PZ - Agency Comments
December 4, 2015
Machelle Hill
Meridian City Clerk’s Office
33 East Idaho Avenue
Meridian, Idaho 83642
VIA EMAIL
RE: H-2015-0026 CITADEL STORAGE
The Idaho Transportation Department has reviewed the referenced alternative compliance, annexation,
zoning, conditional use, and preliminary plat application for the Citadel Storage on the southwest
corner of US-20/26 (Chinden Boulevard) and N. Ten Mile Rd. ITD has the following comments:
1. ITD has no objection to the requested application of placing a storage facility, convenience
store and gas station at this location.
2. The application proposes two accesses along US-20/26. One for an emergency access to the
storage facility and another for an access to the convenience store and gas station. IDAPA
39.03.42 rules for an access upstream from a public road intersection on an urban statewide
route over 35 miles per hour is 790 feet and between accesses other than public road
intersections is 250 feet. The drawings do not indicate a distance from the public road
intersection to each of the accesses. The emergency access is not clear if it meets the distance
from the public road intersection. The access to the convenience store and gas station appears
to not meet the distance from the public road intersection. The drawings have indications the
distance between the two accesses would meet the minimum. The drawings do not indicate a
distance to the access west of the proposed emergency access. The accesses will need to be
reviewed through the ITD application process.
3. ITD’s corridor plan for this area of US-20/26 requires 100-ft of right-of-way as measured from
the section line in US-20/26. A typical section is shown below. This area includes 86 feet for
the construction of the future widening of the roadway and drainage and 14 feet for the
construction of the future pathway and utilities. If the City requires berms or other
improvements, they should be constructed outside of the 100 feet of right-of-way. ITD
reminds the City that keeping costs down within this corridor will help with future construction
of US-20/26.
4. Will the applicant provide property for relocation of the access improvements when the
roadway is widened?
5. ITD is concerned with the location of the pedestrian crossing. This is not a location that a
vehicle would expect to see a pedestrian. This type of access ramp would tend to have vehicles
exiting the roadway at higher speeds. If a pedestrian is crossing the ramp, will the ramp have
enough room for a queue without backing traffic onto the highway? These will need to be
addressed in the traffic impact study.
6. Applicant must apply for and receive an approved Right-of-Way use permit prior to doing any
work or activity within the highway Right-of-Way. Please have the applicant contact Shona
Tonkin at 334-8341 for this application.
7. No trees are allowed within the clear zone of the ITD Right-of-Way. Only planting of forage,
plants, grasses, flowers, and shrubs with a mature height not to exceed 3 feet will be allowed.
8. No rocks over 4 inches maximum size will be allowed in the ITD Right-of-Way.
9. Irrigation systems shall be no closer than 5 feet from the pavement edge and shall be adjusted
so as not to cause water to cover any portion of the highway pavement.
10. Idaho Code 40-1910 does not allow advertising within the right-of-way of any State highway
system.
11. IDAPA 39.03.60 governs advertising along the right-of-way of any State highway system.
12. The City is reminded that the US-20/26 Corridor is already congested. This project will
increase the number of vehicle trips in the corridor. ITD has no current funding assigned to
widen US-20/26.
If you have any questions, you may contact Shona Tonkin at 334-8341 or me at 332-7191.
Sincerely,
James K. Morrison
Development Services Manager
jim.morrison@itd.idaho.gov