HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 14, 2003 City CouncilMeridian City Council
October 14, 2003
Page 26 of 45
McCandless: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. It's been moved and seconded to approve CUP 03-039. Mr. Clerk,
will you call roll.
Roll Call: McCandless, yea; Nary, yea; de Weerd, yea; Bird, yea.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES.
_ Item 18: Public Hearing: AZ 03-018 Request for Annexation and Zoning of
43.86 +/- acres from RT to C-G zones for Kissler / Cobbs / Eagy 1 Ruwe
by BRS Architects -southwest comer and southeast corner of North
Eagle Road and East Ustick Road:
De Weerd: Okay. Item 18, Public Hearing on AZ 03-018, request for Annexation and
Zoning of 43.86 +/- acres from RT to C-G zones for Kissler / Cobbs /Eagy /Ruwe by
BRS Architects, the southwest corner and southeast corner of North Eagle Road and
East Ustick Road. We will open. with staff comments.
Powell: Madam Chairman, Members of the Council -- Madam President, Members of
the Council. I'll get this right one of these days. I'm sorry. This is an application. It's a
straight annexation application with no development agreement attached to it. There
are four properties represented as read off. Kissler owns this property to the east.
Cobbs, Eagy and Ruwe all own property in this area here. Where to begin? Bill Strite
represented all four applicants. I believe tonight there is a different representative for
the Kissler property, just for your information. The Commission's discussion focused on
whether a master concept plan would be required for these properties here and it was a
rather lengthy discussion. Staffs intent in requiring that master concept plan was that
because of the nature of the properties, if one of them developed, it could significantly
affect access possibilities and coordinated circulation between the properties. The
ultimate recommendation of the planning commission was to go ahead and keep the
requirement for the concept plan for those properties. We did not -- staff did not
originally ask for a concept plan on the Kissler property and the planning commission
kept it that way. There were several of the neighboring residents of Carol Subdivision
did come and testify in opposition to the proposed project and mainly they were
opposed to the straight C-G zoning, they wanted to see some transitional uses and
without the master -- the concept plan there was no guarantee of whether those uses
would be there. Persons testifying included Mr. Thurston, Mrs. Roto, Mr. Grant, Mrs.
Ruwe, who was one of the applicants and Mr. Eagy, again, one of the applicants. They
were, obviously, testifying in favor of it and they did -- they were opposed to the concept
plan aspect. There were no key changes to the staff recommendations. It did pretty
much go forward. The outstanding issues, BRS did sent a letter on October 8th, which
proposes to remove the development agreement requirement for a conceptual master
plan on the six parcels, again, on the west side of Eagle Road there. Staff still states
that that's absolutely critical as part of this application. Did you want to also discuss
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October 14, 2003
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what we recommended for the Development Agreement? We did take all the
Comprehensive Plan policies associated with the mixed use regional Comprehensive
Plan designation and we lifted those and did request that they be put in the
Development Agreement. The real -- and it's becoming more of a concern, since this
application came through, is we now have requests on every single corner. You know,
there is -- they have either come to us with apre-app a couple different times or they
are in the loop about this piece of property will come to you -- it's in the -- it's in the
process of going to Planning and Zoning Commission, to also come in for just an
annexation and no -- Annexation and Zoning, no Development Agreement, so we have
this major intersection of Ustick and Eagle where all the property owners are now
requesting C-G zoning and the Comprehensive Plan designation was for mixed use, it
was not for straight commercial. If we get the C-G zoning, if they do a planned
development, then, a portion of that property could go mixed use, but we are really
losing the flexibility. We tried, through the Development Agreement on this applicant --
application to come up with some way of catching those, but the concern is that once
they have the zoning, if it came to you and you were to deny something that complies
strictly with the C-G zoning, that we may not be able win that argument. Excuse me,
Mr. Nichols, for getting into your territory. I got a wink from him. There could be a
concern over there. So, we do have a lot of concerns about that. I guess I'll leave that
as the end of the staff presentation.
