HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes July 24, 2007
Meridian City Council
July 24, 2007
Page 12 of 70
De Weerd: We have no applicant. I still had to ask. Council, what do you want to do?
Bird: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move we approve VAC 07-008.
Zaremba: Madam Mayor, I believe we should ask if there is any public testimony.
Bird: Oh. Oh, this is a Public Hearing.
De Weerd: Well, I did and there is none, but if -- we would still have to close the Public
Hearing.
Bird: We need to close the Public Hearing. I move we close the Public Hearing on Item
8.
Zaremba: Second.
De Weerd: All those in favor say aye. All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
De Weerd: Okay..
Bird: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move we approve VAC 07-008.
Zaremba: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to approve Item 8. Mr. Berg, will you call roll.
Roll-Call: Bird, yea; Rountree, absent; Zaremba, yea; Borton, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 9:
Public Hearing: RZ 07-006 Request for a Rezone of 4.38 acres from an
R-8 to an R-15 zone for Bellabrook by J.E. Development, LLC - 300
South Locust Grove Road:
Meridian City Council
July 24,2007
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Item 10:
Public Hearing: CUP 07-005 Request for a Conditional Use Permit
approval for multi-family residential use in a proposed R-15 zone for
Bellabrook by J.E. Development, LLC - 300 South Locust Grove Road:
De Weerd: I will open the two public hearings on Items 9 and 10, Public Hearing RZ 07-'
006 and CUP 07-005, with staff comments.
Canning: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, this is the Bellabrook project. It's
located at 300 South Locust Grove Road, which is south of the LOS stake center there
on Locust Grove. The applications before you tonight are a rezone and Conditional Use
Permit for a multi-family development. I guess I should state briefly this is a
reconsideration hearing, so I will be going through the whole hearing again, with a
summary of your previous hearing on this item. The project includes -- this will do -- 34
individually owned two plus bedroom condominiums or villas and those will be attached
in combination ~f two and four dwellings each. We may have a colored site plan that's a
little easier. All the villas will have two car garages with two additional parking spaces
available in each driveway. The proposed buildings are depicted with two and three
story elevations for each group of buildings. Usable open space is in the form of
pedestrian walkways through the center of the project and a gathering courtyard, again,
in the center. Actually, the pathways go down to the creek and through the center and,
then, the courtyard is at the center of the project. And those will create a centralized
open space and gathering area. Sorry. The gathering area will include seating, shade
trees, and community artwork. Additional common area includes a buffer along Locust
Grove Road and landscaping of the eastern strip leading to Five Mile Creek area. The
gross residential density is 7.76 dwelling units per acre. This project was -- this parcel
of land was previously approved for annexation to R-8 and a preliminary plat for 20
single family houses on 20 building lots. They are now asking for the R-15 zone,
because it accommodates some multi-family development to that -- that their
condominium project falls under. They still do not exceed the eight dwelling units per
acre that would have normally been allowed in the R-8 zone. The Commission
recommended approval at their April 19th, 2007, Public Hearing. Shawn Nickel, the
applicant's representative, spoke in favor. Jerry Cunningham spoke in opposition.
Christie Jordan commented. And we received written testimony from Ronald Hodge.
Key issues of discussion by the Commission were the private streets versus public
streets within the development and the requirement of the development agreement to
incorporate the proposed site plan and elevations. The key Commission changes to
staff's recommendation were to again require that development agreement to
incorporate the proposed site plan and elevations. The outstanding issues for the City
Council prior to the previous hearing on June 5th were the requirement for the
development agreement and also the applicant had submitted a perspective view of the
proposed structures and I had shown you that previously. I can go back to that. These
are really just additional items to the record more than they were outstanding issues. At
your last hearing on June 16th -- or June 6, 2007, you did deny the project and asked
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July 24,2007
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for findings for denial. At that hearing Council expressed concerns about future
development of the parcel to the east and in response the applicant offered to provide a
stub street to the east boundary. The applicant has submitted a revised site plan and
landscape plan, dated July 15th, 2007, which depicts an extension of East Kalispell
Drive to the eastern property line, with a cross-access easement through Bellabrook.
Staff reviewed these revisions and does support -- support those as they are consistent
with the provisions of the Unified Development Code and the Comprehensive Plan.
