2020-08-17 Kateri Bilay
Charlene Way
From:Kateri Bilay <kateribilay@boisestate.edu>
Sent:Monday, August 17, 2020 11:46 AM
To:Sonya Allen; planninginquiries; City Clerk
Subject:Rezoning of Southwest corner or Victory and Meridian Road
To whom it may concern,
I have been a resident of Meridian Heights subdivision since 1999 and our property overlooks the field in the southwest
corner of Victory and Meridian. We have seen all the surrounding fields torn up and turned into apartments and housing
over the years, and this is the last intact field left in the area. As a Biology major at Boise State I have become overly
aware of the impact the overdevelopment of Meridian has had on our native and natural wildlife. This last remaining
field serves as a safe haven for more wildlife than anyone who hasn't lived in the area for a prolonged amount of time
would imagine. Foxes, raccoons, skunks, moles, voles, ground squirrels, and a number of unseen ground dwellers reside
here. As well as two nesting pairs of Red-tailed Hawks, a nesting pair of American Kestrels, Swainson's Hawks, Sharp
Shinned Hawks, Great Blue Heron, and a large variety of passerine species all reside and forage and hunt in this small
field.
My suggestion is to make this area that already houses so much wildlife into a nature preserve, similar to the MK Nature
Center in Boise. Restore this area to the native sagebrush and steppe wildlife that used to overtake this whole area and
allow it to be accessible to the public. This would give the surrounding schools an area for outside learning and also
increase the property value of Meridian Heights.
Every talking point being debated against the development is completely valid. As a 2013 graduate from Mountain View
High School, it was over crowded and past capacity even then and the population has only continued to grow. There is a
lot of traffic that comes down Victory Road and clogs that intersection and the Ridenbaugh Canal does not allow proper
widening. The Ridenbaugh Canal already serves as a "natural" barrier that would better suit a nature preserve over an
apartment complex or any other construction for that matter.
Sincerely,
Kateri Bilay
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