HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002 01-07 Joint Ada County ACHDMeridian City Council Special Joint Meeting January 7, 2002
With Ada County and Ada County Highway District
The special meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 8:30 A.M.
on Monday January 7, 2002 by Ada County Commissioner Judy Peavey-Derr.
Council Present: Mayor Robert Corrie, Keith Bird, Bill Nary, Tammy de Weerd,
and Cherie McCandless.
ACHD Commissioners Present: David Wynkoop, David Bevins, and Judy
Peavey-Derr.
Ada County Commissioners Present: Sharon Ullman.
Wardle: -- for the item that I sent out to you. Nothing has changed except just the
location of a footer on that page that shifted one paragraph into the wrong
location. Tom Kuntz called and said did something change. I said no. (inaudible).
(inaudible) stick to page seven.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: You don’t have to do it right now. Eventually if you want to put it into your
files. The other thing I would like to do for the sake of being able to get
information out more directly is to also get --. Put one down each side here. The
other side as well.
(inaudible discussion amongst commissioners)
Wardle: I want to get your email addresses because we did at least get ahead of
the game this cycle. Everybody, 65 individuals on our stakeholder list either by
hand or by mail received a copy of today’s report. That was handed out
Wednesday of last week and mailed last Wednesday morning so hopefully
everybody here has one. If you don’t have one, I’d be happy to provide this. I’m
down to four now out of the 75 that we made. Those are available.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: Charles got one and one got mailed.
Ullman: Oh, did it? Okay.
Wardle: One other thing that basically we put down at the end of the table, an
opportunity to express back either by telephone, by fax, or email any thoughts or
comments that you have. So, we’ll just put these out on the end of the table.
They are comment sheets, an open format for you to say or suggest anything
that you choose to do. I appreciate the opportunity to be here this morning. Since
the last meeting that we had, which I believe was November 7th
or there about.
The date escapes my mind at the moment. We had several sessions. On
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 2 of 15
December 13th
we had a land use discussion with basically all of the staff folks
from the various organizations, the public and the private sector. On the 14th
of
December in this room there was a session that was sponsored by the City of
Meridian that dealt with the commercial issues confronting the community. That
was Ed Starky, who I believe out of Portland had been invited in to present, --.
Actually he did primarily ask questions and listen. He didn’t really make a
presentation per say. That was a very instructive session because we had a
number of individuals that are involved in the commercial aspect of the
community as well as planners that are dealing with those questions in their
projects. We also, as you know on the cover sheet of this status report, we have
a transportation workshop this Friday. Again, anybody is welcome but it's at
ACHD. It's primarily to work with staff to talk about how the infrastructure for the
roadway system will come together. The types of potential standards and
certainly get into the discussion of the impact fees, LIDs and so forth. That, as
noted, is at 2:00 at ACHD this Friday. Then the next significant public forum will
be in since the schools were closed during the holidays we didn’t have the
opportunity to get the location established but we do have January 30th
from 6:00
to 8:00 P.M. a public information open house. We’re going to be working with the
school district today and tomorrow to try and get our location established. Partly
we’ll use both the newspaper, we will use fax, we will use email to inform
everybody of that specific location. Those are the main next big steps coming.
The information that we presented to you is actually the third generation draft. As
we have worked with the various staff level groups and the developers
themselves, we had started with a draft foundation report. There have been
some modifications, not dramatic but some. A couple of seats at the table and
two right over here. The information that is contained here is as noted not
intended to incorporate everything that you would see in a Comprehensive Plan.
The City is working on a comp plan. They’ve got background information from
the June 2000 document that’s being updated and will eventually have all of the
demographic employment and other projections contained therein. But this effort,
as noted on the bottom of the first page of this, the North Meridian Plan is going
to be a framework within which development proposals will be reviewed,
approved and constructed including the means by which public infrastructure and
community facilities will be implemented. In instance work, we’re focussing our
efforts and attention to that north Meridian area and this will become the guide
both in terms of policies but perhaps specific ordinance amendments. Perhaps a
specific overlay that will fix on North Meridian a set of standards and guidelines
by which all development applications will be reviewed and approved. I’m going
to just make a few comments that I choose to make from this. I’m assuming that
if you’ve had it for a few days, you’ve had an opportunity to look at it somewhat.
