Testimony by Barry PetersAdmitted to Practice in Idaho & California
March 24, 2015
Planning & Zoning Department
Meridian City Hall
33 E. Broadway, Suite 102
Meridian, Idaho 83641
Re: Objections to Sonic Drive -In CUP Application
Dear Planning & Zoning Staff,
I write on behalf of Linder Springs, LLC, the owner of the Linder Springs apartment
project located at number 1465 W. Deercrest Street in Meridian. We have several objections to
the conditional use permit requested by Sonic Drive -In for a retail fast-food operation planned on
Linder Road just north of McMillan.
While we are not opposed to seeing a fast food restaurant at that location, we do
strenuously object to the current iteration of the plan for that project for the following reasons:
The planned drive -up speaker boxes on the east side of the project violate the
required 300 foot setback to residential properties. Units in our project are just across
a narrow road from that property. I would also observe that I have stood outside the
Fairview Avenue Sonic Drive In. Nearby commercial buildings just 70 feet away are
subject to a constant barrage of noise generated by the single speaker box at that
location. Having two speaker boxes as planned at about that same distance from our
apartment project will result in a continual disruption of the peace and quiet of these
nearby units. That sound will easily carry to the apartments regardless of the
mitigation that may be attempted. In short, these speaker boxes must be situated at
least 300 feet from our residences as we understand is required by the city code.
2. The traffic flow at the east side of this project needs to transition from the southern
parking area to the northern parking area within the property itself, not utilizing the
street behind the project. If a vehicle enters the project from Linder Road and travels
along the south side of the building without finding acceptable parking, under the
current plan it will then drive into oncoming traffic if it simply swings left around the
drive-in lanes and attempts to head back along the north side of the property toward
Linder Road. That presents both traffic and safety concerns that need to be
addressed by requiring that transition to occur within the property itself.
101 Eagle Glen Lane BarryPeters-Law.com Phone: (208) 939-2600
Eagle, Idaho 83616 Fax: (208) 939-2692
Letter to Meridian Planning & Zoning Staff
Dated March 24, 2015
Page No. Two
For these reasons, we ask that the requested conditional use permit be denied unless and
until the speaker boxes can be relocated at least 300 feet from our residences and the traffic
circulation flow can be restricted to the interior of the project itself.
Thank you for the opportunity to be heard in connection with this request.
Sincerely,
B Peters