De Weerd: Okay. Any questions for staff? Okay. This is a Public Hearing. Is the
applicant here? Would you like to provide testimony? It's your turn. Excuse me. Is the
testimony you provide tonight the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so
help you God?
Terry: Hope to.
De Weerd: Okay. Thank you. Please state your name and address.
Terry: My name is Tim Terry with BRS Architects and my address is 1010 South
Allante, Boise, Idaho. I'm representing the applicant and we have had quite a round
about with this particular application and the issues that are before you are instrumental
in a lot of different ways. We have polled several of the neighborhood groups and have
addressed some of the concerns that I think are fairly tantamount to you, as well as the
staff and concerns with this are the controls within the project, the controls of how we
look at the reviews and what kind of impacts this will place on the neighborhoods. We
feel that the controls that we would like to see are placed pretty well and adapt to the
conditional use process. I think that the concerns that I have been hearing and seeing
are that -- we look at this as something that is wide open in terms of development and
things that can be considered used and I think that the conditional use process prevents
that from happening by the core issue of review that it gets. We did send a letter to the
neighborhood in addition to the staff in addressing concerns, so it became obvious to
them that there is control within this process, the conditional use process, regardless of
what does take place, the conceptual plan, I think, that is a very difficult issue to face at
this time and I think, as you will hear in previous testimony, and in future testimony, that
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October 14, 2003
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the number of conceptual plans can be anywhere from 20 to 30 to 40 to 50 different
uses. I have gone tfirough one now that's approximately 25 different conceptual plans
and it's very, difficult until you get a reality based type of situation and when you get to
those realities, it's a little easier to deal with and that's where the conditional use
process takes -- takes precedence. I think we can look at that in terms of being able to
have something that's real, something that has some substance to it, rather than a
conceptual use look. I think that in terms of where we are going with this, we'd like to
see, as addressed in the letter, several of the conditions waived. We'd like to see
condition number one and two, as we stated in the letter from Bill Strite on 10/8/03, we'd
like to see all future uses within the boundaries of this annexation only be approved in
the conditional use process, excuse me, and we'd also like to see the conditional use
process or a Conditional Use Permit, that it shall include the uses as required by the
Meridian zoning ordinance. We do feel fairly strongly in regards to the concept plan.
We'd like to state that categorically now at this time. I'm up here for any further
questions or issues you may have.
De Weerd: Council, any questions?
Bird: I have none at this time.
De Weerd: Okay. Not at this time. Thank you.
Terry: Thank you.
De Weerd: Okay. Eric Davis.
Davis: Madam President, Members of the Council, Eric Davis.
De Weerd: Is the testimony you provide tonight the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
Davis: I swear.
De Weerd: Thank you. Please state your name and address.
Davis: Eric Davis. 602 Sandstone Court, Boise. I joined Jim Kissler's team about 60
days ago after this process had started and he came to me with the idea of a shopping
center and wanted to help with some concepts and, you know, just options and talk
things through and started to get nibbles from retailers and wanted to be in a position to
respond to them when they started to ask about the rules and what the site had and
didn't have and develop the process. So, I'm falling into the fold and all the while hoping
that we can prevail with Annexation and Zoning, so we have got something to offer the
marketplace. They are some -- you know, part and parcel to our market plan and to
make the connectivity under the proposal, we had to go across the street and BRS has
organized and talked to the neighbors and things have changed a little bit since then,
partially due to Carol Subdivision got annexed and some of the rules are different now.
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October 14, 2003
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In any event, when it came to us if this didn't go through, it would be probably another
four to six months delay, more public hearings, to really get us back to the same point
we are today and, you know, we have done the best we can with the neighbors over
across the street and sympathize with their inability to come up with a concrete plan at
this point in time. But what I can offer you is that, you know, I truly believe that on our
side, Kissler's side, and the other piece that's going to soon be a part of it, you know, we
are ready to put a team together and work with staff and the .Comp Plan and the zoning
ordinance and do a bang up job of it, if we can get out of the starting gate here. I don't
want to get into too many of the details, because I don't know them all, but just to
answer questions and I suppose if you have some questions later, if there are anymore
-- and I know there are some of the neighbors that want to talk, so -- if I haven't missed
anything, that will be it. Any questions for me? Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you. Okay. Yes. Come on up. Do you swear the testimony you
provide tonight is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you?
