2020-07-22 David PalumboJuly 18, 2020
City of Meridian
City Council Public Hearing; dated 07/28/2020
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, Idaho 83642
Re: Hill's Century Farm North; H-2020-0080
Meridian City Council Members:
Due to a scheduling conflict, I will not be able to attend and provide testimony to the subject project.
Therefore, I respectfully request this email be read into the record at the Meridian City Council public
hearing on July 28, 2020.
I am David E. Palumbo and have lived at 11249 W. Highlander Road for over 40 years. The following
are my comments developed through my experience living and traveling in the Amity Road area for a
long, long time.
300 foot written notice guideline: Meridian development code requires written notices to land owners
within 300 feet of a real estate development project. Common sense indicates many real estate
developments seriously impact land owners beyond 300 feet. It is apparent that projects are not
evaluated to determine impact beyond the 300 feet. It i& apparent that project owners, engineers,
planning and zoning commissions, city councils, county commissioners, etc. do not want to know the '
true and full impact of real estate projects on land owners beyond 300 feet. Gaining the necessary and
complete intelligence to make the best decision does not appear to be an important element of the
decision makers. Notices in the legal section of newspapers (who reads newspapers or legal notices
today?) and signage (at 35 mph very difficult to read and dangerous to pull over to read) near project
sites do not inform all of the land owners potentially impacted by real estate development. This may
be the code/law; however, does not satisfy the spirit of the code/law or the "Mission and Values" of the
decision makers. The 300 foot written notice requirement seriously, deliberately, and intentionally
limits the ability for owners, engineers, government staff and decision makers from gaining vital
information to develop correct results and commen sense decisions. I suspect the members of the
Meridan City Council may have not visited the site or a few miles around the subject site to evaluate
impact beyond 300 feet. This desire not to consider the impact and respect property owners beyond
300' appears to be a consistant and intentional activity given all other new projects in the area having
failed to reach out to all impacted neighbors within the City of Meridian, Ada County or City of Boise.
Because you and all associated to this project did not provide written notice to all area impacted
residents/commercial owners; my opportunity to participate in the subject public hearing is seriously
comprimized. This notice code does not restrict the City of Meridian from communicating in writing
beyond 300' when necessary. This project and most of the development occuring along Amity Road
needs and deserves that extended notice.
Ada County Highway Department: It is my understanding the subject Amity Road improvements will
occur over the next five years. It is imperative the subject project and all of the other area
developments not be started or continued until ACHD fully complete an expansion of Amity 'Road to
four lanes; especially considering the massive Albertson Market Place project at Eagle Road (Eagle
Road and Amity Road must be expanded to four + lanes prior to the Albertson's project begins.) and
Amity Road and other expansive residential developments occuring within five miles of the Eagle
Road/Amity Road intersection. This proposed commercial project at Meridian Road exaserdates the
situation even more.
The unintended consquences of not requiring that road work (Amity Road/Eagle Road expanded to
four lanes) before any more residential/commerical work is started will tremendously negatively impact
area commercial and residents within and without the 300' arbitrary written notice code for miles
around. Logical and commen sense planning demands for the road work to be completed first.
The fact that impact fees collected by ACHD will be placed into their "general" fund and not
specifically utilized for traffic chaos remediation at this intersection is a planning engineering "mortal
sin." The subject project impact funds being utilized to pay for previously approved projects in other
areas of Meridan and Ada County and hoping a future project in some other area of Meridian and Ada
County are collected to pay for the remodel of the Eagle Road/Amity Road intersection over the next
five years is insane. By approving projects in this area without requiring ACHD spending funds
collected from the subject area projects, Meridian P&Z; Meridian City Council and the Ada County
Commissioners are materially and practically guilty of the "lack of infrastruture" problem discussed by
all living in the County. ACHD is committing the crime of "diversion of funds" comperable to a Ponzi
Scheme that would make Bernie Madoff proud.
Thank you and Peace,
a .
avid E. Palumbo
11249 Highlander Road
Boise, Idaho 83709
208-362-1736
davidepalumbo20l3@hotmail.com