I’d like to take you to page three of that white foundation report. The conclusion
noted there in the middle of the page basically suggests the products of this
effort will be the land use overlay or some similarly agreed upon form with
specific development standards and incentives. It will have detailed
implementation policies. It will have a structure for public and private agreements
setting forth phasing and construction of infrastructure including the parks,
schools, public facilities, and transportation system. That’s really what we’ve
been, I guess, moving toward that long-term objective for the last six, seven
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 3 of 15
months. On the top of page four, it's kind of a startling statistic but the first
paragraph it talks about density. It's interesting to note that according to the
background report of the Comprehensive Plan that in 1990, Meridian had a total
of just over 3600 housing units of all types, 3600. The WGI study through ACHD
suggested that at build out north Meridian would have 15,912 housing units.
That’s about a quarter and a half times factor. That’s actually based on an overall
density less than what I think we need to shoot for. So, I’ve suggested that,
depending on what the density ranges are, we could see about six times the
1990 number up to 21,000 and some odd dwelling units in north Meridian.
Whatever that number is, the range of population in north Meridian will be
between 43 and 58,000 people. That’s an area that’s in and of itself demands a
significant number of services and support facilities. That in part is discussed as
we go along. Among the significant issues that will have to be addressed, one of
them that deal s with the question of growth is of course the basic element of
sewer. I know that on Tammy’s draft she had an exclamation point and a
question mark at that particular section. What we’re proposing is that there would
be two methods, and that’s discussed somewhat in here but it's also discussed in
the tan section, which commences the provocative discussion, of how these
facilities are done. On page three of that tan section, where it talks about urban
service policy issues, it talks about sanitary sewer. I want to use that as just an
example. We suggest that expansion of the sanitary sewer and or water service
shall be at the option of either the City of the developer. The developer initiative
and this is item No. 3 under that policy compilation (inaudible). Number three
there, it says the developer initiated efforts shall be approved as long as the area
to be served conforms to the City’s long term system expansion plan. Developer
initiated system expansion must be for properties that comply with the City’s
annexation policies (inaudible) where sewer and water services are or will be
available. Now, let me take you back to page five of the white. The statement
that we make is that, let me go to this map as an example. There’s the
Bridgetower project, which I think, is fully approved now, right? Bridgetower has
taken essentially the City’s limit up to McMillan Road. The sewer treatment plant
in this location and the trunkline that’s in the ground, we’re suggesting that
orderly growth could be just as easily in this kind of increment outward as it
would be necessarily in just filling up the mile section immediately around. As
long as it conforms to the City’s plan for the way that the systems are expanded
and as long as it meets the objectives for the property being contiguous to
existing City limits and is serviceable. That’s a major discussion. Again, the
provocation document here is to get people thinking about this is going to be
done. One other significant thing that came up really, it was serious, you know
given a great deal of discussion but you know drainage is going to be a real
challenge. You’ve been thinking about drainage for a long time haven't you
Commissioners?
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: I’ve heard it before. We’re either going to see a great deal of land
surface used or we’re going to have to find some other solutions. One of the
challenges I think is where the public entities and the developers are going to
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 4 of 15
have to work together and where there are natural drains controlled by the
irrigation, and we’ve got to find a way to be able to use those because we can't
see all of north Meridian, or frankly any part of any community covered with
extensive areas that are set aside purely for drainage. ACHD has studied part of
north Meridian and they’ve got a --. They’re working on a scope for, I’m not sure
if it's the balance but a significant portion of the rest of the area to a consultant.
They’re working on a scope of services for that effort. You’re looking at from the
perspective of ACHD’s responsibility but frankly all the local streets that are
developed in this area, as they have in the rest of the community are also part of
that equation as they develop and become your responsibility. You’ve got the
drainage issues to deal with.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: Yes, David?
Bivens: One thing I didn’t notice in here is, dealing with water. I would hope that
this can emphasis the fact that all of this new development, (inaudible) would be
used by surfaced water. This would help some. In other words for gardens lawns,
all of this would be used (inaudible).