Ruwe: Yes
De Weerd: So help you God.
Ruwe: Okay. That, too.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Ruwe: Janet Ruwe, R-u-w-e, 2935 North Eagle Road. I am the parcel -- the furthest
down on the map. That one right there and that little box is my home right now, which is
in the wrong place. I'm living right on Eagle Road and 30 years ago that was a
residential neighborhood and a farm community type place, and now it's totally changed
and coming from a homeowner point of view, I, actually, have had somebody interested
in my property, but because it was not zoned went out of state, so something that would
have been a real good use I felt and I think you would have approved it, too. But,
anyway, I have been in a very similar situation to this 30 years ago when the farmers
were selling the property that is now Carol Subdivision, came to us with the same kind
of concerns and we were not bothered by the fact that they wanted to change from a
farming community right there, to one acre parcels. I feel they have been good
neighbors and have not been a problem. There were two people at that time who were
farmers and homeowners like we were, who objected to that and since that time that
has now turned into Packard Estates and the one is the Sue and Tom Davis property,
which is now going into residential homes. But I'm still there, but times have changed
and I really do need for you to find your way to approve this different kind of zoning and
annexation. I went along with the Kissler project, because I thought it was an avenue
for all of us to get together to do the same thing at one time, but if this does not go
through, I'm going to have to come back to you as an individual owner. The property to
the top of me there -- I'm not sure -- I guess that would be north of me. The Eagy
property. He is not going to sell or develop, but he went along with this and I do, too,
because we thought it was a good time to, you know, get on the same page, have us all
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October 14, 2003
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zoned and annexed. I do plan to sell my property and having it zoned the way I think it
needs to be zoned is an asset to me. The way it is now it's residential, it's not going to
sell as residential. It's not a place where some -- you live on a five lane highway right
now. So, anyway, Ithink -- in fact, the reason we are doing this this way and saying
that we realize that we do need the CUP or the Conditional Use Permit way to go is
because we do realize that the Carol Subdivision, they are there and through the CUP
or however you call it, process, they do get a say in anything that's happening there.
The other corners, as they mentioned, I know they have been on line for getting, you
know, in this same process. Those are big hunks of property, where mine is just a ten
acre property and so it's really hard for me and the other party owners right on our
corner there, to go together with one master plan, because we are not all -- it's not going
to be developed by one person, Greg is not selling, I am, it's going to be --Ithink that's
almost an impossibility in the situation saying that we have to have a master plan right
there, I don't see how that's really possible. That would make it that I couldn't sell my
property. So, I'd ask you to look at this with an open mind and I have been a Meridian
resident for many many years and I plan to say here and I just really want what's best
for our community, too and living on Eagle Road we have seen the changes that have
been made. They have all been good. The traffic is moving faster. They have torn
down a lot of things that really shouldn't be there and I think it's a nice gateway into
Meridian and I think with the CUP plan and your approval and the neighbors approval, I
think things will tum out okay. So, thank you for your time.
De Weerd: Thank you. Any questions?
Bird: I have none.
De Weerd: Okay. Okay. Is there any other testimony in favor of this application? Do
you swear the testimony you provide tonight is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
Orton: Yes.
De Weerd: Please state your name and address.
Orton: My name is Richard Orton, I'm at 460 East Linkershim here in Meridian. I'm
representing Greg Eagy tonight. Mr. Eagy asked me to give some testimony in favor of
the annexation, in favor of the most recent letter from BRS Architects, the conditions
identified in there and specifically ask that you waive the requirement to do a concept
plan. Mr. Eagy, as the other proponents of this annexation have already pointed out,
believe that the Conditional Use Permit process is the appropriate control and oversight
for this development, that and market forces, of course, are the appropriate control for
this development in any effort to try to develop a believable, honest concept plan at this
time clearly is -- that opportunity isn't here yet. You can tell by the testimony of the
people around us that they haven't thought about it enough to do that. That concludes
my testimony. If you have any questions I would be glad to answer them.
