2020-03-17 Dave MeredithChris Johnson
From: Dave Meredith <davemeredith@outlook.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 11:31 AM
To: City Clerk
Subject: Lost Rapids Apartments
Attachments: Planning and Zoning Commission.docx
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
Please my public comments concerning the apartments on List Rapids. H-2019-0146.
Dave Meredith
Davemeredith@outlook.com
208-954-1807
4202 W Everest St
Meridian ID 83646
Planning and Zoning Commission
My name is David Meredith, current resident of Meridian, and of the Bainbridge subdivision. Recently
retired as Assistant Director of the Department of Public Safety at Boise State University and a Certified
Administrator of Public Parking (CAPP) through the University of Virginia.
I am opposed to the addition of this apartment complex being built in the suggested area for 3 reasons:
1) Understanding apartments and parking, there is not enough parking allowed, for this project. I
am not sure what the city of Meridian is currently suggesting for parking spaces for apartments,
but typical city standards do not represent the reality of apartment living.
a. Apartments have many visitors, not just those living in the apartments, this creates
overflow situations and there is no overflow here, unless you are planning to use the
church across the street, which I am sure they would not be accepting of this.
b. Parking on weekends before any of the new items being brought into the area is already
overcrowded and dangerous. With the soccer games, the football games, park activities,
all available parking is being used, the people start parking in no parking zones creating
very dangerous situations.
2) The fire department cannot adequately protect this structure; there is only one in and out to
these apartments and due to the shortage of parking, emergency vehicles will not be able to
access this area when needed. The report states the 3-story building will require a ladder truck,
and this will not have any access to these buildings. The police department will be called many
times to “please cite these vehicles”, not fair to the public using the nearby parks. Which by the
way we love and appreciate how Meridian adopted open space in subdivisions. In contrast, this
project is going against the open spaces concept.
3) Costco. We are putting the largest traffic generating box store on the same parcel and we are
considering putting apartments there? This does not even make sense in the most common of
senses. I am sure the commission has been to Costco on a weekend and has witnessed how stop
lights are backed up 2-3 cycles. This is creating the perfect storm for a disaster, a Saturday with
soccer games, church activity, apartments with people parking in no parking areas and the
Costco traffic, it will be impossible to access this area, including emergency services.
I am in favor of apartments, and it is not “in my neighborhood” that I am stating, I am saying if Costco
was not right next door, several parks with activities and apartments that will illegally park, then I would
not be opposed.
However, from my experience, this is what is going to happen. I would hope that the Commission will
vote to NOT ALLOW this unit to be built in this particular parcel and create this perfect storm of total
confusion on weekends.
Respectfully,
David Meredith
4202 W Everest St.
Meridian, ID