Wardle: You’re talking about stormwaters that --?
Bivens: Yes, water that you could use like drain water. Using your drainage water
to irrigate with. I mean, it could be done and is done. It may have to be strained.
It may have to be pressurized, probably.
Peavey-Derr: Is that for the purposes of recharging the aquifers?
Bivens: (inaudible). Number one it helps the drainage. Number it cuts down on
the draw out of the aquifers. (inaudible) it does help with the recharge. Any time
you don’t do that and let it run down the river, it's gone forever.
Wardle: Sure enough. Unfortunately most of the drainage water we get is non-
irrigation season. We will have the drainage coming out of the irrigated yards and
so forth and off the streets. I don’t disagree but there certainly needs to be some
consideration. I’m not sure how that necessarily plays into at least the land use,
the primary emphasis here but I’m, we’ll just make sure that the discussion
(inaudible).
Bivens: Just note it so that you don’t forget to deal with water availability as well
as drainage.
Peavey-Derr: One more thing Mike. When you say that a significant amount of
the land might have to be used to handle the drainage problem, have you
projected how much of this?
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 5 of 15
Wardle: No. The challenge in north Meridian is the (inaudible) water table.
Standards for subsurface drainage become quite frankly unfeasible unless
there’s a change and some new concepts on how to deal with it. It becomes
obvious that surface drainage systems are going to be a real fact of life. One of
the things that we note here is that you can combine usable open spaces and
drainage as long as you find a way to handle the low volume nuisance water so
that they don’t impede the use for recreation or whatever other purpose it might
be there.
Clegg: The City of Boise sponsors a stormwater drainage conference every year.
I think, I’m not positive but I think it's the 14th
and 15th
of February this year. Tom
Richmond is going to be here. I think that that would be maybe a good place to
get informed.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: That January thing I think is on the river and --.
Clegg: Yes. This one is specifically stormwater.
Wardle: Stormwater is an issue that has an impact on the land use aspects of
our community development. On page six, we get into a discussion of the
concepts that starts to carry some weight with regard to the way the City will be
dealing with the issue of parks and open space. We’ve reviewed and I think that,
--. Tom when is your --? You’ve got a hearing coming up on the parks plan?
Kuntz: February 7th
yes.
Wardle: It's going to BCA?
Kuntz: It went to them and we’re going to the Realtor’s Association at the end of
this month.
Wardle: Okay. This plan is important in that because of the nature of the
proposals that are contained in that plan. We’re suggesting a change that needs
to be thoroughly discussed as that plan goes through the process. That is to
include neighborhood parks at a correct size and standard that would be both
manageable and easily maintained so that the system in north Meridian includes
--. Right now, the plan calls for three community [parks and of course there is the
large regional park. We’re suggesting that consideration needs to be given to a
neighborhood park system that is public. In part because the plan talks about co-
location of schools and parks for instance but encourages neighborhood parks,
at least in that initial draft to be private. Our concern is that as you see a private
park you really will never have the joint use because you’ve got then the
Homeowners Association maintenance responsibilities, the turf issues, liability
issues and so forth. We don’t want to encourage or suggest that the City needs
to take in small hard to manage parks but a system now that somehow gets
beyond the question of the large regional and the community size parks and
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 6 of 15
something that serves these neighborhoods in a public sense because we’ve got
a lot of territory out here that will not have that service and availability. It's a
discussion that needs to be had through the process of review. At the same time,
we’ve also suggested a way to help get parks and other facilities improved. I
think the priority right now is acquisition. But acquisition without improvement
really doesn’t serve the community. So, among the considerations that we’ve
discussed is a concept to bank the difference between a standard development
responsibility for five percent open space. If you went through a PUD process
project which now requires ten percent or other amenities. Take the difference
between those two and put that money into a fund that adds to the resources
that would be available for acquisition and improvement. Of the ten policy issue
discussion we talk about that concept so that it becomes a win, win for the City
and the developers both. The developers get to use that land for the purpose of
recouping the cost but contribute that value into the fund that’s above and
beyond the impact fee contribution. One of the things that I want to stress is that
I want you to pick up the comment sheets today as you go out today because I’m
hoping that you’ll have some responses to some of these ideas. If you haven't
had time to read it, take it and read it and then make your comments because
some of these are new and some of them are an attempt to try and help find
solutions to problems that you are experiencing. Twice now, the voters have not
supported your efforts to try and help get some additional resources into the
funds to help on these public facilities.
