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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 7, 2008 P&Z MinutesMeridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 35 of 61 Larsen: Actually, in that area we have a park and so there is a park across from that portion of the office planned in the master plan. Marshall: Thank you. Larsen: Thank you. Moe: I, myself, think this is a perfect use for this area and somewhat look forward to seeing it start to develop and, then, become a reality. If there is no other comments -- Newton-Huckabay: Mr. Chair? Moe: Commissioner Newton-Huckabay. Newton-Huckabay: 1 recommend we close the public hearing on CPA 08-003 for Volterra Commercial. Marshall: Second. Moe: It's been moved and seconded to close the public hearing on CPA 08-003. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? That motion carries. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Newton-Huckabay: Mr. Chair, I would like to continue CPA 08-003 for Volterra Commercial to our specially scheduled Planning and Zoning Commission meeting of August 14th. Rohm: Second. Marshall: Second. Moe: It's been moved and seconded to continue CPA 08-003 to the special meeting of the Planning and Zoning on August 14th. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? That motion carries. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Item 9: Public Hearing: CPA 08-004 Request for Comprehensive Plan Amendment to modify the Future Land Use Map by changing the land use designation of approximately 40.5 acres from Medium Density Residential to Mixed Use-Regional for Meridian and Amity by Hawkins Companies - Northwest Corner of West Amity Road and South Meridian Road: Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 36 of 61 Item 10: Public Hearing: AZ 08-005 Request for Annexation and Zoning of 72.67 acres from RUT in Ada County to R-8 (Medium Density Residential) (5.52 acres), L-O (Limited Office) (3.11 acres) and C-G (General Commercial) (64.04 acres) zoning districts for Meridian and Amity by Hawkins Companies -Northwest Corner of West Amity Road and South Meridian Road: Moe: At this time I'd like to open the public hearing on CPA 08-004 for Meridian and Amity. Start with the staff report. Parsons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission. This is, again, the Meridian and Amity CPA request tonight. Basically, if you look at the zoning map that we have in place, this site is, basically, zoned RUT at this point. There is four parcels with this CPA request -- or, actually, part of this project. This portion here. This parcel here. There is a litt{e parcel here that's hard to identify. And, then, you have this parcel as well. The Comp Plan amendment is just, basically, addressing this parcel located here to the north and this section here. These are where the two changes are to occur. Right now currently this -- on the land use map you will see that this site is medium density residential and, then, so is this 38 plus acres to the north -- the northern half of the development. Step back here. You can see that this area is fairly undeveloped within the city still. The applicant is proposing to change this from a medium density designation to a mixed use regional designation. The site is located -- abuts Meridian Road here on the east. Harris Avenue -- or, excuse me. Harris Street to the north. Amity Road to the south. And, then, you have some rural residences, agricultural lands to the west. This is that wonderful development to the east, the chicken coop site. Actually called Valley Storage. I have a trailer in that location, so, please, let's not take that away. Anyway, back to the project. Go to the concept plan. The applicant has submitted basically a bubble plan and concept plan with their CPA request. Under the current -- when this application was submitted to us, the Comprehensive Plan had a different definition for a mixed use -- or mixed use regional designation. Since, then, Council's acted on some new provisions for that designation, but the old provisions, basically, said that you could have over 200,000 square feet of retail, really no limit on nonresidential uses. It asked for those components to have some residential in there, to have a mix of uses, but it really had no cap on that. The current designation that we have in place for mixed use regional caps your development at 50 percent retail or nonresidential uses. You can have as much unlimited office as you want, but have ten percent residential. And so if you look at this concept, the applicant is providing some residential here, a small office component here and the remainder of this is primarily retail or shopping center is what they are proposing on the site. This area of the concept plan is roughly five acres. This is roughly three acres. And the rest of this is primarily up to 64 acres that they are proposing to develop. Right now if you look at this concept plan, you can see that the applicant is proposing three access points onto Meridian Road. Again, staff isn't in favor of that based on the code. Again, it's the same situation you had with the Janicek property. Our code strictly prohibits -- you increase the intensity on this parcel, you restrict access