Staff also spoke with Joe Silva, Meridian Fire Department, regarding the new stub street
shown on the site plan and he is supportive of the extension of East Kalispell Drive to
the east as shown. If the Council decides to move forward with a decision of approval
on this application, a condition should be included for the applicant to record a cross-
access easement agreement with the property owner to the east prior to application
submittal for certificate of zoning compliance for any structures within this development.
At that original hearing Council also expressed concerns about increasing traffic in the
area and the impact on the regional roadway system. Staff requested Charles Trainer
of Compass to comment on the applicant's proposal and how that project met the goals
of Communities In Motion. That letter was included in your packet and I wanted to read
just a couple paragraphs from that. In noting the project location it says it lies just one
quarter mile distance to Franklin, a corridor identified by Valley Regional Transit as a
high service level transit corridor in its regional operations capital improvement plan. It
is also less than a half mile from the rail corridor now being evaluated for future
commuter rail service and that -- and the last paragraph states: The Communities In
Motion plan approved by the Compass board on August 2006 emphasized more
compact development, a diversity of housing types, and increase in the amount of
development near services and transit routes. Bellabrook Villas appears to support
these objective.s, allowing for growth without consuming farm land. These are also
goals endorsed in the Blueprint For Good Growth. Since the last hearing we have also
received letters of support from the following: Eric and Jennifer Barnett. Laura
Anderson. Ryan Retz and, again, Charles Trainer. So, we believe that the applicant is
prepared to talk about where those folks are located in relationship to this project. With
that I'll answer any questions Council and Mayor may have.
De Weerd: Council, any questions?
Bird: I have none.
De Weerd: Is the applicant here?
Nickel: Good evening, Madame Mayor and Council. Shawn Nickel, 148 North 2nd
Street, Eagle, Idaho, here tonight representing the Bellabrook Villa Subdivision
development. Thank you all so much for allowing us the opportunity for the
reconsideration of this -- this application. The issues came up at the last meeting and
they came up during the -- after the Public Hearing was closed and there was some --
some issues that were brought up that weren't addressed when the hearing was open
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July 24,2007
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that we feel would have probably helped us in demonstrating that this project does meet
all your goals and requirements for the Comprehensive Plan and for proper
development within the City of Meridian. There was three items discussed. Anna has
gone through most of them. I will try not to belabor them too much, but I think they are
important. The first one was with regards to access and as Anna has stated we have
provided -- I think the concern was, as you recall, there is two parcels to the east, one is
this flag lot located right here and there is a landlocked parcel back in this area here.
The concerns from the Council last month were -- with us having our private road
system in here and accessing Locust Grove at this location, that the only -- the only
access to these properties back here would be through this 50 foot wide flag through
probably a public road network. So, I had gotten up at the last meeting and kind of off
the cuff said that we would provide the access to the back. Well, we went ahead and
committed to that with a revised application and site plan with staff that clearly indicates
this stub street to the east, we will, through our development agreement, provide the
access easement through our project and what this does -- this allows the property back
here -- now, keep in mind that a lot of this property back here is in a flood way, flood
plane, and so it's really limited on the development. But this does allow this portion that
is developable, if they wish to continue on this concept, which would increase the
density, to come through our development and that one access point would take most of
the traffic. If they do go the route of a single family development and were to do a
public road, just because of the limitations of the property, you know, the four to eight at
the most single family houses they could get in there, could access off of that public
road and the impact with an additional access wouldn't be as extreme as if you had
higher density. So, in other words, we are going to take the burden of the higher
density through our development, if that's the way it redevelops. Unfortunately, we don't
have a crystal ball, so we don't know how it's going to develop. I think we have
provided good opportunities for whichever direction they go. And in either case the
back area would have emergency access either through our development as a
secondary access or that 50 foot strip as their emergency access. So, we wanted to
point that out. I thought that was important. At the last meeting we weren't really able
to discuss that in detail. And, then, Anna has pointed out the Compass letter that is part
of your packet. I also included it in my little packet right there, one of the comments
from -- from Mr. Trainer does indicate that access onto Locust Grove presents an issue,
especially when the pending completion of the overpass will certainly add traffic to the
street. I understand the developer agreed to a joint access that would provide for
adjacent parcels to develop without creating yet another intersection, which is an
excellent strategy to preserve arterial capacity, so they do recognize that if we do -- if
that probably does develop at a higher density we will have that within our access point.