Peavey-Derr: Mike, where has this banking program been tried in other
communities?
Wardle: I’m not aware that it's been tried anywhere.
Peavey-Derr: I think it's a great idea.
Wardle: Well, we’re trying to provoke some thought in this process. This would
be on page four of the tan section.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: (inaudible). I’m sorry the tan section. But it basically says the developer
will have the option to A, contribute the value of increased open space or
amenity requirements, ie the five percent difference between a subdivision and a
planned development or substitute public open space for required private open
space if that property is (inaudible) a public park site or open space facility. The
second bullet, the developer would be entitled to develop that land for which the
contribution is made or add the equivalent of some unit count per acre for that
land donation. An attempt to try and get some ideas to overcome some of the
challenges that we have faced as we’ve gone through development up to this
point. Another significant challenge that faces the community, we don’t really
necessarily offer any solutions other than to say that it really has to be set up
carefully is the question of being able to provide the fire stations in north
Meridian. We’ve had several sessions with the fire department to talk about the
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 7 of 15
constraints on the funding and the ability to get a million plus dollars to construct
and to equip a station. There needs to be some serious review and discussion
on how that significant community facility is put in place. EMS actually appears to
be doable in the structure that they’re proposing they would probably go into the
established community in the west part of Meridian to serve both north and west
Meridian. The Police Department and the program that they are using, it appears
that they would be able to use facilities in commercial areas and so forth as you
know just spots to do some of their paperwork and so forth, would not need
necessarily any facilities of their own but could use any, even a fire station for
that matter. The only comment that I want to make about the transportation
system is that we have the workshop coming up Friday in which we will start
discussing a bit more on how the transportation system and the costs associated
with that system will be factored. I do have I guess a comment on the concern
about on page nine talking about a collector system. I am concerned that, right at
the beginning of that first paragraph under collectors, it says the transportation
system’s second fear is the collector. ACHD in a study that was funded last year
drew a conclusion number three which states collectors should be continuous
within any given one mile section. I’m going to talk about land use here in a
moment because I think that’s a significant concern for the integrity of a
neighborhood. We’ve got some concepts on how to deal with that. It’s our
feeling, at least my feeling, and it may or may not, --. The collector system should
be required only where the number of trips actually requires it to occur and not
necessarily go all the way through. I can see a question on one of the
Commissioner’s minds back there. I’m going to get back to that one in just a
second.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: I have a board you haven't seen yet here today that I want to get into.
The last comment is that with regard to the commercial, Tammy picked up a word
in part of this text that said that the north Meridian would be predominantly
residential. While that’s true in terms of sheer numbers, the concern is that it's
not only residential. It has to have something more than that because if in fact,
we ended up only with a bedroom community, then all that community, 43 to
58,000 people or whatever the number finally turns out to be are all going to be
headed across this community to the regional services that are available
currently. We make a note of that in the draft. We had a meeting last Thursday,
which is a follow onto the meeting that we had in December. We started talking
about the land use portion of this effort. We had really kind of an interesting
discussion. A lot of people didn’t stay in their seats. We got up around the boards
and went through several literations, started to talk about how we structure the
services and so forth. This was an early concept. (inaudible) get into this kind of
a concept. After that meeting Thursday morning, we went back to our office and
tried to put it on the board. Now, we need to hand out two items here.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 8 of 15
Wardle: We have (inaudible) table. Here’s a larger copy of --. The white sheet is
the same thing as the cover sheet of this tall green but it might be more readily
seeable.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: The conversation that we had last Thursday led to the idea what we
need is a great deal of flexibility but we also have the need to assure that we
have the services that are necessary to take care of this community in the future.
Now, among the considerations, you’ve got from our perspective a couple of
givens in the transportation system. You have Chinden Boulevard, which is the
major east west corridor for this entire region coming out of Canyon County. It
serves certainly the drain of Eagle and west Boise and Meridian for that matter.
