1982 07-01
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Meridian Plannin & Zonin - S ecial Meetin Jul T, 1982
Special hieeting of the Meridian Planning & Zoning Commission held July, 1, 1982, at
the Meridian Primary School, 48 W. State, Meridian Idaho, to consider changes amending
the City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan.
Special Meeting called to order by Chairman Annette Pinrichs at 8:05 P.M.
Roll Call conducted by City Clerk Laldana L. Niemann.
Members Present: Lee Mitchell; Don Sharp; Tom Eddy; Bob Spencer; Burl Pipkin;
Others Present: Richard C. Williams; Darwin McKay; Paul Quong; Betty Mitchell;
Elizabeth Ryan; Plell Buskey; Roy Goodwin; James W. Kiser; Bill Hon;
Colin Connell; Robert A. Nelson; Ed Riddle; Sam Kulsa; Hazel Rhodes;
P•1artha Berry; Doris Oliason; Emelia Oliason; Donna Day; Justin Loster;
Elsa Loster; Jay Webb; O.T. Stenberg; Jim Ryan; Russ Johnson;
Glen Ayers; Hazel Goodwin; Valarie Louderbough; Sherman Louderbough;
JoAnne Potter; Jim Potter; Betty Lou Raynor; Arthur Hall; Coenraad Abas;
Ed Bews; N.M. Campbell; Gordon Leishman; Gordon Harris; D. Coffin;
R.D. Bischoff; Marnell Cheowith; Joe Glaisyer; Robert Davis; Bill Spear;
Plancy Spear; Gerald W. h1arlin; Arch Mehrhoff; Dale Ownby; Bruce lJinchester
Annette Hinrichs: "I would now like to open the public hearing for the purpose of
taking testimony on the proposed amendments on the Meridian Comprehensive Plan. The
purpose of the meeting tonight is to take public testimony, there will be no decisions
made tonight. We ask that you limit your testimony to the subject at hand and not
make it excessively long. This will also be a question time, where the Commission will
answer any questions concerning the Comprehensive Plan that you may have."
Ed Riddle: "I am Ed Riddle. I live half way in between Boise and Meridian. As some of
you may know, I am the Republican Nominee for Ada County Commissioner. I believe a
Commissioner should be noncommital to any development project." "I will not however,
stand in the way of of whatever Meridian wants to do. I think you have a tremendous
opportunity now, and should get your house in order, and say yes or no to the proposal.
Jim Potter: "I am a local businessman of Pleridian, and a resident of the impact area.
I believe these amendments are extremely important, and I am in favor of them, on the
basis that whether we're talking about a regional shopping center, a technical park,
or a residential property of any classification, to restrict that zoning, or that land
use to a minimal site, artifically inflates the value and restricts the market, so
much so, that experience shows that a community that does that will often sit by and
be passed over by the normal growth that it should experience. I believe that alternate
sites ana alternate area for each land use are a very important plart of any sound
comprehensive plan. I would urge you on that basis to recommend approval of these
amendments."
Darwin McKay: "Having a chance to review the proposed amendments and see how they fit in
the overall comprehensive plan for the City of Pleridian, I would like to encourage you to
recommend the passage and adoption of these amendments."
D. Coffin: "I am representing a small group of homeowners and residents that live
directly along Eagle Road. Primarly the six (6) houses on the East side of Eagle Road,
extending from the proposed shopping center to Franklin Road. I ask that you consider
the human enviormental impact this is going to bring to the subdivisions, to traffic
problems, to the schools. We have attended every meeting, starting with the State
meetings on the interchange. We have signed petitions. Please consider the human
element, please consider those people that are going to be directly affected by the
total overall impact of this. The City has paid almost no attention to Cloverdale,
Franklin, and Eagle Road, and now that the interchange question came up, and now that
shopping center question has come up, now all the sudden it seems that it is almost
imperative that we be annexed. lJhy weren't asked to be annexed 2 years, 5 years, or
7 years ago? No one considered us for the services of Pleridian, no one considered us
in their planning. Now all the sudden we have become a complete factor. I would ask
you sincerely, to go back and take a look at the impact the things that you are choosing
on tonight are going to have on the homes and families. Please take into consideration
the Human Element involved in this decision. Thank you."
heridian Planning & Zoning - Special Meetinq 2. July 1, 1982
Public Testimony Cont'd .
Richard Williams: "Earlier this week I submitted a letter to the Planning and Zoning
Chairman, Annette Hinrichs, I would formally ask that this letter be entered into
the minutes of this hearing. (Document on file with these minutes) I believe the
impact of these amendments are very significant. I ask the Planning and Zoning to
consider the impact, not only legal but moral. I would also ask the Planning & Zoning
to read and consider the letter that I have submitted."