to the state highway and it's the State Highway 69 in our code. The other thing I'd like to mention is this is a scenic Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 37 of 61 byway. It's classified as that. So, talking with ITD, ACHD, and even staff, we are all in agreement that we do not want to see these access points happen on Meridian Road. The other thing I'd like to point out is ACRD has made comments to a traffic impact study. They are recommending that no other applications be submitted on this site until they have a chance to review that TIS and make sure that this development can actually function as they are proposing or by a -- add a backage road, like staff and ITD and ACHD have commented on to provide that backage road here. We feel that provides a better solution for them as far as access. It alleviates this -- these concerns onto Meridian Road and a little later on in tonight's presentation I will be talking about a proposal here, which makes sense to tie into this one to have that backage road and give them future connectivity as well. So, at this point staff is real supportive of having some kind of road at the west end of the property. As you can see here, the applicant's proposed on their concept plan roughly 460,000 square feet of retail. That doesn't include the multi-family component there that they are proposing. The other issue is there really isn't -- there is a pathway showing -- if you guys are familiar with it, there is a gas line that comes through the development here. In our pathway's plan it's identified as that being a greenbelt with a ten foot multi-use pathway to come through the development. Staff actually proposed that here, to be located on the western edge and, then, connect to Amity Road here. Staff feels they could actually probably incorporate that amenity into the development and to really add to a mixed use development in this area. Staff believes there are -- this area does need those type of services there. That's why we are in support of the CPA at this time. Again, staff is recommending of that and I will be happy to answer any questions Commission may have regarding the project. Moe: Any questions of staff at this time? O'Brien: Bill, regarding the percentage of residential to -- what is it, light office, is there some kind of a ratio there that you need to achieve within a development area? Parsons: Mr. Chairman, Commissioner O'Brien, under the old requirement there wasn't. Under the new mixed use regional designations -- under the old we didn't have a stipulation on what the residential component was going to be, but under the current mixed use designation we require ten percent. Since this site would encompass roughly 72 acres, we would be looking at a minimum -- under the new standard we would be looking at a minimum of 7.2 acres of residential in that development. O'Brien: So, you're not taking into consideration development surrounding the outside of this -- this particular area? Parsons: We are. I mean that is some of the concerns that we have, is that these big boxes do butt up against residential and that's why I can't really comment. The applicant has submitted an annexation with that, but we are not opening that tonight. But at this point it's just a Comp Plan amendment, so I'm just going over some of the layouts of their concept plan, but -- Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 38 of 61 O'Brien: So, to say, then, if there were going to be some more residential areas surrounding this development here, would that satisfy the needs of percentage, so that they could maintain their current site plan? Parsons: Commissioner O'Brien, not really. It has to be on their site, not just surrounding the site. O'Brien: Okay. Well, that's what I'm wondering. It just seems like you're cutting off our nose to spite our face and not being able to develop it to its full potential, because of that rule, Ijust -- it just seems kind of odd, even though other areas develop -- you know, developed out residentialwise. That's all. Parsons: I bring those points up to the Commission just as a reference to see where we were and where we are trying to transition and from staffs point of view we look at this as one of the first major developments in south Meridian and we should really set the standard here now while we are going forward in that area for future development. Newton-Huckabay: Yeah. I agree. Mr. Chair? Moe: Commissioner Newton-Huckabay. Newton-Huckabay: I think, Tom, what -- with the amount of commercial retail that they are proposing in their conceptual site plan, they almost should have came in and asked for commercial C-G zoning and -- but tonight all we are going to worry -- when they come back in September with their -- with their annexation application, that's when we will have a whole new site plan, I hope, to look at. O'Brien: Appreciate that comment. Thank you. Newton-Huckabay: But there is just way too much to -- there is way too much commercial on that to really get the real spirit of mixed use -- a mixed use designation on there. O'Brien: Thank you. Marshall: Mr. Chair? Moe: Mr. Marshall. Excuse me. Marshall: I have got a couple of questions for Bill. Bill, you mentioned that there is residential -- meeting this density residential to the -- on the left side there? Parsons: Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Marshall, are you referring to this or this portion here? Marshall: Yes. Just on the -- on the left side of the property here. Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 39 of 61 Parsons: That is correct. Marshall: Okay. And that's existing -- Parsons: That is existing. Correct. This is the current map as it stands today. Marshall: Okay. And, Bill, one more question. Is there any other regional or C-G areas anywhere close to this? Parsons: Well, if you look farther to the north, Commissioner Marshall, you can see that there are some C-G properties here and, then, of course, you have Overland with your Southern Springs and, then, you have Medina Subdivision and Lowe's. That's all commercial there along Overland Road. Marshall: But nothing along Amity or down the south. Parsons: Not at this time. Marshall: Thank you. Moe: Any other questions? Okay. Would the applicant like to come forward? Evans: Good evening. My name is Lance Evans. Address 855 Broad Street, Boise, Idaho. Suite 300, Boise, Idaho. I'd like to just focus tonight on this Comp Plan amendment, the land use map amendment, and while there are a lot of details that need to be worked out and we will talk about that in a minute I'm sure, what we really want to focus on tonight is just the concerns and, really, staffs support of this Comp Plan amendment. We agree with staffs recommendation, obviously, for approval of it. We believe that this area is going to be a place where we can provide services for all, for the entire south Meridian area. If you look at it now, currently, really, most people living south of 84 have to go quite a ways to reach any kind of regional services and that is why we have requested this. We submitted this -- this application in December of 2007. It fell into a different set of standards. We understand that the code's been amended, that there has been changes that have been made, but we have gone forward, been working in the past for a couple years on this project, going forward with the understanding what we would have to do and how to make it all happen under those existing rules at that time. We -- we hope to continue to work on some of these issues that Bill has brought up tonight, but it is a concept that we are looking at tonight only. We are not asking -- you know, those details need to be hammered out and we want to work on those. But when we look at just the Comp Plan land use map amendment, the general uses, this is really the only commercial site -- only commercial uses that will exist. We will have an office and residential component to meet -- to satisfy the code standards. Given that we are just talking about the Comp Plan amendment, I don't want to go into a lot of detail on all these other issues. I hope to come back and be able to talk a lot more about those. But it is critical for us in the development of this project to Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 40 of 61 be able to say, all right, this time -- at this time we are going to -- it's going to work. The mixed use regional designation will be able to be applied, really just to the northern half of this. Currently we have that designation on, you know, this -- this lower portion. So, we are really just -- this is what's being added to that mixed use regional and that if you were to break those two parcels or break that development in half, the percentages of residential and office go up considerably. So, we start to really approach the standards, even at the higher level. I'll leave it there and be happy to come back and answer any questions you have about those -- you know, if you have any other issues or whatever tonight, knowing that we are going to come back and work on the annexation and zoning elements. Thank you. Moe: Any questions of the applicant? Newton-Huckabay: I have none. Moe: Thank you very much. I have a couple folks signed up. Carol Gossett and, then, -- Newton-Huckabay: Mr. Chair, she was for? Moe: She was for the project. That's correct. And, then, the other one -- is it Steven Hasson. Sorry if I beat that up. Hasson: Good evening. Moe: How bad did I do that? Hasson: Pardon me? Moe: How bad did I pronounce your name? Hasson: You take -- it's has and son and you glue them together. I think you did fine. Newton-Huckabay: Hasson. Hasson: There you go. All right. Well, thank you Commission members, Commission chair. For the record Steven Hasson. I'm the planning director for the city of Kuna and I'm here in -- as a representative of the city this evening to comment on this development also that you have before you. Originally I just came here to ask a question and that was whether or not this site was being entertained for a Wal-Mart, because we had heard from public agencies and other interested people that it had and we just wanted to either confirm or quell that rumor, but now that I see this conceptual site plan, I would like to add two comments if I may and that is whether -- however the Kuna-Meridian Roadway, Highway 69 develops, it's real important to maintain the integrity of that road system. It's important to maintain that