We also have an existing connection on Linder Road from Highway 44 down into
Meridian. We’ve got the future Ten Mile interchange and the potential for a
connection to the Emmett Highway. So, what we have done in the transportation
discussion is propose that Black Cat Road be the one designated and reserved
for the future north south connection in part because if we ended up only on Ten
Mile just one mile west of Linder, there’s a very real possible from my perspective
that we would never see the funding for a bridge that close. That would put this
crossing roughly half way between the Star and the Linder Road area. It would
also then make access from Ten Mile eventually to Robinson Road somewhat
more feasible. We’re not the transportation planners but we wanted to at least
get something on the board that becomes the starting point of the discussion. As
a result of that assumption, we see that Chinden Road and Black Cat would be
the main focal points with Linder Road being the second here. What we’re
proposing in this concept, I guess we started with the residential first and
(inaudible) start with that building block. No, I’m going to reverse it. I’m going to
go to the last sheet and talk about the concept of a mixed-use regional
designation. That regional mixed use does not preclude residential but it does
require a mixture of commercial, employment and residential and allows a higher
density of residential but it restricts single family detached within an eighth of a
mile of that intersection. Essentially you can't put your single family development
right up against a major intersection in either of this corridor or this corridor or
this corridor. But, you could have single family detached within these areas as
long as they have a certain provision. The regional mixed use allows for the
major employment centers that could happen. Could be tech parks, could be a
shopping center, could be some large elements that we’ve seen as Meridian has
developed to the south. Any of those uses would be allowable within the mixed-
use regional designation. That again, Chinden Boulevard and the notes here on
Black Cat. The next designation would be community. Community scale and let
me just note that we’re talking projects that would be 25 acres or more, perhaps
substantially with 300,000 square feet of space in those regional centers, or
more. The community mixed use designation which is along Linder Road would
be a community scale center of 200 to 250,000 square feet occupying 18 acres
or more. We have essentially a service area of up to three miles to include
grocery, department stores, home supplies, discount retailers and higher density
residential uses would be allowed. Again, anything less than 8 units per acre
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 9 of 15
would not be allowed to closer than an eighth of a mile from that intersection.
Now, I want to show one other important concept. We talked about access
controls and so forth on the transportation system and ITD has such a policy in
play on Chinden. We expect the same thing to occur. I’m using this corridor right
here as the example. We would certainly expect to see at the quarter mile
section, at the half mile section, essentially three major intersections potentially.
Not all of them (inaudible) within that area. You would also have then no direct
frontage. You could have some right in right outs on some of these systems. But
you would essentially have the access into your major corridors through these
controlled intersections. The same thing would occur that out of the residential
component within each of these you have to have access into those service
nodes. You cannot force people to the outside edge and require them to go on
an arterial to get to the services. It has to happen. So, we’re simply showing that
there’s a multitude of access opportunities and controls that provide for the
residential components to move actually through the sections to get to any one
of these nodes as well as the ability to get off the major roadways at intersections
that make it (inaudible). So, that concept applies particularly to the community
and regional components. It also applies then to the next tier down which is
neighborhood. We’re proposing in the document, the foundation document that
there needs to be more definition in the comp plan and the zoning ordinance on
what the size and the hierarchy of commercial is. The neighborhood concept
here is a little bit different from the concept that’s being proposed by the staff in
the existing comp plan. The neighborhood is a five to 12 acre development that
again, could have retail, could have offices, could have residential of eight units
per acre or more. It serves primarily the surrounding neighborhood elements.