The second issue was regarding the density and the compatibility and if you look at that
-- packet that I handed out, I have got a map -- a colored map -- if Anna could put that
on the overhead. That first map. Thank you. I have pointed out -- this is a unique
mixed use area in and of itself, considering the Locust Grove corridor, which is going to
be a corridor as soon as that overpass comes into play and, then, the Franklin Road
corridor. The existing single family residential, along with the industrial that you find on
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July 24, 2007
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the north side of Franklin Road, the mixed use that is surrounding and including our
property, a mixed use Comp Plan designation. There is a church to the north. Across
the street there was discussion on those parcels being -- or those being kind of pushed
out of development. I want to point out that those are camp planned as mixed use
development. There is certainly a -- currently for sale right across the street. One has
an existing L-O zone and the other, again, Comp Plan for multi -- multi use. And, then,
there is some industrial behind those. Of course, you have got the police station, on the
Comp Plan is public. You have got the commercial all up and down Water Tower. A
public designation up in this area. The R-40 apartment complex here and also over
here and, then, there is some areas located in here, although it's owned by ACHD, that
is currently zoned R-40. In addition to all the other -- all the other commercial and office
uses in this -- in this immediate area and, of course, the hospital and all the uses
associated with that out onto Eagle Road. So, you have got quite a mixture of uses.
And so what we are -- you know, what we are intending to do is to increase those --
mixed uses with a well thought out, high quality, multi-family development that you don't
usually see -- or you haven't seen, I don't believe, in this city, that is owner occupied,
that's the intent, and you have seen the elevations that I provided and they are very
unique looking and I think it's going to be a very -- very nice asset to the city if approved
this evening. But compatibility and density did come up that last discussion and I
thought it was important that we -- that we are -- were able to re-address that. In
addition -- Anna, can you show the next slide, which is the next page of your packet.
Again, this is a little closer up, but showing the -- again, showing the use. This is our
project site right here. Again, we are asking for 7.76 dwelling units per acre. And just
as a comparison on the compatibility, the Woodbridge development, which was done as
a planned unit development, in the area immediately adjacent to our project, the density
of phase one is 5.9 dwelling units per acre. So, to compare that with our density, we
are actually only six units more with our area than that phase of Woodbridge. So, what
we are saying is compatibility with the surrounding residential, I believe we have -- we
definitely meet that. And, then, to reiterate what Compass said in their letter and Anna
read, their emphasis -- they recognize the emphasis and the compact development, the
diversity in the housing type, increasing development near services and transit routes.
Growth within -- growth without consumption of the farm land and meeting the goals
endorsed by the Blueprint For Good Growth. Those are all qualities within this
development that I believe were not presented at the last meeting that is really
important when we are trying to -- trying to add to -- add to the city this type of project.
And, finally, the third issue was the traffic and the transportation and one of the
problems at the last meeting that we discovered was there was an inaccuracy with the
ACHD report -- the written report. Their staff did get up and talked a little bit at the last
meeting, but the staff report, that we didn't figure out until afterwards, was taken from
the old -- from the old original application and so it indicated that Locust Grove was a
three lane road and, in essence, it is a five lane roadway. So, they did provide a letter,
which I believe you have in your packets, updating that information. But it's important to
point out -- important to point out that ACHD is estimating that our generated -- our
generated traffi.c will be 238 vehicle trips per day. The original application for the R-8
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July 24,2007
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development was 200 trips per day. So, we are -- that's only increasing that vehicle
trips per day by 38 trips. So, I thought that was important to point out as well. And,
then, in the Compass letter they speak about being a quarter mile from Franklin Road,
that Valley Regional Transit showed that as a high service transit corridor and within a
half a mile from that rail corridor that they are studying at this point. Again, we believe
that the confusion, lack of better information, and a better understanding of this area
that we are trying to develop in relationship to the access, traffic, compatibility, has led
us to ask you for this reconsideration this evening. Our intent, again, is to provide a
unique project of the type of residential living that is lacking in this area. In order to
accomplish this we do have to ask for a rezone to the R-15 -- R-12 -- is it R-12? R-15.