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October 14, 2003
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De Weerd: Thank you. Any questions? Okay. Thank you, Mr. Orton
Orton: Thank you.
De Weerd: Okay. Is there anyone else who would like to testify in favor for this
application? Okay. We would entertain public comments against for those opposed. Is
the testimony you provide tonight the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so
help you God?
Thurston: Yes, it is
De Weerd: Thank you. Please state your name and address.
Thurston: My name is David Thurston. I live at 1470 Leslie Way. This is my property
right here. Right there on the corner. I'm one of the people who signed the roll that said
that I'm opposed. I want to state that I'm not opposed to the Annexation and the Zoning
of this property. I believe that all the property owners should have opportunity to
develop or sell their individual properties, but the existing residential property owners
must also have assurance that their interests are also addressed and protected. I
support the Planning and Zoning staff recommendation that the property be annexed
and C-G zoning, provided there is a development agreement between the four property
owners and the City of Meridian prior to approval of the annex ordinance. This was
stated very clearly in the Planning and Zoning meeting that we all attended and I think
that's still very much applicable. I also support the idea that all future development and
future uses within the 43.86 acres be approved through the Conditional Use Permit
process. This process will require all planned development be presented to the
Planning and Zoning Commission and approved by the City Council. I think that is a --
definitely an essential part of the overall plan. With all the varied interest in this
property, with the current property owners and the residential property owners, Ithink --
Ibelieve it is essential that there be a conceptual master plan, so that we have -- so we
have an idea of the issues associated with the development will be addressed properly.
The plan should demonstrate and address interconnectivity, transitional uses, which the
property owners are very much interested in, the access points and other land issues
that were brought up in the Planning and Zoning report. This type of a master plan will
allow a planned development approach and avoid a helter-skelter development process.
Planning is essential with four property owners with different plans for their property, as
you have heard. I believe that the traditional uses should address and maintain the
integrity of the low density residents or properties located on the western boundary. I
suggest that the development plan include such things as a professional office park,
maybe even a high tech business park, would be a good recommendation for that use,
similar to the Carol Professional Park, which is located south on Eagle Road. As we --
as you look at the property to the south of this planned annexation, there is some
property right here, right now that property has no access.. I believe that once this
question of Annexation and Zoning is resolved, that it needs to take into consideration
that property, because this will probably be the model for that property in the future
there will be additional property owners who will be very .much interested in the
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October 14, 2003
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transitional uses of that property once it's allowed to be developed. So, that's all I have.
Thank you for this opportunity.
De Weerd: Thank you, Mr. Thurston. Any questions? Okay. Is there anyone else who
would like to provide testimony? Is the testimony you provide tonight the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Grant: It is.
De Weerd: Thank you. Please state your name and address.
Grant: My name is Steve Grant. I live at 1534 Leslie Way. It's the third lot south of
Ustick there on the east side of Leslie Way. Right there. I also would like to make sure
that the Council understands that I'm not opposed to any commercial development here,
I'm just -- Mr. Thurston has outlined that we want to see a plan. The Planning and
Zoning Commission made that recommendation and I think it still ought to be carried
forward. I have concerns. We wouldn't want to see -- the access points for that piece of
property are those six parcels, has not been defined and one of the things I would not
like to see is an access road along my -- the east side or the back lot line of my
property. I wouldn't want to see -- I would want to see the proper transitional
development occur, as Mr. Thurston has outlined, and not see something that was
improper go in there, so that it would enhance the value of everybody's property, not
just ours. I think there ought to be the proper barriers from the commercial development
versus the residential area, which I'm sure we can incorporate it, but it's still a concern
and I'm afraid that if this application is approved without a developmental plan, that it's
kind of like the train that leaves the station, it's a lot harder to stop that locomotive and
head it in the right direction if somebody -- if there isn't a plan to kind of control that. I
think that the lack of agreement among the applicants regarding the development plan
suggests this property isn't going to be developed as one piece. It's not a large piece of
property and I'm not a developer, but I think there is some severe restrictions that would
be imposed and the fact that Mr. Eagy has said through his representative that the
middle piece of property is not going to be sold and will probably be developed
differently, suggests the need for a master plan. Perhaps to convey what -- for what
they have testified. I'd almost take the opposite view of them, that there ought to be a
development that's been recommended, so I think my recommendation is that I hope
that we would insist on this master plan or this development plan that doesn't have to be
specific, but there is certain things that ought to be incorporated. and in terms of access
and other items, that I would recommend that you deny this until such time as that plan
is forth coming. That's all I have got.
