HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ - Review of Impact of Removal of Property from Pura Vida PUD January 25, 2026
City of Meridian
33 E. Broadway Ave.
Meridian, ID 83642
Re: Skybreak Rim—Staff-Requested Evaluation of PUD Amendment
Dear City of Meridian Planning Staff,
The purpose of a planned unit development (PUD) is to provide opportunities to preserve natural,
scenic, or historic features, allow for innovative design, and create a functionally integrated
development. Each PUD is reviewed based upon the standards identified in the UDC.
As noted previously, the present proposal removes a portion of the Pura Vida Ridge Ranch
planned unit development (H-2020-0064) ("Pura Vida" or the "Pura Vida PUD")that is separated
from the remainder of that project by distance and topography and integrates the Subject Property
into the existing Skybreak Subdivision. The Subject Property is located on the top of a rim and is
separated from the remainder of Pura Vida by steep slopes. It includes only single-family
detached homes and does not supply a required housing type within the current Pura Vida project.
Integrating the Subject Property into the existing Skybreak Subdivision is a far more appropriate
planning outcome as the Subject Property only has vehicular access through Skybreak and it will
be far easier and more convenient for its residents to participate in the Skybreak HOA and use its
community facilities.
At City Staff's request, this application to include the Subject Property within the Skybreak
development includes an amendment to the Pura Vida PUD only to modify its boundaries. Staff
has since made an additional request to review the Pura Vida PUD and confirm that it can stand
on its own after the removal of the Subject Property.
This analysis follows, including a brief discussion of the City's standards along with our evaluation,
labeled, in each case, "Response".
In the City of Meridian, a PUD is reviewed based upon the following standards (see UDC 11-7-4):
A. General Use Standards — Uses are to be interconnected and buildings should be
clustered. Deviations from underlying district requirements and the allowed use tables are
permitted.'
The foregoing standards are summarized by the undersigned to permit easy reading.
4930-0819-3170,v. 1
Response:
The Pura Vida PUD's design elements are largely focused on the lower, remaining area, located
near Lake Hazel Road, which includes the interconnected areas as well as a variety of housing
types. The analysis set forth in the City Council's January 19, 2021 decision (the "Pura Vida
Decision') is largely focused on this lower area. The present proposal does nothing to limit the
interconnectedness of the PUD; in fact, it removes the one area that was not interconnected with
the original Pura Vida project.
B. Private Open Space—A minimum of eighty(80)square feet of private, usable open space
shall be provided for each residential unit.
Response:
Per the Pura Vida Decision (p. 12), the required eighty (30) square feet of private, usable open
space is to be provided "in the form of a front stoop or porch." This is obviously focused on the
smaller housing product located in the portion of Pura Vida that will remain and is unaffected by
the removal of the Subject Property.
C. Residential Use Standards — There should be a variety of housing types, including
attached and traditional single-family units.
Response:
The Subject Property included only single-family detached units. No change to the type of
housing is proposed. The lower area of the Pura Vida PUD is unaffected. See drawing below
from the Pura Vida Decision.
4930-0819-3170,v. 1
Note, in addition, that the Subject Property did not include any waivers or modifications of
applicable dimensional standards: "Note:All lots in the R-8 district i.e., the Subject Property]
comply with the required dimensional standards as proposed."(Pura Vida Decision, at 13).
D. Approval Conditions — Council can approve based upon a variety of conditions that
minimize adverse impacts on other properties.
Response:
We have reviewed the conditions of approval related to the Pura Vida PUD that are attached to
Pura Vida Decision (Conditions 14 -19). Removal of the Subject Property has no impact on said
conditions.
Beyond the general standards identified above, the required findings for a PUD include the
following.
A. High quality site design;
Response:
Removal of the Subject Property has no impact on the quality of site design. The Subject Property
was previously functionally separated from the lower area of the Pura Vida PUD. Removing it
and making it part of the Skybreak Subdivision makes sense both from a community design
perspective, but also from a functional and efficiency perspective as the Subject Property will be
accessed through Skybreak and the Skybreak amenities are more easily accessible to future
residents of the Subject Property.
B. Preservation of natural, scenic, or historic features;
Response:
There is no impact on the Pura Vida PUD's preservation of natural, scenic, or historic features.
The prior PUD approval is largely focused on the lower area, which includes a future crossing of
the Ten Mile Drain. The Subject Property is, for all intents and purposes, its own island within the
Pura Vida PUD. It was not designed around these elements and remains largely unaffected.
C. Arrangement of uses and structures does not cause damage, hazard, or nuisance
to persons or property in the vicinity;
Response:
This standard appears to have been largely satisfied by conditioning the project to include a future
bridge across the Ten Mile Drain. This application does not affect the transportation network
within the Pura Vida project because it is separated by a steep grade and has no road connections
to the lower portion of the Pura Vida PUD. Uses within the Subject Property remain unchanged.
D. Internal circulation system allows for efficient and safe flow of vehicles, bicyclists,
and pedestrians and does not burden other public services in the area;
4930-0819-3170,v. 1
Response:
The current proposal has no impact on the internal circulation system at Pura Vida subdivision.
E. Community facilities are functionally related and accessible to all dwelling units via
pedestrian or bicycle pathways;
Response:
The current proposal does not alter or limit any community facilities within Pura Vida subdivision.
Rather than relying upon pedestrian access to community facilities (or driving around from Eagle
Road to the Pura Vida entrance on Lake Hazel), residents of the Subject Property will have access
to the Skybreak HOA amenities.
F. The proposal complies with the density and use standards of the UDC;
Response:
The current proposal does not change any lot configuration or proposed uses within the remaining
Pura Vida PUD.
G. Amenities are appropriate in number and scale to the proposed development;
Response:
The current proposal does not change any amenities within the remaining Pura Vida PUD. There
will be less demand on these amenities as the residents of the Subject Property will now be part
of the Skybreak HOA. As discussed with staff, pathway locations down the hill below the Subject
Property are being evaluated with the Parks Department and this pedestrian connectivity will
remain.
H. The PUD is in conformance with the comprehensive plan.
Response:
Removal of the subject property has no impact on the remaining Pura Vida subdivision conformity
to the comprehensive plan.
As shown above, the removal of the Subject Property allows the Pura Vida PUD to remain intact
and should be approved as proposed.
4930-0819-3170,v. 1