CC - UDC Text Amendment Council Memo - 1/14
Planning Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Meridian, ID 83642
Phone 208-884-5533 Fax 208-888-6854 www.meridiancity.org
January 19, 2016
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Bill Parsons, Planning Supervisor
CC: Bill Nary, City Clerk, Caleb Hood; Project File
RE: UDC Text Amendment 2015 and Meridian Design Manual Revamp
(H-2015-0011)
Honorable Mayor and City Council Members,
On December 15, 2015, the City Council heard the UDC Text Amendment application
and subsequently continued this item. During the public hearing, the Council expressed
concerns with the proposed changes to the dimensional standards of the R-4 zoning
district and further directed staff to explore more options for establishing an ordinance
that would allow the greater flexibility to the City’s current common open space
standards (UDC 11-3G) based on the quality of the amenities.
For discussion purposes, staff has generated two (2) options for the Council to consider.
These options are not ready for adoption and need further vetting with the UDC Focus
Group, BCA and other City staff.
Based on the Council’s concerns raised during the hearing, staff has updated the revision
table as follows:
1) The proposed changes to the R-2 and R-4 dimensional standards have been removed;
and
2) The proposed language that would allow residential developments with an average lot
size of 10,000 square feet or greater or developments within a quarter (1/4) mile of a City
regional park or an eighth (1/8) of a mile of a City community park to only install the
required site amenities has also been removed.
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Based on the above revisions, staff recommends that the City Council approve the
updated revision table and provide staff feedback on which option (if any) that Council
would like staff to pursue with the UDC Focus Group and the BCA regarding the
common open space standards during the next round of UDC updates.