De Weerd: Thank you, Mr. Grant. Any questions? Thank you. Anyone else? Okay.
Is Betty Russell --
Russell: I agree with everything that been --
De Weerd: Doris Martin?
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October 14, 2003
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Martin: I agree.
De Weerd: Russell Martin?
R. Martin: Yes.
De Weerd: Would you like to provide testimony? Okay.
Powell: Madam President, if you could read off the names that you just said that agreed
that --
De Weerd: Okay. For the record, there is agreement to the testimony that has been
provided by Betty Russell, Doris Martin, and Russell Martin. Thank you.
Nichols: Madam President?
De Weerd: Mr. Nichols.
Nichols: Madam President, were those individuals listed as being opposed to this
development?
De Weerd: They were. Yes.
Bird: So, they would be agreeing with the testimony in opposition and not with all the
testimony?
De Weerd: Yes. With the testimony of Mr. Thurston and Mr. Grant. Okay.
Powell: May I make one final comment, just so that the applicant has an opportunity to
rebut. Mr. Terry did testify that he had a shopping center ready to go and I'm afraid that
that's the perception that once that C-G zone goes in that it would be suitable to just do
a shopping center on that property and I think that the mixed use regional did not have
that kind of use in mind. My understanding of the Comp Plan would be that if just a
shopping center were desired there, it would have been designated as straight
commercial. So, again, it just kind of highlights the concerns that staff has about a
straight C-G zoning of the property.
De Weerd: Anna, I guess I would have a question for you. We discussed property to
the north of that and they did bring in a conceptual, so we could look at some of the
egress and ingress into that property.
Powell: This property?
De Weerd: No. I believe -- yeah. That property. On the Moore property and I guess
we have always kind of looked for the -- and I understand that the applicant need to be
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October 14, 2003
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able to market and be able to respond to the market, but with it surrounded by a
residential -- or with residential to the west of the property line, it does underscore a
philosophy that we have been operating on and that we like to see a conceptual plan
how they will deal with transitioning, buffering, and the appropriate uses and I guess
from the testimony we have heard, those are pretty much the reason why. My question
to you is we did require that or we did receive a conceptual on the Winston Moore
property; is that correct?
Powell: They -- at one pre-app they showed us a concept, but they have agreed that
that is not what they intend to do. The last meeting we had with them it was rather
amusing, they brought in a 24-by-35 plat and the site was outlined for the boundary with
absolutely nothing on it, labeled conceptual plan, so it was, I think, kind of a true
expression of their idea for development of the property at this time. They just don't
know. So, although they had one in the past, I think right now they really don't know
what they want there.
De Weerd: Council? Okay. Would the applicant like to respond to the testimony?