You would not expect to see anything that would draw on a regional or
community wide basis therein. You could have your grocery store, drug store, a
restaurant, food, banks, and other services. All of those uses, again, focus
somewhat but with the same types of controls. Access from the neighborhood
and probably controlled intersections back into the quarter of a mile or slightly
less in the case of the neighborhood centers. So, at least we’re not impeding our
intersections. We’re moving the traffic through and that’s one of the standards
that we’re going to have to discuss with ACHD on what those roadways start to
look like. The fourth tier, is probably what the planning staff has been calling out
for neighborhood centers. We call it the village center. This would be again, a
mixed-use designation with a building area of typically of 15 to 35,000 square
feet occupying perhaps up to six acres. It would allow for those smaller possible
retails. Quite often you would expect more of the professionals, the dentists and
the doctors and others that might be more appropriately located close to the
community but don’t necessarily want to be in the higher use nodes. We
suggested that any of these areas along these roadways allows for that
opportunity instead of necessarily specifying specific locations the door is open
for that. Again, it has to be a mixed-use concept. It can't be just one use only. It
has to incorporate, and typically it would be residential along with it. Finally the
last element in there is a simple, central designation of residential. No definition
by R-2 or R-4 or R-6 or whatever the designation may be. Residential and
residential only. A minimum density of three units per acre. That doesn’t mean
that one guy gets to come in with one acre lots and somebody else has to make
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 10 of 15
up the difference. It means that every project that comes in has to have the
mixture of uses that at least achieves at least three units per acre. It doesn’t
seem that dramatic but when you look at the changes that occur, no the changes
but the growth that occurs up to Ustick Road and in West Boise. The density
coming out of full build out are less than three units per acre. They’re at 2.8 or
less. The WGI study suggested that there would be sections out here that would
be far less than three units per acre. We’re talking about an urban community in
the future. We’re talking about the possibility and hopefully the encouragement
for public transportation in the future. We can't do that if in fact, we don’t get our
densities up. So, we’re suggesting a minimum but we’re also suggesting that you
could have higher density uses but in this R designation if you go above eight
units per acre overall, you’re going to have to come through for a Conditional
Use Permit because there are plenty of opportunities within the other tiers, these
mixed use tiers to have your higher density uses and see your higher density is
toward the outside and your lower densities, typically your single family detached
unit is to the interior. I want to go back to the transportation comment we made
earlier. We’ve got of course the grid for the arterial system. I interpret the study
that was done for ACHD is saying that a continuos collector whether it might
even have some squiggles but an arterial to arterial connection across those
sections. My concern is that if we do that we’ve now subdivided our square miles
down to the quarter mile sections. I would much rather see something where the
traffic build up requires just beyond the local standard wherever that occurs, that
segment of the system has to be a collector. But not necessarily to include the
collector system all the way through the section. If we accomplish what we’re
looking at here, we’re going to have the services, everything is going to be
available to those folks. They can get out to any component of the system that
they want to through their own neighborhoods but we don’t need to necessarily
encourage higher speed, higher traffic volumes through those sections. I want to
just show a couple of examples of how some of these may occur. I’m trying to
protect the innocent here in doing so but --. These happen to be concepts that
I’ve been working on for the last several years. This is one that shows a
commercial component in the corner with office and higher density elements
around it. I don’t know if this project has actually gone forward yet but this is a
concept that I did in October of 99. Basically, in a smaller scale back to the
neighborhood scale, but gets this type of a use and focuses some of the
attention out of the residential component into that area, provides some
buffering. Here’s actually one that we’re working on in north Meridian. It happens
to be right at the half mile line. We don’t straddle the half mile line but we’re right
at the half mile line. It takes up the concept of the neighborhood, excuse me the
village center. Also then a tremendous amount of interconnectivity and smaller
blocks and the street system so that you don put all of the traffic on any one
particular part of that community. This is still very early. You can see it's in rough
form. We’re working with the adjacent properties on this currently so that we can
at least mesh this together. This point right here is the center of the section. It
creates the opportunity for, by the way this is what I call my Darth Vader. I’ve
been working for years to get this concept (inaudible). Then another concept that
fits more what we’re talking about here, the concept to get your major retail
spaces buffered with office and high density residential and a major intersection
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 11 of 15
component, not easily cut through but never the less a component that would
allow transportation to come into this basically from behind. These locations
would probably fit the standards currently. But the emphasis here is form the
interior and not from the corner. These concepts, from my perspective, and of
course one of the tings that I have to put a (inaudible) on this, is you think that by
creating this flexible pattern that you’re going to see nothing but wall to wall
commercial out there. You’re wrong. Commercial developers are not going to
make the investment for more than what the market will bear. You can see a lot
of vacant commercial land around communities because the analysis that people
do to secure and make their investment payback are going to be factored on the
reality of the marketplace. The reality of the market place in north Meridian is
going to be a tremendous (inaudible). We want to provide not only the elements
of a community but we also want to provide the elements of service and
commercial uses (inaudible). This is not isolated only for Meridian. The interface
that you have with Eagle and West Boise, all of this becomes part of the factor of
north Meridian as well and pass by traffic from Canyon County. Anyway this is
where we are at the moment. Hopefully, provoke some of your thoughts and
discussion. Yes?