road system by good access management control and good access management control, be it ITD, be it ACHD, be it Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 41 of 61 Meridian, be it Kuna, would suggest that there be three driveway entrances per mile. There would be one at the section lines and there would be one at the half section line. Certainly, if this proposal were to come to Kuna we would limit them to the half mile and I heard your staff say that they vigorously request your consideration for that and, likewise, and I tell you that if you have too many driveway accesses, full or even partial, on Highway 69 or any highway for that matter, it does two things, it creates traffic conflicts and it slows down traffic. And I think it's in the economic best interest of Meridian and Kuna to be able to have Highway 69 between the freeway on the north and Kuna-Mora on the south as afarm-to-market road where your traffic skates along at 55 miles an hour and that there be a series of frontage or backage roads provided along that corridor to afford retail commercial enterprises opportunity, but not at the expense of the general public who has to drive there every day. And, then, the other thing -- and I have been in this business now for 30 years. I have been a planning director in nine jurisdictions in six states, so I have been around the block, and when I see this I do not see a mixed use, I see a commercial land use proposal before you and if that's what they are offering up, that should be what it is and thank you very much for your time. Moe: Any questions? Thank you very much. Hasson: Thank you. Oh. Is it a Wal-Mart? If I could find that out. Moe: Well, there is no one else signed up. If there is anyone else that would like to come forward, you're more than welcome. Okay. If not, would the applicant like to come back up. Can you answer that question? Overy: Jason Overy. 5537 North Brigadoon Avenue in Meridian. I am also a member of Hawkins Company. I would address first his comments regarding the access and we recognize access is going to be a tricky issue and part of the reason we requested the deferral of our zoning and annexation is we are in the process of completing our traffic study. We had numerous meetings with Caleb and Bill and Anna to talk about that and we are on the verge of getting that completed and we think a couple work sessions will get us to a better plan. So, we do recognize the concerns with access off Meridian Road. The other issue -- and Lance touched on it briefly -- is, you know, the timing of our application. We were working within the rules that were in place at the time we submitted our applications and you have mentioned we submitted in December of 2007 and we are not opposed to working to modify our plan and that's, again, we intended to do with some of the work sessions. However, you know, we did discuss that with staff at the time and we said, hey, this is what we really want to do and I think staff appreciated the fact that we weren't trying to hide what we wanted to do and we said would it be better to come in as a purely general commercial project and the response was, no, we don't -- we wouldn't support that. So, let's figure, you know, even if you're coming in mixed use regional, we did add a component of residential and we intend to establish what that looks like and the component of limited office and hope to be able to satisfy staff and as they have so far recommended a positive approval for this, because we truly belief and identify this intersection will be a great place to provide these services. I live on the north side of Meridian, but I know that my friends that live on the Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 42 of 61 south side come to the north side to shop and we are going to have four years of traffic construction on I-84 and rerouting Meridian Road and people that are on the south side are going to have to deal with that and we hope that we are going to be in a position to help solve some of those challenges needing to go to the north side of the interstate. So, I hope that answers or addresses the two comments that Mr. Hasson made. Moe: Is there a Wal-Mart planned there? Overy: You know, we are talking with various retailers and, you know, we've had various interest from all of them. Moe: Okay. Thank you. Newton-Huckabay: Very diplomatic. Moe: Pardon me? Newton-Huckabay: Very diplomatic. From the fence. Moe: Okay. Any comments, Commissioners? Marshall: Yes. First off, I'm glad this did not come in as a C-G and it came in as a mixed use regional, because I would be adamantly against it, because with -- I am against any type of large commercial going up against residential and if this is residential -- single family residential over here, there needs to be a buffering area. These need to be moved out to the street and the access needs to come in from the half mile point. There needs to be a frontage road and there needs to be a buffer between these large buildings and residential. I'm adamantly against any large commercial up against residential. And that's why the mixed use is appropriate here, so that we can get some -- some light office and some professional offices, things like that as along