue and the internal network meet the City's requirements while still achieving the project's neighborhood design goals. While Driftwood Subdivision is not subject to the city's common open space standards, which states "...standards for common open space and site amenities shall apply to all new single family, townhouse, and two-family duplex, developments of five(5)acres or more", the design intentionally incorporates distributed open space and pedestrian-oriented amenities that support walkability, wellness, and daily use. Driftwood has 10.65%qualified open space distributed across five (5) lots provides direct pedestrian access that create safe gathering places for residents, enhance the neighborhood's overall livability, and include pedestrian-focused amenities such as a dog waste station. The project benefits from immediate proximity to existing Settler's Regional Park and the City's planned Community Center, which will be directly across Venable Avenue. As shown below, residents are within approximately a 6- minute walk to the future Community Center(Point A) and an 11-minute walk to the center of Settlers Park(Point B), which provides significant active and passive recreational opportunities including sports fields, walking paths, and gathering areas. R � OF L O a Pedestrian Access to Regional Park Driftwood Townhomes Page 7 Townhomes Driftwood Townhomes offers a thoughtful mix of Carriage Lane and Conventional homes, providing diverse options to suit different lifestyles and preferences. Each residence includes a two-car garage paired with a parking pad that accommodates two additional vehicles.This provides four off-street spaces per home, ensuring that resident parking needs are met on-site and meets the City's off-street parking requirements. 111C Paired Street Accessed Homes Street-accessed homes offer the convenience of direct garage access.The traditional and welcoming facades ensure a balanced and attractive neighborhood design. 1 Paired Carriage Lane Accessed Homes Carriage lane homes are alley accessed, creating a pedestrian-friendly streetscape,fostering a sense of community by connecting residents to each other. Driftwood Townhomes Page 8 Ustick&Venable Improvements As part of the Driftwood Townhomes subdivision,we will be completing sidewalk improvements along the west side of Venable and adding a center turn lane to Venable at the private street intersection. We are currently working with Mike Barton, Meridian Parks Department, and ACHD relating to the improvement to the Venable and Ustick intersection. Settler's park requires a signal at the intersection of Venable and Ustick as part of their mitigation for the future Community Center, we have agreed to manage the construction for the signal as part of a CDA that is in process. Waiver Request We are requesting a waiver from City Council to allow attached, internal sidewalks at 4 feet in width. This adjustment is consistent with the neighborhood's scale and meets the purpose of creating pedestrian connectivity within the development. While slightly narrower,the sidewalks provide safe and comfortable pedestrian connections throughout the subdivision and connect residents to the surrounding. Additionally,every townhome's front door will have direct access to a sidewalk. Finally, residents will also have access to the 5-foot-wide detached sidewalk along Venable via internal pathways and the southern boundary. C ' F rl' i PRIVATE STREET D Attached 4-foot-wide p Detached 5-foot-wide I , -- I- O 'f WIND DRIFT ST. I v } rj Internal Pedestrian Access Driftwood Townhomes Page 9 In Conclusion Based on the foregoing, as supported by the accompanying applications and documentation,we request approval of the Rezone, Preliminary Plat, and Development Agreement applications for Driftwood Townhomes subdivision. If you or your staff have questions, or require additional information, please let me know for expedited response. For Brighton et al Digitally signed by Elizabeth Benski DN:C=US,E=ebenski@brightO,—, Elizabeth Benski O=Bhghtb,Cerp...t—, OU=Development,CN=Elizabeth Benski Dale:2026.01.20 10'.04:36-0]'00' Eli Benski Project Manager