Peavey-Derr: (inaudible) gasoline stations. Let me ask you, I mean, we did
(inaudible) you’re not talking about that? You’re just talking about smaller trucks
making deliveries, is that correct? You understand where I’m going with this,
when they spill or something to that effect. (inaudible).
Wardle: Frankly, (inaudible).
Peavey-Derr: Okay.
Wardle: Maybe gasoline is the trophy to that building center, maybe it's just a
neighborhood center. I don’t know. That’s a (inaudible).
Peavey-Derr: I’ve been thinking about environmental spills and those kinds of
issues and trying to get the large vehicles, the service delivery vehicles out of
communities. (inaudible)
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Peavey-Derr: I don’t know exactly what I’m talking about but I don’t know that a
neighborhood needs to have (inaudible) residential.
Wardle: Those would be located however at the arterial. So, I mean it's not that
they would be going through the neighborhood per say.
Wynkoop: I’ve got a couple of comments. One is that I really think that the
analysis in the white pages is excellent. There are still some things that need to
be debated but the first (inaudible). I at least, as one commissioner, I’m very
interested in some of these kind of village concepts so long as there is
acceptable interconnectivity so that we don’t have to end up building the section
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 12 of 15
line roads to seven lanes by ending up doing that. So, I would kind of advocate
maybe on page nine of the white page for example adding in something like or
other acceptable interconnectivity concepts. Or something like that to leave that
door open to have further discussion. I think if our board of Commissioners is
persuaded it accomplishes a goal that we seek to accomplish on
interconnectivity we may be very open to some other ideas.
Wardle: (inaudible) I’m sure Kristy you’re putting that down for a discussion on
Friday.
Wynkoop: That’s right. In that regard, just a couple of comments if I may on the
tan pages.
Wardle: Yes.
Wynkoop: You saw me smiling earlier. One is on page three, drainage policy
issues. Of course this is where we start getting into the tough stuff, the tan
pages. The general goal statements in the white pages are a little easier. Blanket
speech 286, I’ll just give you the executive summary. That is ACHD is not a
drainage district and does not have funding to be a drainage district. Since there
is an acknowledgement there in paragraph one under drainage and the
development community, I would urge considering the same acknowledgement
in paragraph three, the public agencies and the development community shall be
responsible. We sometimes have some influence over the irrigation and drainage
entities but as you know it may not be any more than anybody else has. That’s
something that I think is going to have to be a partnership effort. That the public
agencies alone are not going to be able to solve the long standing debates with
the drainage and irrigation entities. Then if I may on page six, I have just a
couple of small wording suggestions. I think that you’re getting into some very
complicated concepts here. I may be trying to oversimplify the debate just a little
bit. For example, under paragraph one that second black bullet. I realize this is a
draft but I would urge that that be deleted at this point because I think it may be
misleading.
Wardle: Developer shall be compensated for --?
Wynkoop: Correct. There are certainly some circumstances where under our
impact fee program developers will be compensated. There are other instances
where projects are going to be developer funded. I think the debate and
discussion that will be had later this week is how do you pay for all of this if you
have an impact fee program that is not generating enough revenue to pay for all
of this. So, I would urge you to delete that bullet. I would urge that you delete the
bullet, the last under paragraph two there’s a three blanks and delete that little
bullet, if by donation the developer shall be entitled to impact fee offset credit,
then it's not a donation. So, that’s not an accurate statement, I don’t believe. At
this point --.
Wardle: Maybe donated and part of it comes out of their other part.
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 13 of 15
Wynkoop: Yes. Correct. The right-of-way shall be acquired by ACHD by
purchase or donation. That’s acceptable. The black bullet next, I think is
(inaudible) misleading.