this area to buffer between -- as well as multi-family and things like that to buffer between these large buildings and residential. I think there is a need for this out there. It won't turn on. There it goes. I think there is a need for this out there. I'd like to see something like this develop, because it needs the commercial, but as it's laid out in this I couldn't support the layout as it is and I agree with limiting the access. There needs to be a frontage road and there needs to be significant buffering area and I'm not talking a berm and a little bit of grass or trees, I'm talking about lower intensity uses, multi-family, professional offices, things {ike that. Those are my thoughts. Moe: Thank you, sir. Mr. O'Brien, any comments? O'Brien: I think I'm just going to reserve that until after I see a more detailed plat of where -- what's going to change and how it's going to look. And I know they are going to move the building closer to Meridian Road anyway, as I think I read something about that in the staff report. Anyway, there is enough changes that I don't think I can make any further comments. Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 43 of 61 Moe: Thank you. I guess my only comment I would say is that I'm in favor of the request, but also I want to see what's going to come before us on the 14th -- excuse me -- on the 4th in regards to the annexation .and whatnot, because I, too, have got a real problem with the existing layout at the present time and t realize you started your design based upon another set of decisions and whatnot and the city's come back and requested more. Quite frankly, this is a commercial property to me. This is not a mixed use. There is just not enough diversity in this, other than being called commercial to me. So, I do hope to see something a little bit different come back before us. Any other comments? If not -- Newton-Huckabay: Mr. Chair? Moe: Commissioner Newton-Huckabay. Newton-Huckabay: I recommend we close the public hearing on CPA 08-004, the Meridian and Amity mixed use regional. Marshall: I second that motion. Moe: Thank you. It's been moved and seconded to the close public hearing on CPA 08-004 for Meridian and Amity. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? That motion carries. Thank you. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Newton-Huckabay: Mr. Chair? Moe: Yes. Newton-Huckabay: I recommend we continue CPA 08-004 until the regularly scheduled meeting of -- or the specially scheduled meeting of August 14th, 2008. End of motion. Rohm: Second. Moe: It's been moved and seconded to continue CPA 08-004 to the special P&Z meeting of August 14th. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? That motion carries. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Newton-Huckabay: Shall I do the next one? Moe: Yeah. Open it to continue it, please. Newton-Huckabay: Okay. Meridian Planning & Zoning August 7, 2008 Page 44 of 61 Moe: To September the 4th. Newton-Huckabay: 4th. Okay. I recommend -- or open AZ 08-005 for the Meridian and Amity property for the sole purpose of continuing it to September 4th, 2008. End of motion. Moe: That would be a regularly scheduled meeting. Newton-Huckabay: Regularly scheduled Planning and Zoning meeting September 4th, 2008. O'Brien: Second. Moe: Could I get a second, please? O'Brien: Second. Moe: Thank you very much. It's been moved and seconded to continue AZ 08-005 for Meridian and Amity to the regularly scheduled P&Z meeting of September the 4th, 2008. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? That motion carries. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Item 11: Public Hearing: CPA 08-009 Request fora Comprehensive Plan Amendment to modify the Future Land Use Map by changing the designation of approximately 9 acres from Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential for Biskay by Greg Johnson -south side of Harris Street, west of S. Meridian Road (SH 69) and north of W. Amity Road: Moe: At this time I'd like to open the public hearing on CPA 08-009 for Biskay and start with the staff report. Parsons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission. As you just heard on the last public hearing item, this is where that current CPA is proposed. The applicant's coming in, their site here. It's roughly 52 acres, but the Comp Plan really is approximately on -- it changed on a nine acre portion of it. To the -- again, to the north is Harris Street. Again, it does tie in with this proposed development here along Amity and Meridian Road. Here is the other site. Again, it is pretty underdeveloped out there, pretty much agricultural land. The only subdivision that's in the vicinity at this time that's somewhat built out is Meridian Heights northeast of this site. Here, again, what we have planned for -- under today's standards, mixed medium density residential and, then, here is what -- this is a little skewed on here on -- GIS tech kind of got that off a little bit. It actually runs along the pipe line. You can see that green line there, that's actually, the Comp Plan amendment and it's just kind of a little sewed, but that would connect up to Harris there. So, just to put that out there for you guys. Again, the