CC - Narrative
1/13/21 REV 2/3/21
Caleb Hood, Planning Manager
Community Development Services
Meridian City Hall
RE: Apex Northwest Subdivision No 1 Final Plat and Alternative Compliance Applications
Dear Caleb,
Enclosed is the Final Plat Application for “Apex Northwest Subdivision No. 1,” part of the first
phase of the Apex Northwest Subdivision Preliminary Plat approved 08/11/2020. Included is an
application for alternative compliance.
This phase of Apex Northwest contains 56 residential lots,12 commercial lots, 9 common lots for a
total of 77 lots. The area of phase one will consist of 18.24 acres. The residential portion of this
phase is zoned R- 15 and the commercial portion of the project is zoned C-C.
Statement of Conformance
This final plat is in full conformance with the uses and layout approved by the preliminary plat and
meets all requirements and conditions except condition 2b. The referenced alternative compliance
application addresses that condition. This plat is in conformance with the use requirements and
provisions of the UDC; and acceptable engineering, architectural and surveying practices, and local
standards.
Application / Development Agreements applicable to this application
Apex Northwest PP H-2020-0056
Apex AZ, MDA, RZ H-2020-0066
20-1910 Ordinance (2020-178119)
Development Agreement (2020-178120)
Apex Northwest Subdivision No. 1 Final Plat Alternative Compliance
BACKGROUND
The Apex Northwest Subdivision (aka Pinnacle) preliminary plat (H-2020-0056) was approved by
th
the City council on August 11, 2020 (Findings on August 25). All lots in the project’s residential
component are alley-loaded. As approved, the alleys were depicted as “private”
and so designated by Pre-Plat Note #7.
2929 West Navigator Drive Suite 400
www.brightoncorp.com p. 208-378-4000
In subsequent street and alley design reviews, ACHD determined that “the 3 northern most n/s
alleys” \[ACHD email dated 12-2-20 re: Pre-Plat Blocks 1-2-3-4\] comply with ACHD’s public-
street lot frontage requirements and are approved for construction as public ROW. However,
ACHD Policy 7210.1 states, in part, “An alley may serve as the primary vehicular access to a lot or
building, but an alley should not provide the sole public right-of-way frontage. A lot served by
an alley shall also have public street frontage.” \[underlined for emphasis\]
That policy applies to the twenty (20) interior lots of the 56 lots in the first final plat. Thus, the
alleys in Apex Northwest Subdivision No. 1 \[final plat Block 2 / Pre-Plat Block 5\] will remain
private as originally depicted, noted, and approved.
ALTERNATIVE COMLIANCE REQUEST
The north/south alley segment of those alleys, depicted below, is subject to Apex Northwest
Preliminary Plat Condition 2.b:
“The north/south alley in Block 5 does not comply with the standards listed in UDC 11-6C-3B.5
as the entire length of the alley is not visible from a public street as required; common
driveways may be considered as an alternative to the alley provided they meet the standards
listed in UDC 11-6C-3D, subject to alternative compliance approval.”
That condition was the subject of a three-way “e-conversation” between the applicant, City
planning staff and Meridian Fire Department on July 15, 2019, resulting in this “solution”:
The two N/S common driveway segments comply with UDC standards with this exception:
Common Driveways Section 11-6C-3D.1 limit to a maximum of six dwelling units.
Apex Northwest Preliminary Plat Condition 2.b, cited above, provides for alternative design
consideration for each of those UDC deviations. Thus, with the Apex Northwest Subdivision
No. 1 final plat submittal, approval of Alternative Compliance for both items is requested based on:
The superior neotraditional design and character of Pinnacle as noted by the City
Council in its review and approval of the project; (11-5B-5B.2e)
Assurance that public health, safety, and welfare will be protected by compliance with
UDC and Fire Department standards for width (twenty feet); construction materials
(concrete); length (126-foot-long N/S common driveways); turning radii; and perpetual
maintenance and ingress-egress easements (11-5B-5B.2d); and
The “open” character of the common driveways with 20-foot parking pads and 10-foot
street-front setbacks in conjunction with block 2’s extensive pathway system and open
space (11-5B-5B.2e) \[graphic below and Paramount Subdivision examples, following
page\].
APEX NW
TWENTY-FOOT ALLEY PARKING PADS
PARAMOUNT SUBDIVISION NO. 13
TEN-FOOT FRONT YARD SETBACKS
PARAMOUNT SUBDIVISION NO. 13
If you have any questions or concerns please reach out.
For Brighton Development Inc.
Kody Daffer
Development Specialist