Sorry. R-15 zoning designation. However, to point out again, we are not exceeding R-8
density and we are only asking for that higher density so we can accommodate that --
this type of condominium living. So, with that I thank you for your time. Hopefully, I
have addressed ~ome concerns that you had at the last meeting that were not
addressed and -I will stand for questions.
De Weerd: Shawn, once that private drive is vacated, what happens to that road?
Once -- once it develops in the back.
Canning: It's going to take a second.
Nickel: Is this what you're referring to, what happens to this strip?
De Weerd: Yeah. Uh-huh.
Nickel: Again, it gives them the opportunity, if they were going to just stick with single
family, to provide a public access back there. More than likely, because they are comp
planned as mixed use, they could follow with what -- the type of development we are
doing, in which case I think -- and I don't -- I hate to put Joe Silva on the spot, but I
believe that it would need secondary access in there for emergencies, so I would
imagine that would be a perfect location for an emergency access. If not there, then, if
that was their public road for their single family, then, their emergency access could
come through our -- our private road or private street.
De Weerd: I guess when we discussed it earlier you talked about vacating it and putting
it into a green open space, but -- because we wouldn't want both of those road
accesses onto Locust Grove. That was the concern.
Nickel: Well -- and the problem, Madam Mayor, is that we don't own that property and
so we can't -- I don't think we can dictate what that property owner can do with his
property. What we are trying to provide is as many options as possible for the
redevelopment of that and I think that's why by providing that -- that access easement
and committing to taking that traffic, that we have accomplished that. But it also gives
them the ability, if they do want a public street, again, because of the limited amount of
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July 24,2007
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space that they would have and, to be honest with you, the price that they are asking for
that property, I don't know if anyone's going to go in there and really do a single family
development and make it pencil out. So, it would make sense to access it through --
through our project. And that's what we are -- again, with that crystal ball that's what we
are trying to give them as many options as possible.
De Weerd: Any questions, Council?
Bird: I have none.
De Weerd: Okay.
Nickel: Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you. This is a Public Hearing. Is there anyone in the audience who
would like to provide testimony on this application?
Zaremba: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Zaremba.
Zaremba: I would ask a clarification of our legal counsel for the record. I'm sorry, I
didn't mean to cut you off. The applicant a couple times has called this a
reconsideration, which, in fact, has a meaning and I guess my question is is this a
reconsideration' or have we already bridged that and this is a noticed Public Hearing?
Nary: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, Councilmember Zaremba, this -- I think
he's using it more in the lay person's context, since we have had a hearing previously,
but this is a new hearing. It's been noticed. This is a Public Hearing. It's all new
information and additional information. But it's not -- it's not a reconsideration hearing,
it's simply a new hearing.
Zaremba: Thank you.
Nary: I don't know if that answers your question.
Zaremba: Just wanted to clarify that for the record.
Erickson: Hi, there. Ross Erickson. 1854 E. Lanark here in Meridian. Madam Mayor,
Members of the Council, I just wanted to touch on a few things that Shawn didn't talk
about in his presentation just real quickly. I wanted to talk about the previous
application that was submitted back in April '06 and, then, also a little bit about the site
and the buildings and kind of how they fit to the area and what we have incorporated
into the buildings. and site to make it a really nice project. Back in April of '06 we
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July 24, 2007
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actually purchased this property and started the application shortly thereafter. We went
through the entitlement process, prepared our construction drawings, and in a period of
time where the market took some pretty significant changes we went through, looked at
numbers, put a lot into it, and found that our project was upside down on paper before
we even got started. So, basically, what we ended up having to do is go back and do
additional market research to try to figure out what was actually occurring with the
market and what we found is that there was a -- there was a significant amount of R-4
and R-8 housing in the Meridian area, but we also found that there was a gap between
that housing and, then, the rental market in Meridian. There wasn't really anything in
between. So, we came up with the concept for condominiums and presented to staff,
we worked through several iterations of the design and different configurations, building
layouts, different architecture, we worked with the neighbors and kind of honed the
design to where it is before you now and to come up with what we feel is a really really
good project in. an area that, you know, is -- has a lot of professional services, retail,
pretty much everything around it. It's close to a transportation corridor. Unfortunately,
there is not a mechanism in the city's code to do condominiums. We have to go through
an R-15 zoning designation at a minimum and do the Conditional Use Permit for
multi-family in order to do our condo projects, so we can condo plot it. I kind of feel like
it puts a stigma, because there is a lot of multi-family projects that you see that aren't
refined, they are not done quite as neatly and they are not maintained to a level that this
project is intended to be. So, our project is significantly different than the other multi-
family projects you have seen in the area and some of the differences are that we are
trying to appeal to a buyer, we are not trying to appeal to a renter. So, there is a lot
more detail put into our building, there is a lot more high quality materials being used
with construction. Some of the -- some of the things that we have incorporated into the
building designs are -- we have got private individual entrances, rather than like a
confluence of entrances where there is like five doors or four doors where people go to
their individual units, they are actually individual, so that people can get that feeling of
an individual residence. The architecture, we have massed the buildings such that they
will blend in well with the area. We have got a lot of relief on the building elevations that
will create some interest in the street. We are planning on using various siding types.