Wardle: Obviously, I’m going to leave this here for that future discussion.
Wynkoop: Yes, I understand. I’m just making my comments as one commissioner
about some language changes that I think would make this a little bit more
straight forward. Then, that bullet under the section on improvement of section
line arterial roadways, that statement is fine.
Wardle: The last bullet there was intended to be a footnote. It's to the asterisk
above. It's simply a note that we’ve got this meeting coming up. That last bullet is
not really a part of this draft.
Wynkoop: I’m talking about the one just right above it there. If by the developer,
the developer may be entitled to impact fee credit. For some situations, certainly
the developer will be. But, for example, mid mile collectors, some of those things
that may or may not be depending upon whether it really is a state related
improvement or not. But I think in this statement on the funding, we maybe just
jumped the gun a little bit on the mechanism and there does need to be some
substantial debate.
Wardle: We haven't had that discussion yet.
Wynkoop: With a couple of those wording changes I would feel much better
about it.
Peavey-Derr: Anybody else?
Bivens: One of the notes in the transportation in the white area. I realize that
(inaudible) but in the process (inaudible). I think we should recognize the use of
public transportation, locations of park and rides to pick up whatever it might be,
probably on the collectors and the --. Well the arterials first and then the
collectors. I think we should identify locations for that to be done.
Wardle: I appreciate that. I chatted with Kelly (inaudible) last week. They have
actually a study effort going on currently that would come up with a concept for
Meridian over the next several years. So, it's an opportunity to start looking at
how that would occur. I appreciate --. I’ve been thinking about it. I just didn’t put
anything in.
Bivens: I think it should be noted that we should have it in there. Every one of
these changes like the (inaudible) the community availability of commercial
services, retail outlets and so on will have a direct effect on the transportation,
congestion and movement of traffic. This is another one of course.
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 14 of 15
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Bivens: So, if you walk down to the grocery store or ride your bicycle rather than
having to drive your car, (inaudible).
Peavey-Derr: Mike, you may be waiting until we have the meeting on Friday but I
would like to see some reference in the rules or policies (inaudible) under
arterials about different section line designs. (inaudible)
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Peavey-Derr: I was unable to be there. I’m sorry.
Wardle: -- specifically noted that we have an opportunity to have quite a different
standard and a look out here rather than you know the Eagle Road type facilities.
Peavey-Derr: Yes. I think it would be good when we get to that point to reference
it in this.
Clegg: Mike, (inaudible) an interchange at Ten Mile further across town ought
to line up (inaudible). Is that correct?
Wardle: I’m just like one of these transportation planners. All I’ve done is put a
big block on there. Let somebody else figure that out.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: (inaudible) several points of the established community right now on Ten
Mile Road and the still somewhat more open opportunity on Black Cat. But
again, the more realistic expectation with Star Road and with Linder in place that
something out here rather than back here is more feasible. That was all we were
trying to do is get the thinking moving toward where that should occur and what
the opportunities or options are today.
Peavey-Derr: Okay, anybody else?
De Weerd: Other than I always thought ACHD stood for Ada County Highway
and Drainage.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Peavey-Derr: Out time is up. I applaud all the effort (inaudible) and I appreciate
very much (inaudible).
De Weerd: Judy, quick introductions. Our new Council Member Bill Nary. We
have two of our Planning and Zoning Commissioners. Keith Borup is our chair
and a new member David Zaremba.
Meridian City Council Special Meeting
January 7, 2002
Page 15 of 15
Peavey-Derr: Thank you. I appreciate you making us aware. Thank you very
much and welcome. When is our next meeting? WE have the 30th
and
(inaudible).
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: Technically speaking it doesn’t occur until March 4th
but we’re going to
keep you informed. Did everybody --? I want to get your email on those --.
(inaudible discussion amongst Commissioners)
Wardle: We’ll get notices out as we do that. For right now it's March 4th
. We’re
going to cover a lot of ground between now and then.
Peavey-Derr: Okay. Thanks very much and happy New Year everybody.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:32 A.M.
(TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS)
APPROVED:
/ /
ROBERT D. CORRIE, MAYOR DATE APPROVED
WILLIAM G. BERG, JR., CITY CLERK