2022-10-16 Ron Tate
Charlene Way
From:Ron T <myc4b12@hotmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, October 16, 2022 2:47 PM
To:City Clerk
Subject:OPPOSITION COMMENTS: Project H-2002-0051, Klein Huis at Victory and Meridian
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To Whom It May Concern:
This message provides opposition comments about Project H-2002-0051, Klein Huis at Victory and Meridian. I
am a homeowner living close to this property, residing to the east in the Red Tail housing development on
Victory. My concerns are as follows:
1. The proposed zoning change to increase density is incompatible with Meridian's Future Land Use
Map (FLUM) for this area. The latest FLUM update for this area is clear. Why would Meridian want to
disregard the FLUM solely to benefit a one-off development to the detriment of the surrounding
neighborhoods? What is the purpose of the planning and land use analysis if it's to be ignored and
overridden with no visible benefit to the communities around it. I thought that was why all the effort
goes into the FLUM process. Laying out a roadmap to insure controlled, and sustainable growth that
allows us to make Meridian the best it can be. Not just become an overbuilt sprawling area that
citizens of our city will question how we got here when we had a plan that made sense and was just
ignored or circumvented with exceptions. This rental development simply is being proposed for an
incompatible location. They need to find an area that is zoned for the type of project they are
proposing and not try to shoehorn this project into an area by trying to change the rules for
development in this existing piece of property.
2. Traffic volume increases and inevitable intersection blockages at the Victory and Meridian
intersection. The developer is proposing to add 250-300 vehicle parking spaces for the renters. It
already is difficult to access Victory Road from Red Tail housing during commute hours. Easy access to
public transportation is unavailable. A bad traffic situation will worsen.
3. Cut-through traffic will increase within neighboring housing developments to the north and
east. Drivers will find ways to avoid the intersection at Victory and Meridian. As well as obvious
impacts to the Strada Bellissima and Bear Creek neighbors immediately to the north, residents to the
east who are unable to access Victory from the Red Tail apartments on the corner of Victory and
Meridian will drive through our Red Tail homeowner neighborhood to reach access roads to Victory
out of Red Tail (homes), Cavanaugh or even Tuscany housing developments.
4. Local schools currently are at or near capacity and would be negatively impacted by increased student
population from the rental community. Additional busing might be needed to transport students to
other schools that are not nearby. This would burden students and parents, and add cost to the
transportation budget of local schools.
5. Transitory nature of renters inevitably leads to less well-kept home and yard appearances,
negatively impacting property values and the desirability to live in nearby neighborhoods. One only
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has to travel through the blocks of rental homes south of the Red Tail housing development along the
Ridenbaugh Canal to see that there is a very different look to the rental neighborhood as compared to
the adjacent housing developments of Red Tail and Caven Ridge. Pride of ownership does not shine
through in a rental development, either from the renter or landlord perspective. Renters frequently do
not care about upkeep and appearances, while landlords seek to minimize property management
costs. Any shabby appearance over time at the Klein Huis development could negatively impact
property values of hard-working homeowners in nearby neighborhoods.
6. Irrevocably destroys the last native section of the historic Ridenbaugh Canal. I walk the canal path
every day. The natural beauty of the plants and animals along the canal is a joy to experience across all
four seasons. It would be a terrible loss to the community should the land permanently be lost to
development. There is a group of concerned citizens who seek instead to transform use of this land
into a nature reserve, benefitting the entire community and preserving for posterity this historic
portion of the Ridenbaugh Canal. I think this is a better use for the land.
To quote Mayor Simison in the October edition of Meridian Idaho City News, "Managing growth in Meridian
presents challenges...Further, development needs to be responsible and create solutions, not more problems,
while enhancing the quality of life in Meridian." I agree with Mayor Simison and therefore urge the Planning
and Zoning Committee to recommend Against Project H-2002-0051, Klein Huis at Victory and Meridian.
Regards,
Ron Tate, Red Tail development
509 East Whiskey Flats Street
Meridian, ID 83642
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