We have got lap, some shake, and some board and bat that we are going to mix up on
the elevations to really kind of create some -- some differentiation on the elevations.
We have got a.rchitectural gable treatments that you don't see on multi-family houses
and open trusts, some things like that. So, we are not trying to cheapskate these
buildings in any way. Again, we are trying to appeal to a buyer, so we need to create a
sustainable product that will be marketable. We have also got -- we chose to paint the
units different colors to kind of break it up a little bit and kind of differentiate ownership.
Each one of the body colors will have, essentially, different shades of those colors on
each unit to give more depth to it and relief. So, the pictures probably don't do that
much justice, but that's what we are intending to do. We have also got some
architectural stone that will be on every one of the units. Individual driveways and
attached garages, as opposed to covered or like a central parking area, again, to try to
get -- get in touch with that residential feel to where someone could pull in their
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July 2412007
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driveway and they donlt have to worry about somebody else pulling in their driveway, so
they have reserve space. As far as parking goes, we have got double the required
parking for a multi-family project. Thatls excluding the on-street parking. So, we have
got just a ton of parking on this project. So, parking shouldnlt be an issue. As well as
the open space. I think we have three times the amount of open space thaes required
for a project like this. Our units -- for the most part our units range in size from about
1 ,500 to 1 ,800 square feet. We have got two units that are a little bit larger. Each of the
units is three bedrooms, two and a half bath. One of the bedrooms is design to -- the
architecture is designed so that you can actually remove a wall, if thaes in the interest of
the buyer, so that you can create a flex space, like a bonus room type concept. We
have got some good letters with input and support from the neighbors and from
Compass, so it seems like we havenlt had a lot of opposition with the project. Everyone
thinks -- I would suspect, just by the showing, that we have done a decent job with it. I
think with that I will stand for any questions and ask for your approval tonight.
De Weerd: Thank you. Council? Thank you. Any further testimony by the public?
Your time's up. If you would, please, state your name and address for the record.
Smith: Good evening, Mayor de Weerd, Council Members. My name is Deanna Smith.
I reside at 1208 East Jefferson, Boise, Idaho. And 11m here tonight to encourage you to
consider this application from a Blueprint For Good Growthls perspective. As a member
of the Blueprint For Good Growth steering committee, I believe it is important for all the
communities in. this county to really look carefully at applications from this perspective
and to consider strongly those that adhere well to the policies of that plan. I believe this
one does a good job of adhering to Blueprint For Good Growth policies. It's my
understanding that one of the greatest concerns in front of you that I have heard is that
the density of this project is fairly -- of fairly significant and greater density than what
currently is zoned or around it, but I wanted to encourage you to think about density
from a perspective of form, function, and location. Location, from a perspective
location, if I have this on the map right -- and I believe I do -- this particular location sits
quite close -- not quite within the quarter mile, but certainly within the half mile to future
high density corridor, that being the rail corridor. I know we donlt have that developed
today, but one of the things that Blueprint For Good Growth calls for is to strongly
consider transit ready development. I think you1re looking at such development in this
application. As far as function goes, itls not the density that creates compatibility, but
whether it really fits and belongs. You have a location where this piece of ground, this
application would provide some ability for its residents and surrounding residents to
create a few of their trips as walkable trips. You would have small commercial inside of
it that might provide a few jobs. Also could provide some services and reduce car trips.
