PZ - 01-27-16 letter of intent Suggs Community Solutions
200 Louisa Street, Boise, Idaho 83712
jbsuggs@cableone.net
208.342.6941
January 26, 2016
Mr. Josh Beach
City of Meridian Planning Division
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, ID 83642
Subject: Brinegar Prairie Subdivision – Revised
Annexation, rezone and preliminary plat
Dear Mr. Beach:
Please accept the attached applications for the development of the Brinegar Prairie Subdivision,
a residential infill development located at the southeast corner of Ten Mile Road and Chateau
Drive. (3N, 1W, Section 2). This development meets the land use designation and policies of
the Comprehensive Plan and also meets all requirements of the Unified Development Code
(UDC) for subdivision development. The project site is 22.60 acres and is currently used as farm
land/pasture and includes 1 home with outbuildings.
Annexation and Rezone of property
This parcel is not yet annexed into the City of Meridian even though surrounding properties in a
mile in all directions are within the City limits. As an enclave property - located on Ten Mile
Road between Cherry Lane to the south and Ustick Road to the north - essential services are
already available and commercial/medical/retail services are in close proximity to the parcel.
The property is currently zoned RUT in Ada County. We are requesting that this infill property
be annexed into Meridian with a zoning designation of R-8: Medium-density residential, per the
Meridian Unified Development Code 11-2-1. The R-8 zone is supported by the Meridian
Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use Map that designates the property as Medium Density
Residential: “Medium Density: to allow smaller lots for residential purposes within City limits.
Uses may include single-family homes at gross densities of three to eight dwelling units per acre.
Density bonuses may be considered with the provision of public amenities such as open space,
pathways, or land dedicated for public services.” (Meridian Comp Plan, page 20).
Suggs Community Solutions
200 Louisa Street, Boise, Idaho 83712
jbsuggs@cableone.net
208.342.6941
In addition to the Future Land Use Map, the Meridian Comprehensive Plan has several policie s
that support infill development. Infill is defined as: “Any vacant lot or parcel within a
developed area of the city, where at least eighty percent (80%) of the land within a three
hundred foot (300') radius of the site has been developed, and where water, sewer, streets,
schools and fire protection have already been developed and are provided.”
Also, several Goals, Objectives and Action Items in the Comprehensive Plan support Infill
development:
Action Item 3.04.02B: Encourage infill development.
Objective 3.07.01: Encourage quality housing projects for all economic levels throughout
the City.
Action Item 3.07.01E: Support a variety of residential categories (low-, medium-,
medium-high and high-density single family, multi-family, townhouses, duplexes,
apartments, condominiums, etc.) for the purpose of providing the City with a range of
affordable housing opportunities.
Action Item 3.07.01F: Provide incentives (density bonus, reduced open space
requirements, less impact fees) for infill development.
Action Item 3.07.01N: Diversify and balance the location of up to 1,200 square foot
housing throughout the City (e.g., avoid concentration of one housing type in a
geographical area).
Brinegar Prairie will include a diversity of lot and housing sizes. Our minimum lot size and
setbacks match the R-8 zoning designation, however our overall density is 4.25 dwelling
units/acre. We are not requesting any density bonuses or a reduction in open space
requirements, as noted above for infill development; however, a reduction in impact fees may
be appropriate for consideration.
Subdivision
A preliminary plat and additional support materials are included with our application package.
The plat includes a total of 108 lots, with 96 single family detached residential lots and 12
common/open space lots. We’ve include some photos of the conceptual home design in our
application package.
The common lots, including buffers and easements, total 3.7 acres or over 16% of the 22.60
acres; the useable open space is 2.3 acres or over 10%, which meets the requirements of
subdivision development code 11-3G-3. These common lot/open space areas include a park
space of over 1 acre, buffer areas, endcaps and a portion of the irrigation lot - that includes
Suggs Community Solutions
200 Louisa Street, Boise, Idaho 83712
jbsuggs@cableone.net
208.342.6941
sidewalk and landscaping - along a portion of the southern boundary of the subdivision. The
park includes a play structure and will be a perfect meeting space for families and for pickup
frisbee or ball games. Note that Chateau Park, just northeast of Brinegar Prairie, includes a
playground, basketball ½ courts, restrooms and a picnic shelter.
There are also two lots and a small portion of the park area used for storm water management.
Those lots and area will be landscaped and maintained day to day by the Homeowners
Association. Ada County Highway District will manage the storage and infiltration capability of
these lots.
Brinegar Prairie will access Chateau Drive, a collector street, via two new streets. Both new
streets will intersect Chateau Drive across from existing streets, Swainson Avenue and Morello
Avenue, in the Kentwood Manor Subdivision to the north. Recent traffic counts on Chateau
Drive are below the threshold for a collector and ACHD has not requested a traffic study.
Phasing
Brinegar Prairie will be developed in two phases beginning with the western half of the
property. A conceptual phasing plan is included in our application package.
Landscaping
The landscape plan included with our application shows attractive landscaping throughout the
subdivision. Trees and planting clusters are located along Ten Mile Road and trees and shrubs
are located behind the sidewalk on Chateau Drive. We’ve included landscaped
parkways/endcaps on some of the interior streets and a pathway at the end of the Swainson
Court cul-de-sac. As noted previously, the central park space will include a play structure and a
mix of open and tree shaded areas. In addition, each home lot will include at least one tree and
shrubs in the front yard.
As shown on the preliminary plat and the landscape plan, Nampa and Meridian Irrigation
District’s Rutledge Lateral will be enclosed in a pipe and routed along the southern boundary of
the property and then north along Ten Mile Road. This route allows for some gravity flow and
also avoids sewer line conflicts. The NMID pipe and gravel access road are shown as Lot 42,
Block 1. We worked with the Meridian Planning staff to design this area as a linear amenity,
including a sidewalk, landscaping and lighting. This sidewalk will provide convenient walking
access to Ten Mile Road. The portion of Lot 42 that fronts on Sandalwood Street extends the
park to the sidewalk and also provides an access to this lot by public safety officers
Utilities
Suggs Community Solutions
200 Louisa Street, Boise, Idaho 83712
jbsuggs@cableone.net
208.342.6941
Because this property is surrounded by the City of Meridian, all public services are available,
including sewer, water and power. Irrigation will be provided by NMID with a connection to an
irrigation pump station close to the property.
Neighborhood Meeting
A well-attended neighborhood meeting was held on Monday, December 7th at 6 pm at the
Barbara Morgan STEM Academy on Chateau Drive. Three development options were shown
that included 95-97 residential lots. Residents generally voiced concerns about density and
traffic. Residents in the Sunburst Subdivision to the south were interested in the NMID
easement and how it may impact a similar easement on their properties. Residents in the
Devlin Place Subdivision to the east voiced concerns about compatibility.
As a response to the input from the neighborhood meeting, we have removed lots from both
the east and south boundaries of the development to satisfy the neighbors’ concerns. Now all
the lots adjacent to the Sunburst and Devlin Place Subdivisi ons are a minimum of 8000 square
feet and meet the lot size and dimensions for the R-4 zone.
In summary, we are excited to bring this infill property into the City of Meridian. We look
forward to working with you and the staff during the approval process for Brinegar Prairie
Subdivision. And a special thanks to you, Bill and Bruce for working with us on the irrigation
routing. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about our applications or
the project.
Sincerely,
Jane Suggs
Jane B. Suggs