Davis: Thank you, Madam President, Members of the Council. Eric Davis, 602
Sandstone. It's all very well taken. I mean it's a definite chicken or the egg situation
here and we will have all of these piled up and I would like to think that we can at least
tell a retailer that, yes, we have land that's in Meridian and it's zoned commercial,
because I think it allows your use and, by the way, it's not just open territory here, we
have a public process we go through, we have a Comp Plan that's in place that talks
about transitional uses and all the kind of things that have to 6e a good neighbor and we
don't want to sidestep that process. That's not what this is all about, so -- you know, we
will talk about access, we have talked about a development agreement and we will sign
a development agreement that has conditions in it that bring us back through the public
process when the time is right. It might be this year, it might be five years. We have
access control through ACHD and ITD and those can get pretty hairy in the conditions
and you have seen a project with -- you know, say you can have your access, property
owner A, but you have got to allow property owner B to use that and that's a condition
and, you know, they -- that's been pretty effective in other places in Boise that I have
worked and the transitional use concept that I think the language that BRS would put in
talks about submitting ourselves to that, you know, what is a transitional use or buffer of
some type. So, trying to, you know, armor plate the proposal or at least this is the best
we can give of what we know today. So, I -- again, I think I can answer all of the
questions that came up, with the exception of the concept plan that can be a number of
things, just left up to your imagination at this point. It will be market driven and we will
work everything we can to make that market driven demand meet the chase -- the
challenge -- the criteria of the city and we will come before you with a plan when that
day comes. Anyway, any questions? Concerns? Thank you.
De Weerd: Okay. Council?
Bird: Madam President?
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October 14, 2003
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De Weerd: Mr. Bird.
Bird: As I understand, the applicant has no problems with a development agreement
with stipulations in it. I think that's a very typical situation and I don't believe it's -- in the
six years I have been on here that I have seen before had so many different owners
make application, joint application, and, you know, this application is actually split by a
major road. So, I believe, like Mr. Thurston and Mr. Grant says, they are not against it,
but I do believe that we need to have the stipulation and a development agreement that
as bad as I hate CUP's, they are going to have to come back with CUP's for this kind of
development and I understand where they are coming from, they need to have zoning
and stuff out there if they were to market this ground and I do understand that and those
corners are very good retail commercial corners, so -- but as long as they are agreeable
to a development agreement with some stipulation in it, I could support it.
De Weerd: Mr. Nary.
Nary: Madam President, I guess I'm a little like Mr. Bird, I'm a little torn here. I guess
what concerns me here is when I look up and down Eagle Road, this corner is really all
that's left of Eagle Road for any type of real significant commercial development and as
Mr. Bird stated, I mean I think it's a fairly odd and unique situation we have here where
we have so many owners that have banded together, but, basically, only for the purpose
of annexation. I know that we are -- as Mr. Davis stated, we are always in this chicken
and the egg. I mean we generally want to see the concepts, sometimes those concepts
are very fluid and Silverstone we had a good example, we had a very fluid concept plan
and those buildings moved around pretty freely on that property, but it was always a
professional office park. The buildings might have moved, but we kind of knew what it
was and I guess that's the difficulty for me in this one, is I have no idea what you want to
do. To me, the marketing plan you have is that map right there. That future land use
map is your marketing plan. That's what we said we would agree to as to what the
zones would be. So, I guess -- I'm not a developer and wouldn't pretend to know all the
nuances that you have to go through, but that's, to me, what the city has made a
commitment to, to tum this property into at some point in the future. What we ask in
return -- or have in the past is give us a pretty good idea of what that is and all I have
heard tonight in annexation -- I guess to me what the applicant is asking and it just
happens to have four applicants, rather than one, but the applicant is asking to become
part of our city and what we have generally said is tell us what you're going to do with it
before we agree to it. At least give us something to look at fairly strongly as to what it's
going to be. We know the buildings might change. We know that footprints might
move, we know that access points have to be decided and we know all that stuff, but we
kind of have some idea that it's a store or it's offices or it's both or it's apartments or it's
something and I don't have that and that's what -- that's what makes it very hard for me
to say it's fine, it is our gateway and I know that term gets used a lot, but if you're
coming from the north to the south, that's our gateway on both sides of the road. It
starts right here, because this is in the city and this is in the city and I believe that's in
the City of Boise. So, the City of Meridian starts right here and the rest of Eagle Road
Meridian City Counrdl
October 14, 2003
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we don't have anything left. I don't know -- I couldn't tell you today if a shopping center
is the best thing for that corner. We have had a lot of discussions about those types of
uses on the corners and the access points and lights and all of those other things -- I
couldn't tell you today, but if you listen to what the applicant says, they don't have --
they don't even agree to do this as one unit. What I heard was this middle piece may be
completely different than these other pieces. Again, I have a hard time being convinced
that right now the best interest of the city is to annex that property now with no concept
of what it will be. We did give you the ability to market it and now we have asked you to
tell us what it's going to be before we agree to it and I just didn't hear that and so I
guess I'm not convinced yet that this is the best thing in the interest of the city to annex
this property today.