That is very much something that Blueprint For Good Growth strives for. And, then, the
final is form and I think this application does an admirable job of fitting in very nicely with
its design to the adjacent single family residents. You have multi-family units that really
from -- for all practical purposes look very much like homes. A few of them less so than
others, but many -- the majority of them look like houses. They are large houses, but
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July 24,2007
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they look like houses. So, you have got form, function, and location and I think that's
really how we need to look at density, if we are going to be able to adhere to Blueprint
For Good Growth, which calls for us to begin trying to develop our land use patterns in
such a way that we can reduce vehicle miles traveled, improve our air quality, and
support transit. I just wanted to mention I'm speaking tonight as a member of the
Blueprint steering committee and wanted you to think about it from that perspective.
Thank you very much.
De Weerd: Thank you. Any further testimony? Shawn, do you have any concluding
remarks? No? Council, any questions?
Borton: Madam Mayor, I have a question for Mr. Silva that Shawn might want to
comment on. . When there is a discussion about emergency access for future
development, is it an option -- I don't know if this landscape plan shows it well enough.
Is there an option to have emergency access through -- and I'm just throwing out an
idea here -- through the parking lot and across this common area? Is that -- is it
feasible? I mean can you utilize that parking area that provides some emergency
access? Because I think I share what sounds like the Mayor's concerned with -- what
this might eventually become and since it all sort of ties into some of our discussion, I'm
curious what your thoughts are.
Silva: Mayor, Members of the Council, Councilman Borton, typically it does not go
through a parking lot. Most typically it's a dedicated easement. It's the way we handle
those secondary means of access and it's always for -- there is different requirements
depending on the individual project that's proposed, whether or not it's square footage,
the height of the building, or number of homes served, will influence the need for a
secondary or a third access point to a project. So, most typically it is not -- it does not
go through a parking lot.
Borton: Okay.
De Weerd: Any further questions, Council?
Bird: I have none.
De Weerd: Shawn, did you have any further comments?
Nickel: Thank you, Madam Mayor. I guess to address that, because it sounds like
there is still a concern about this -- about this property to the east. And, again, without -
- without knowing -- without having the ability to predict, you know, how -- how things
are going to develop that are out of your control, the best we can do is give -- give as
many options as possible. This one, unfortunately, because of the separation in grade
from the LOS church to our property wouldn't work, even if -- even if we could get an
access through there. I think this is the most appropriate location. Also I want to point
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July 24, 2007
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out, as stated in ACHD's report, that this -- this offset does meet their policy and I know
that's -- it's not the -- it's not the way we want to see it and I don't -- I'm hoping that it
doesn't develop that way, but, again, keep in mind that as testified by my developer,
who, you know, paid for the property and, then, couldn't do a single family development,
the chances of this going single family would be the only reason that you would need
this access here, because it would most likely need a public road system. But once you
build a public road with a 50 foot right of way, take into consideration all the flood way
and the constraints of the property, I really don't think it's a practical piece of property for
single family, that's why we thought it was so important to provide that access here,
because if it did go to a full family development, then, it could access -- their private
street system could continue off of our private street system and, then, this would
provide an emergency only access, which I believe that the fire department would want
to see being this far away from Locust Grove. So, I -- again, I wish I was a -- I wish I
was a mind reader and a swami to see how things were going to develop, but I think we
have done a good job of trying to -- trying to allay those concerns. At least I hope we
have. Any other questions for me?
De Weerd: You do plan on signing that private road that it will go through?
Nickel: Yes, we will. Even though it's not a requirement of ACHD, we would agree to a
condition of approval for that, since it's not a public road, there is no condition currently,
but we would agree to that as a condition.
De Weerd: Well, I think that's mandatory, because I do think that the city needs to be
pretty vocal in its -- if that property does redevelop in the back and if this is approved,
that that access will be discouraged in the form that we can. Thank you.
Nickel: Thank you.
De Weerd: Council, if there is no further information needed, I would entertain a motion
to close.
Zaremba: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Unless you want discussion. Mr. Zaremba.
