2019-05-15 Bernhard Bahro & Carol Sauer5-11_�_/a_ a / 7
Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission
Meridian City Council RECEIVE'
_ .
MAY 21 2019
33 East Broadway Avenue CITY OF MERIDIAN
Meridian, ID 83642 �iAX#' -QFFi
Madam Chairman and Commissioners my name is Berni Bahro. My
wife; Carolyn Sauer and I live at 2584 E Lacewood Dr, Meridian.
The following comments were prepared for the May 2, 2019 Planning
and Zoning Meeting where agenda item D (H-2019-0027) was deferred
to July 18, 2019 or later. My wife and I will not likely be able to attend
this rescheduled meeting.
In addition to what others have so clearly stated we would like to
add the following:
1) There is a serious lack of pedestrian access to parks like Kliener, the
ball fields at CF Modevitt, and even Settler's. Due to incomplete
sidewalks, no identified crosswalks, and no stop signs in many areas it is
difficult to access public areas by walking and/or biking. In some places
residents have to walk a mile to access a light or crosswalk in order to
get to a park.
2) Traffic Congestion, additional traffic in Alpine Pointe is a bad idea.
We already have a tremendous increase in cut-thru traffic. The
sweeping curves, lack of stop signs, crosswalks, and center dividing
lines in the road, already have presented a problem with blind corners
for drivers and near misses. Over 2/3 `s of the homes have either RV
parking and/or RV garages that make backing campers and boats very
difficult. This poses a real safety concern. Current HOA rules allow for
short term parking on the roads. When multiple homeowners are
loading or off loading supplies or having visitors, visibility is further
reduced. Future visibility will be further reduced as trees planted (2 per
house) grow and reach out into the road. Drivers trend to move closer
to the center of the road as this happens. I have experienced this while
walking in Settlers Bridge, a slightly older sub -division that has older
trees.
3) Crime: The Ada county website for crime mapping indicates several
areas just east of Eagle Rd. with much higher crime rates as a result of
higher density housing areas. This is certainly not an unintended
consequence of higher density housing, but a reality. Currently,
Meridian is not experiencing this level of crime, but there is a danger of
creating more high-risk areas in the future.
4) The Planning and Zoning committee should consider other options
for that land, such as a small park like Champion for the residents in the
already high-density housing. Instead of increasing housing density
reduce it. Transition the housing density from the large apartment
complex to 6 or S homes per acre, similar to Caldwell neighborhoods
where they are planning 39 homes for 6 acres with a basketball/pickle
ball court and BBQ area designed by the Trilogy Development team.
In closing, I believed the DevCo development plan as written will
fundamentally change the nature and quality of life in Alpine Pointe,
Settlers Bridge, and other adjacent sub -divisions. This is just another
attempt to get ahead of the revised Meridian Comprehensive Plan. I
attended some of the early public scoping meetings for Meridian's
Comprehensive Plan Revision. Except for the one developer in the
room, everyone wanted to maintain a quality of life that managed
growth, traffic, and quality of life that was consist with a conservative
approach to planning.
We have had time to reflect further on this issue. We would like to
the Commission to consider the following:
A) It is not just the additional high density housing that DevCo
Development is planning, but the combined impacts of the
Brickyard Apartments, the Regency Apartments (336 units), the
over 55 Village's 166 units, and the Verrason Apartments with
regard to traffic and crime. These are already some of the top 12
busiest intersections in Ada County. Access to the area's premiere
park, Kleiner, just became more difficult for families on bikes and
walking traffic.
B) Assess and Egress for emergency services, this is an important
consideration for police, fire and medical services. Its not just
about getting emergency resources into a situation but getting
people out if needed. By continuing to dense pack high density
housing in around some busiest intersections in Ada County, you
are potentially creating a situation that can become very serious.
Emergency situations always occur at the worst possible time,
think about evacuating the town of McCall onto N Eagle Rd at 4 in
the afternoon. Think about the unintended consequences of
putting all these people in harms way. You are creating situation
where sheltering in place is the only likely option. But what about
a gas leak, active shooter, HAZMAT spill, or multiple structure
fires in the high density housing apartments. After a 31 -year
career in the Wildland fire services in California, large-scale
evacuations don't go well. Citizens are confused, make mistakes
and often get hurt or worse.
C) The following are just some of the traffic considerations for Alpine
Pointe and surrounding areas: During a meeting with developers
on February 25, 2019, DevCo stated that the proposed
development traffic analysis would increase traffic 44% via N
Dashwood Pl. into Alpine Point. Currently, cut-thru traffic already
warrants many of these mitigations.
Objectives:
I. Efforts to maintain livability and safety to residents of Alpine
Pointe.
II. Maintain the quality and spirit of our neighborhood as a
residential HOA for local traffic.
*Note that the majority of homes in the Alpine Pointe HOA are RV
friendly with 40 plus footgarage bays, large vehicle parking adjacent
to the home, or both. Moving large recreational units such as boats,
travel trailers and motor homes on the tree lined streets of our sub-
division has already become difficult This is especralty true for N
Rosepoint and E Lacewood Drive. This is the major connector between
E Wainwright and N Camas Creek, the sweeping curves and street
parking limit visibility of both drivers and residents leaving or
returning home. Speed is already a concern of non-residential cut-thru
traffic from Eagle Rd to McMillian.
1) Stops sign on Lacewood and N Camas Creek
2) Stop sign on N Camas Creek to Wagon Trail (Settlers Ridge access)
3) Stop sign on N Camas Creek to E Wainwright
4) Stop signs on N Rouge River Way (E Wainwright and Lacewood)
5) Formal Cross walks posted into Pool/Court Common area and
street intersections
6) Traffic Light at N Camas Creek and Mc Millian with cross walk for
Sports Park and fishing pond access. (Alpine Point, Settlers Ridge,
and sub -division across N Camas Creek)
Near future considerations:
Center Point Connector - (E Wainwright to Apartments) walking /bike
path only, with Police, EMS and fire assess (Car truck traffic from
further development would be directed out to traffic light on Ustick or
south bound Eagle RD)
Finish the pedestrian sidewalks on both sides of Eagle Rd from
Wainwright and Eagle to Fairview.
Eliminate the opportunity for U Turns on Wainwright (in both
directions). Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Sincerely,
44'_��7Yri S /sI9'
Bernhard Bahro and Carolyn Sauer
2584 E Lacewood Dr
Meridian, ID
berni.bahro@gmail.com
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