De Weerd: Any other questions, comments from Council? Do you want a response
from the applicant or --
Nary: The Public Hearing is still open.
De Weerd: Does the applicant want to comment?
Ruwe: Janet Ruwe, 2935 North Eagle Road. When you said look at the map before,
do you mean this map down here? Okay. So, in the Comprehensive Plan are we
mixed use regional? It was my understanding that mixed use regional really meant you
didn't need a Conditional Use Permit? Is that right? Okay. But, anyway, we are
agreeing to that and mainly because of Carol Subdivision, so that anything that we --
you know, that comes forward involves the neighbors, involves the City Council,
involves Planning and Zoning, involves everything. Okay, and then, my other question
is, okay, let's say -- okay, what do I do as a homeowner who wants to sell the
property? I can't sell my property as mixed use regional unless I get the agreement of
everybody around me to do the same thing -- I mean, you know, they have the same
plans -- or in the same plan. I think that's really kind of tough. I mean I can see if it's
one big parcel with probably one owner, but when there is several owners that maybe
all don't want to develop right now or want to sell right now, I'm just not sure where I go
with that kind of thing or, you know, what would happen and the reason I really went in
with this Annexation and Zoning is because I thought why not all do it together, it just
seemed like an easier process, rather than me going to ask for this and them going --
you know, all these different -- I mean I can understand it was complicated, but, yet, I
don't really know where the rights are or where they end or whatever, so thank you.
De Weerd: Well, you know, I understand your concern, but what I don't see in front of
us is that this group annexation without any conceptual plan, gains anything. You would
still have to -- whether you do this or go any other way, it doesn't gain anything. You
still, from the testimony we are hearing, you still are working with -- if the property to the
north of you doesn't want to do anything at this point and our process -- and one of the
policies or the philosophies that we have been sticking to is we want those conceptual
plans, in particular when it does border a residential, to have certain assurances, and I
understand the willingness to do the Conditional Use Permit, but that doesn't save
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October 14, 2003
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anything here either. Whether you get annexed right now and, then, come back for the
conditional use or do it all at the same time with the regional mixed used, come in with
your annexation request and a plan, it takes all the same amount of time that you're
allowing the testimony and the piece of mind for the residential to know what's being out
-- what's being proposed and that's why probably we are struggling up here, we like to
see a larger plan and really appreciate the fact that you have had a group of property
owners come together for that reason, but we don't see a plan. So, there is no
advantage to looking and considering this at this point.
Ruwe: In other words, if a person comes in individually, how do you treat it? That you
have to have the people -- property owners on either side of you, what do they have to
do, just come and testify that they agree with it or don't agree with it?
De Weerd: If you came in with your piece of property with annexation request and a
plan, certainly they would be notified and would have an opportunity to testify to the
proposed plan.
Ruwe: So, then, the idea of a plan development -- can we call it group plan isn't in the
picture anymore. A planned development I guess you would say is not in the picture
anymore, it's just a compatibility with the neighbors that live on either side, if they
agree --
De Weerd: It would be a piece by piece.
Ruwe: Then piece by piece.
De Weerd: So, we like the concept of everyone coming as a group, but the advantage
to that is an overall plan that we can see the whole piece, instead of piece by piece, but
we are not seeing that in this case. Do you understand?
Ruwe: No. I understand it and I think it's coming at it another way, because we are
different. I mean different property owners, who are not in one plan, I guess. I mean
we are not all going to -- we are not going to sell to the same buyer, probably.
