1 - Union 93 CZC, Response Letter (2021-10-27)
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October 27, 2021
Alan Tiefenbach
Associate Planner, City of Meridian
33 E. Broadway, Suite 102
Meridian, ID 83642
RE: UNION 93 CZC RESPONSE #2 – EAST AND WEST BUILDINGS
Alan,
We thank you for your continued work on our CZC applications for the Union 93 project. This letter
provides responses to the City’s CZC review comments from your e-mail dated 8-6-21. This letter
provides responses to the comments or indicates where responses can be found.
Ninety days have passed since the previous CZC submittal. This long timeframe between responses is
because we have invested considerable time trying to incorporate changes based what we have heard
from City review comments, and also based on the feedback we heard from a meeting with the MDC
board on August 24th.
Response to Comment #1
Per the recommendation in Comment #1, Galena met with the MDC board on August 24th. The
conversation was productive and helped guide our work over follow weeks to create the current design,
which takes into account several of the board’s principal concerns, including:
• Better integrating the parking podium levels with the levels where units are located
• Creating more visual interest with more variation of the roof plane
• Muting the terracotta color previously proposed, and incorporating a brick more similar to
others within the Old Town area
Response to Comment #2
Elevations have been provided.
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Response to Comment #3
Unit balconies
• West Building – 56 balconies with an average square footage of 55 SF = 3,080 SF of private
balcony space. These balconies are shown in blue by building under the “Amenity Analysis”
section of the architectural response.
• East Building – 42 balconies with an average square footage of 55 SF = 2,310 SF of private
balcony space. These balconies are shown in blue by building under the “Amenity Analysis”
section of the architectural response.
Shared Residential Terraces
• West Building – The west building provides an 11,059 SF shared residential terrace space. This
space is connected directly to the lodge area, and provides different outdoor seating options,
fire pits, barbecues, a game area, and a number of different plantings to create a natural feel.
• East Building – The east building provides two shared terraces. The larger, north-facing terrace
is 8,867 SF. It connects directly from the east building lodge and provides outdoor seating, fire
pits, barbecues, and rich plantings. The smaller, east-facing terrace is 6,905 SF and will provide
an area geared toward pets, as well as seating areas, fire pits, and a natural feel through
significant landscaping.
Interior Amenities
• As summarized in the architectural response packet included with the submission, each building
provides 15,000+ SF of interior residential amenities.
• East Building amenities include:
o A ~2,000 SF lodge on the third floor that opens onto the shared residential terrace. The
lodge includes seating areas, a game area for billiards and the like, a kitchen for food
preparation and serving.
o The principal lobby where building leasing and management services will be found,
which will serve both buildings. This area will also provide mail and package pickup
areas for tenants of the east building.
o A co-working area where residents can work on-site but away from their units
o A 401 SF roof deck on the northwest corner of the top floor provides an indoor
seating/kitchen area, with outdoor seating areas that will provide expansive views of
the northern Treasure Valley
• West Building interior amenities include:
o A ~1,900 SF lodge on the third floor that opens onto the shared residential terrace. The
lodge includes seating areas, a game area for billiards and the like, a kitchen for food
preparation and serving.
o A ~4,500 SF fitness area provides 20+ types of exercise equipment, a yoga/spinning
studio, a large free weight area, and restrooms and lockers. This fitness area serves
both buildings.
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o A residential lobby connecting tenants to building management, as well as mailboxes
and package pickup areas
o A co-working area where residents can work on-site but outside of their units
o Bike storage and tenant storage areas
o A 476 SF roof deck on the northeast corner of the top floor provides an indoor
seating/kitchen area, with outdoor seating areas that will provide expansive views of
the northern Treasure Valley
Specific Exterior Amenities
As shown in the architectural response packet, outside of the public rights of way, there is over 62,000
SF of exterior space that can be enjoyed by residents and the public, composed of the plaza, the
pathways and walkways between and around the buildings, and also the rails-to-trails connection on the
south. Other specific exterior amenities to mention include:
• Pet Area – A 1,392 SF pet area is provided on the south side of the west building, which will
serve both buildings.
• Play Area – A 2,584 SF playground area, geared toward children, will also be provided on the
south side of the west building, and will serve residents of both buildings.
Summary
Access. Each building provides tenants with roof terraces, with two at the larger east building. Each
building has a lobby with building services, access to a roof deck, a co-working area, tenant storage, bike
parking and pet wash areas. Access to the management office (east building) and the fitness center
(west building) were planned with access closer to the central common area, for quick access by tenants
of either building. The pet and playground areas are located within a sort of alcove between the west
building and the multi-use pathway. We feel that we have provided a similar experience in each
building, with good access to amenities for all tenants.
