CushingTerrell_CZC Response_010621
cushingterrell.com
January 6, 2021
City of Meridian
Planning and Zoning Department
33 East Broadway Avenue, Suite 102
Meridian, Idaho, 83642
Dear Alan,
This letter provides Cushing Terrell’s response to the staff comments below. All supporting documentation is
attached along with this response letter.
Josh, I have finished preliminary review of your CZC application for a 24,300 sq. ft. addition to an existing oil
storage building. Below are items staff believes still need to be addressed:
1. The plat (attached) shows a water easement in the vicinity. Has this been accounted for?
Response:
The existing water easement has been accounted for with the new addition.
2. The landscape plan notes tree mitigation is not required because the original planting plan for the
property completed in 2011 exceeded the City of Meridian Requirements. Please note UDC 11-3B-10
states the purpose of the regulations are to preserve existing trees four-inch caliper or greater from
destruction during the development process. This section gives exceptions in the following three
instances:
a. Existing prohibited trees within the street buffer or parking lot;
b. Existing dead, dying, or hazardous trees certified prior to removal by the City of Meridian Parks
Department Arborist;
c. Trees that are required to be removed by another governmental agency having jurisdiction over
the project.
Staff notes in particular there are trees shown of at least 24” in caliper. In order for staff to determine
whether we support removal of the trees as proposed, please submit the caliper inches of trees being
removed that are above the landscape requirements, and the number of caliper inches being planted
above the landscaping requirements. Staff has included the City Arborist on this discussion.
Response:
The project owner understands the city’s desire to maintain a diverse urban forest and has far exceeded
the city’s minimum requirements for those standards. The following further breakdown is provided to
city staff in addition to the city code breakdown provided on the landscape exhibits submitted as a part
of the CZC submittal. The following information is based on existing conditions/ and data collected in
the field as a part of the project survey.
Summary:
City of Meridian minimum tree requirement for existing site: 47 trees with an average of 7” dia. Based on
average caliper inches noted in field
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noted caliper inches equates to 331.35 caliper inches.
(See breakdown of city requirements below*)
Currently existing Trees on site equate to the following
Caliper Inches: 662.75 caliper inches.
Proposed caliper inches to be removed per Plan sheet L300: 258 caliper inches.
Caliper Inches of existing trees per plan sheet L301: 404.75 caliper inches
Existing Caliper Inches of Trees currently on the property are inventoried and located as follows*:
Commercial Street buffer required number of trees: 10
Installed number of trees (existing)to remain: 13
Average caliper inches of trees existing: 7”
Number of Caliper inches above required
Number of trees (3 x 7): 21”
Eagle Road buffer required number of trees: 12
Installed number of trees (existing) and to remain: 25
Average caliper inches of trees existing: 16”
Number of Caliper inches above required
Number of trees (13 x16): 208”
Eagle Road Pathway required number of trees: 4
Installed number of trees and to remain: 7
Average caliper inches of trees existing: 7”
Number of Caliper inches above required
Number of trees (3 x 7): 21”
Total caliper inches above required caliper inches: 250”
Interior Parking lot required number of trees
Two per double row of parking: 21 total trees existing
Existing parking lot area is being reduced to three rows of parking-
One double row of parking and one single row of parking in front of building addition.
Total caliper inches existing in parking lot 105”
Average caliper inches of trees existing 5.25”
Number of trees to be removed from parking lot: 14
Number of trees to remain: 7
Caliper inches to remain after building addition(7x5.25): 36.75”
Additional proposed trees in parking lot: 2
Total additional caliper inches of trees: 4”
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Existing interior trees to remain as a part of the project
(interior next to existing building): 11
Existing caliper inches 118”
Total Caliper inches of existing
Trees to remain within project
boundary: 404.75”
Additional Caliper Inches of Trees to be installed
per plan sheet L301 34”
Total existing caliper inches of trees to remain on site
+ proposed caliper inches of trees: 438.75”
3. The east side of this proposed addition will be highly visible from N Eagle Rd and the regional pathway.
Staff believes there are several standards of the Architectural Standards Manual (ASM) that might not
be met:
2.1A
Buildings with rooflines 50-feet in length or greater must incorporate roofline and parapet variations.
Variations may include step-downs, step-backs, other modulation, or architectural features such as cornices,
ledges, or columns, and must occur in total combination for at least 20% of the façade length. May be
averaged over entire façade but may not exceed 75- feet without a break. – There are segments along the
north and east sides that are well over 75’ without a break.
Response:
North maximum distance without a break: 57’
East maximum distance without a break: 100’
Reasoning: New proposed facades and parapets are not less modulated than what exists currently.
To maintain design harmony, additional modulations are not added where they do not match the
building mass below. Additional breaks will reduce overall cohesiveness of design.
2.3A
Consistently incorporate at least two (2) architectural features into the building design that are pedestrian
scale, to include: fenestration patterns; architectural elements such as ledges, lighting, or canopies; material
or pattern banding; or detailing (see Pedestrian Scale definition).
Response:
New proposed facades do not contain fewer pedestrian-scale features than what exists currently.
North façade, location of primary entrance, meets this standard with materiality, fenestrations, and a
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large canopy. Eagle Rd-facing East façade contains interest through material depth and variety (See
materials B and D). Additionally, landscaping is a primary means of achieving pedestrian scale along
this façade. Additional elements such as fenestrations and canopies would not match the intended
use of the interior space and would be out of place.
3.2A
For at least 30% of applicable façades use any combination of concrete, masonry, stone, or unique variation
of color, texture, or material, at least 10-inches in height, around the base of the building. May alternatively
incorporate other architectural features such as ledges, façade reveals, ground level fenestration, raised
planters, or landscaping elements within 3-feet of finished grade.- Although there are large panels of stone
on the north and east, there is supposed to be a materials along at least 30% of the base.
Response:
100% of the north and east façade base is either masonry (with textured paint finish), stone, or
fenestration, meeting the requirements of 3.2A: “For at least 30% of applicable facades use any
combination of concrete, masonry, stone….” I interpret the following verbiage of “or material, at
least 10 inches in height, around the base of the building” to be an alternative means of compliance
if the preceding condition does not exist, and not to mean “in addition” to the preceding condition.
5.1D
For façade elevations visible from public roadways and along primary building entryways, incorporate an
accent material on the first story. – The north and east elevations do not incorporate an accent material on
the first story.
Response:
New proposed facades do not contain fewer accent materials than what exists currently.
North and east elevations contain both primary material B, concrete masonry shadow block, and
accent materials A2, textured paint finish on concrete panel, and D, stone, on the first story.
Sincerely,
Josh Shiverick,
Design Tech
cc: Joshua Hersel NCARB, Architect | Associate