Nary: And I don't know if this explains it any better, but, you're right, if you came in and
asked for -- to be annexed just for your piece alone and every other one of those
property owners did the exact same thing, would we annex you? I don't know. We
might, but we might not. I mean but you --
Ruwe: But, then, you would be totally looking at us as individuals, not as a group.
Nary: Right, and as Councilmember de Weerd said, that's not our preference, but ycu
haven't been a whole lot different by banding together. Our preference is -- is a group
application or one application and a bunch of property together in one concept plan for a
large piece of property, some general idea of what's going to be there. That would be
our preference. Our least favorite preference is to have every individual come and
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October 14, 2003
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request it, because, again, you have piecemeal development and that's not favored
either. But you haven't given us either one of those. I mean what you have done is
banded together to give us piecemeal development and you haven't done anything to
assure us it isn't going to be piecemeal development, so since that's our least favorite
one, just by you banding together, you didn't save anything, you didn't benefit anything
from the city's perspective to me, because all you have done is really just -- you know,
still is just piecemeal development, it just happens to be four of you all at once. But it
didn't benefit us -- or at least to me doesn't benefit the city better just because you're
together. The only benefit to being together, as Councilmember de Weerd was saying,
was to have a concept plan, to have something that the group wants to accomplish and
that's what we are not seeing.
Ruwe: Okay. Thank you.
Nary: Does that help?
Ruwe: No. It does. It's still a little bit of a gray area and I think it's a gray area for you,
too. I mean this whole thing is kind of interesting. I think it's an interesting situation how
we have to be a whole corner there, but yet it's six different parcels or five across, but
four different owners. Yeah. Okay.
De Weerd: Thank you. Okay. Council?
Powell: Madam President?
De Weerd: Anna?
Powell: Could I just point out in the staff report, Mr. Hawkins-Clark did point out that the
two kind of discussion points and findings that were critical to this were finding A and
finding J. Finding A is that will the zoning be harmonious with and in accordance with
the Comprehensive Plan and finding J is, is the proposed zoning amendment in the best
interest of the City of Meridian. So, as you're making your motion you might want that
information.
De Weerd: Okay. The Public Hearing is still open. Council, do you wish to close it or
do you need more information?
Nary: Madam President, I guess before we close the Public Hearing, I don't know -- I
mean we have had a lot of discussion -- I don't know if the developers want some
opportunity to see if there is some way to get closer to where they want. I don't know. I
mean maybe they want us to make a decision and move on, but --
De Weerd: Want to continue this?
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October 14, 2003
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Nary: Right. If they think there is some opportunity to have some conversation with
those property owners or they think there is a way that -- to deal with this, I don't know.
I just wanted that opportunity to respond, so --
Davis: Could I have a chance to talk to Mr. Eagy's representative?
De Weerd: Council, we could recess for five or ten minutes.
Nary: Sure.
De Weerd: Okay. I would go ahead and entertain a motion to recess or I will just
recess for ten minutes. We will be back at ten after 9:00.
(Recess.)
De Weerd: Okay. I will go ahead and call the meeting back to order. Is the applicant --
thankyou. You need to state your name.
Terry: My name is Tim Terry; BRS Architects. Madam President, Members of the
Council, we appreciate the recess and we have had a chance to discuss the issues and
at this time we'd like to request a delay for two weeks.
De Weerd: Okay. Continue that until the 28th?
Terry: Yes.
De Weerd: Okay. Thank you.
Bird: Madam President?
De Weerd: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Hearing that from the applicant, I would move that we continue Public Hearing AZ
03-018, request for Annexation and Zoning of 43.86 +/- acres from RT to C-G zones for
Kissler/ Cobbs / Eagy / Ruwe by BRS Architects until October 28th, 2003.
Nary: Second.
De Weerd: Okay. It's been moved and seconded to continue Public Hearing Item
number 18 to October 28, 2003. All those in favor say aye. Okay. All ayes. Motion
carried.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES.