2023-02-28 Erin Egleston
From: Liz Strader
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2023 1:20 PM
To: Chris Johnson <cjohnson@meridiancity.org>
Subject: Fw: Thoughts and Concerns re: Artisan Victory Market H-2022-0066
fYI
Liz Strader | City Councilwoman
City of Meridian | City Council Office
33 E. Broadway Ave., Meridian, Idaho 83642
Phone: | 208-546-9501
Online Meeting Scheduler: Click Here
Built for Business, Designed for Living
From: Erin Egleston <eregleston@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2023 12:49 PM
To: Brad Hoaglun; Joe Borton; Liz Strader; John Overton; Jessica Perreault; Luke Cavener
Subject: Thoughts and Concerns re: Artisan Victory Market H-2022-0066
External Sender - Please use caution with links or attachments.
Dear Council Members,
I'm writing to you to voice my thoughts and concerns regarding the multi-family housing
development, Artisan Victory Market, that is being proposed on Eagle Rd between Victory and
Overland.
I understand that there continues to be a growing need for additional housing in Meridian. However,
my main concerns with the current proposed development are:
1.
The additional traffic congestion on Eagle within a relatively small area
As you’re probably aware, the traffic congestion on north/south bound roads in So Meridian during
the morning and evening hours are already at a crawl due to a lack of concern by planning
authorities for road space and road closures among a rising number of residents.
The development proposes around 100 new homes on a 13 acre plot that previously housed only 2
homes. That’s nearly 50x times more people, cars, wear-and-tear on our roads, and our water
supply.
There are already a couple other housing developments in the general area that will also impact
traffic on Eagle Rd and the accessibility of areas north of the Overland, including:
- Seasons at Meridian, the 360 multi-family housing project near the corner of Eagle and Overland .
- The Skybreak Subdivision on Eagle Rd at Lake Hazel, adding another 330 homes.
2.
The lack of added amenities for the current and future population.
At this point, most of what us So Meridian residents have to do on a daily basis (work, general
errands, grocery shop, Dr appts, go out to dinner, etc) requires us to leave this area. This means
less time with our kids, less time to work, less time for leisurely activities, while our cars spend more
time idling and polluting our beautiful city.
The traffic congestion has gotten so bad that I personally know of people that are choosing NOT to
go out and shop/eat at local restaurants/enjoy our public amenities because it’s become so
frustrating and such a time-suck to sit on our roads. It’s unfortunate, because it doesn’t have to be
this way. We could choose, as a community, to put amenities in all areas of the city so that people
can stay as local as possible.
What I would much rather see for the development of this lot is a mixed use plan that would cut the
number of multi-family units in half, while adding retail, offices, restaurants, drive-thrus, or public
open space. This would add a bit of available housing, but also add amenities so that current and
future residents might have to travel less in order to go about their daily lives. There are so many
cool things going in around the valley, but none of them seem to be happening south of Overland.
We could look at some of these projects for ideas and inspiration:
- The mixed use, live/work multi-family homes on Centrepoint Way next to Hobby Lobby.
- Eagle Gateway, a mixed use building, with 17 condos, restaurant space, office space, and wine
bar.
- Orchard Park, a mixed use project anchored by Winco, with retail, office space, drive-thru and sit
down restaurants, a mixed use barn, food hall, and single + multi-family residential units.
By denying the current proposed plan you would be sending a message to developers that you and
the community are looking for “value added” projects that will not just increase the population, but
will also better the quality of life for everyone in Meridian.
Thank you for considering this request,
Erin Egleston
Century Farm
Meridian, Idaho