Benefits of Aggregation. An attempt could have been made to spread the common areas—specifically
the exterior common areas—onto more floors or further throughout the project. But doing so would
require each space to be smaller. With required areas for circulation and access, these separated spaces
would have been less efficient and provided less net usable area for tenants. In addition, one of the
purposes of these spaces is to provide a social environment for tenants. The larger aggregated spaces
encourage larger groups that help tenants feel a part of a social environment.
We feel that the larger spaces make more efficient areas, encourage socializing and congregating, and
are located a short elevator ride from our tenants on the higher floors. Tenants on the higher floors
have closest access to the roof decks in each building. And the project has been designed so that
ground level exterior amenity areas surround the buildings, providing good access to all tenants.
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Response to Comment #4
Included with this response (found in the architectural response packet) is the Request for Proposals
planned to be sent to a group of artists who have worked on similar projects. This document was sent
to MDC and the City for review on 10/22/21, and we plan to distribute it shortly. We would include a
representative from MDC on the committee to select the successful applicant.
We have budgeted $300,000 for two pieces which would bookend the plaza on the east and west sides,
the most prominent of which we envision for the corner of 3rd and Broadway. Prior to seeing artist
concepts, we are hesitant to provide too much in term of specifics, although we would envision a
minimum height (especially of the piece at 3rd & Broadway) to be 12-15 feet high.
The art pieces will need to incorporate elements that evoke part of the history of the community and
the site, while incorporating a modern feel. The history of railways at the site will be a potential point of
inspiration, as will the agricultural history of Meridian (with the grain silos across the street as strong
reference points).
The budget for the art pieces will assure the pieces will be significant and substantial. The participation
of MDC will assure the themes and appropriate.
Response to Comment #5
Updated coverage pages and development data tables are provided. There is one cover sheet for each
of the west and the east buildings, since additional and more detailed parking information was provided.
We have updated the verbiage to reflect “required” parking.
Each building has appropriate parking for its use, so no building is relying on parking stalls of the other
to meet code requirements.
Parking By Building
To summarize the parking by building, as shown on the cover sheets:
• The west building provides 195 on-site parking stalls, with 180 required
o This leaves 15 parking stalls above code in the west building
• The east building provides 436 parking stalls, with 197 required
o This leaves 239 parking stalls above code in the east building
o Of the parking above code in the east building, 50 stalls are planned to be allocated to
MDC for replacement of the COMPASS/VRT building parking lot.
o Reducing the parking stalls above code in the east building by the 50 allocated for
COMPASS/VRT leaves 189 stalls above code in the east building
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Aggregate Project Parking
We add below the following table to summarize, at an aggregate level, the parking at Union 93.
To summarize the parking in aggregate:
• Combined, both buildings provide 631 on-site parking stalls.
o 377 are required by code, and 50 stalls are allocated for COMPASS/VRT
o This leaves parking above code and above those for COMPASS/VRT at 204 stalls
• Existing off-site parking stalls on Broadway (angled) and 3rd Street (parallel) are 53 stalls
o Union 93’s development would provide 30 total stalls along Broadway & 3rd Street
This will result in an on-street reduction of 23 stalls
Union 93’s 204 “excess” parking stalls will help make up for this reduction in on-
street parking
AGGREGATE PARKING SUMMARY - ON SITE
Union 93
Stalls Provided - West Building 195
Stalls Provided - East Building 436
Total Stalls (East and West Buildings)631
Code Required Stalls - West Building 180
Code Required Stalls - East Building 197
Total Stalls (East and West Buildings)377
Excess Parking Above Code (Both Buildings)254
Stalls Planned for COMPASS/VRT Use 50
Excess Parking Above Code After COMPASS/VRT 204
AGGREGATE PARKING SUMMARY - OFF SITE
Union 93
Existing Street Parking (Angled Parking - Broadway)38
Existing Street Parking (Parallel Parking - 3rd Street)15
Total Existing Street Parking 53
Union 93 Street Parking - Broadway 20
Union 93 Street Parking - 3rd Street 10
Total Union 93 Street Parking 30
Net Decrease in Off-Site Parking 23
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Response to Comment #6
Additional modulation at the base of the columns has been added. Details are provided in the
architectural response included in our submission.
Responses to Comments #7 through #10
Responses to these comments are included in the architectural response document included in our
submission. Throughout this document, we show the new elevations and images from the 3D model
alongside our previous submission, to clearly present the changes that have been made. The changes
on the south elevation are particularly significant, and we feel will provide a much better visual entry
into downtown from the south.
Thank you for your work, and please reach out to me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mike Chidester
Galena Opportunity Fund
999 W. Main Street, Suite 1400
Boise, ID 83702
mike@galenafund.com