Zaremba: I will make a short discussion and, then, proceed. I would like to say that I
very much appreciate the input from Blueprint For Good Growth and from Compass. As
the valley moves forward in trying to incorporate these principals for all cities, not just
ours, I, actually, think it would be helpful to have that be part of the analysis of all future
projects is some -7 some comparison to Blueprint For Good Growth, whether or not we
send that out for comment from Compass or develop that analysis in-house is not
important to me, but it would be a nice paragraph to add to either future staff comments
or other agency comments, because I think we do need to be aware of how projects --
Meridian City Council
July 241 2007
Page 23 of 70
Meridian has supported the Blueprint For Good Growth and part of our support would
be have their input. So, with that comment I would move that the Public Hearing on
Items 9 and 10 be closed.
De Weerd: I have a motion to close the Public Hearing on Items 9 and 10. Do I have a
second?
Borton: I will second.
De Weerd: I have a second. All those in favor say aye. All ayes. Motion carries.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: I almost cut Councilman Zaremba off to get some of my remarks out before the
Public Hearing was closed. I know Shawn and Ross probably are waiting to hear back.
I think we had some confusion and I probably created it in making comments after the
hearing was closed and although the Public Hearing is closed, I will -- my laundry list of
complaints are zero. I applaud you both from my perspective. It's frustrating as ever,
I'm sure, to have something, you know, denied, reconsidered, come back and delayed
and if there is an opportunity to address it on the front end, I know that's desired and 11m
sensitive to the cost and delay. What I see and what you each told me -- in particular,
Ross, I appreciate your remarks about a little more of the history of this project and
some of the dilemmas that you were faced with. I had a concern before when -- and
anytime we approve an annexation and we are approving item A and, then, later on we
are asked to approve B, that might have had an impact on whether or not it made sense
for the City of Meridian to bring that in. That was one of the concerns the led to the
denial, at least in . my eyes, and by no means do I think that there was any bait and
switch going on, but your background provided some additional information which
makes me more comfortable with it, coupled with the fact that the detail and the quality
of the product that you're providing, make me feel more comfortable with it and the
access issue to the east makes me feel a lot more comfortable with it. We all wish we
were swamis or however Shawn phrased it on how this property to the east might
develop and the emergency access issues. I hope youlre right, it makes sense as you
describe it, what will pencil out there. I trust you would know better than I what would
work. But what you provide it seems to be the best -- the best product for this area. I
understand itls -- it was -- I believe mixed use community on the Comp Plan and kind of
had this idea initially, but a long story short, 11m supportive of the project and
appreciative of the changes and the patience that the applicants have shown in trying to
meet some of our concerns.
Meridian City Council
July 24, 2007
Page 24 of 70
De Weerd: Thank- you. Any other comment? Do I have a motion?
Zaremba: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Zaremba.
Zaremba: I move that we approve RZ 07-006 and CUP 07-005, both relating to
Bellabrook, to include all staff comments and, specifically, that the applicant shall record
a cross-access agreement for the property owner to the east prior to application
submittal for a CZC and one additional addition to the staff comments that the applicant
be required to post a sign at the east end of the private drive where it meets the
property line of the property to the east, stating that that road will be extended in the
future. End of motion.
Borton: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to approve Items 9 and 10 with the conditions
as stated. Any further comment? Mr. Berg.
Roll-Call: Bird, .yea; Rountree, absent; Zaremba, yea; Borton, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. ONE ABSENT.
Item 11:
Public Hearing: MI 07-009 Request for a Miscellaneous application to
Modify the existing Development Agreement to amend the concept plan
for the site for Dorado Subdivision by Winston Moore - NWC of Eagle
Road and Overland Road:
De Weerd: Thank you. Item 11 is a Public Hearing on MI 07-009. I will open this
Public Hearing with staff comments.
Canning: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, this is the Dorado project. It's
located on the northwest corner of Eagle and Overland. The applications before you
tonight are a development agreement modification and alternative compliance and I'm
going to give a -- kind of quick rundown on the history and a little bit of staff concerns
about this project. In August 2005 City Council approved a request for annexation and
zoning to C-G. The concept plan approved for the site had two small retail buildings,
approximately 2,800 square feet each, to be located on the lots at the southwest corner
of the property. The buildings front Overland Road, an entryway corridor, with parking
provided to the rear of the buildings. The applicant now seeks to combine the two
buildings into one larger structure, which is about 11 ,000 square feet, and to have that
structure back up to the existing residential property to the north. Therefore, the
applicant requests modification of the concept plan to construct one large retail building
with alternative compliance to allow the parking adjacent to Overland Road, not behind