Paul Quong: "I am here to urge that the amendments as written be passed and passed
along to the City Council for their consideration, so that Meridian can have and give
an opportunity fora second site fora shopping development. The present site that
is zoned for a shopping center has been so zoned for 7 or 8 years, or maybe longer.
It has everything it needs except fora major tenant. The only thing that I am asking
for is let the City have a second alternative to a regional shopping center development.
I am not asking fora preclusion of the existing center. I would like to go head-to-head
on the site that exists now, and let the best person win. I think that in the long-run
the City of Meridian is going to benefit. Our valley is going to benefit and the
community overall is going to benefit. Thank you."
Bill Hon: "I object to the plan changes. I submitted a letter which I would like to
entered for the record. (Document on file with these minutes) Thus feeling that you
have that the more sites you have, the better the chance you have of getting your
regional center is just not right. You are creating competition within your own
city. It is not going to help the City to get all these different areas involved. Nahas
signers are only asking fora few months.The truth is Nahas is Meridian's only chance.
There is no way that this decision is going to wait more than a few months. There isn't
any other site in Meridian that is going to work, because they are not going to wait
for an interchange to be built. I have a document that I would like to submit for the
record, it is a study done primarly on the impact between Eagle Road and the downtown
center. I think you will find some things very interesting in it. (Document on file
with these minutes) Thank you."
Donna Day: "The purpose of this meeting is for the Planning and Zoning Commission to
consider changes in the City of Meridian's Comprehensive plan. Some of the changes
are to expand the Urban Service Planning area, and allow fora regional shopping center
anywhere in the area. Public Hearings have indicated the citizens of the Meridian area
would perfer growth, and a regional shopping center would certainly stimulate growth.
It appears as if we may have the opportunity for shopping center sites, other than
the site originally recognized by the comprehensive plan. ButState Law requires we
be consistent in our planning process, and I feel we should stick to the plan recognized
by Ada County. Therefore, I believe the changes indicated on Page 20 in the Comprehensive
Plan to allow fora regional .shopping center anywhere within the USPA is an incorrect
change to make. I feel it is not correct for serval reasons. (1) The change of use
which would necessitate the changes on Page 20 has not occured, (2) It is not in
Meridian's best interest to deviate from the plan we have had for many years. A
shopping center at Meridian Road would keep our city centralized and active, (3) Why
should we open the City to needless and expensive court battles until the retailers
have made their choices for a shopping center in Ada County? Thank you."
Doris Oliason spoke concerning the State Transportation, APA, ACOG, BRA, Emission Control,
the Interchange, and the State Land Use Act. She questioned the reasons of having to
hold another meeting concerning the Quong-Watkins proposal, when the Upland Industries
went thru so easily. Ms. Oliason pointed out that there is going to be a interchange
at Eagle Road, whether there is a regional shopping mall there or not. (Tape on File)
Gordon Harris: "I am Gordon Harris, 2825 S. Eagle Road, I would like to say that I am
in favor of the alternative site of the shopping center ."
Meridian Planning & Zoning - Special Meeting 3. July 1, 1982
Public Testimony Cont'd .
Bruce Winchester: "Is the Commission planning to separate or possibly separate, and
allow the Upland Industries Annexation to stand, and recommend denial of the Quong-Watkins
Annexation? Is that one of the alternatives that you are studying, or plan to study?"
Hinrichs: "No, that's not on the list, but that does not preclude it. The Planning
and Zoning Commission will take all of the information given to us this evening. We
will schedule a work session, which will be a public work session, and we will decide
what kind of recommendations we will make, and what our further procedure should be."
Winchester: "You mean your recommendations to the City Council?"
Hinrichs: "Yes. If we determine by this meeting tonight that we need to do major
changes in the Comprehensive Plan proposed, then we would have to go thru the hearing
procedure again. If we stick with what we have proposed so far, minor changes, then we
can send that straight on to the City Council."
Winchester: "You mean you can just decide you don't need any extensive changes?"
Hinrichs: "We could. We take the testimony from the hearing and then we must judge
what we have listened to and heard. Then we must judge what we think is the right
decision, and then we must act on it."
Winchester: "Thank-you."
P&Z Member Burl Pipkin: "Is it true that the process of annexation has all ready
occured for the area at Eagle Road and Fairview?"
Hinrichs: "Yes, it is completed."
Pipkin: "Then in effect because that annexation has all ready occured, you aren't
even concerned about it, because it has been approved by the Commission and the land
has been annexed by the City Council."
Hinrichs: "Yes. There is a problem though, in that the Comprehensive Plan needs to
be adjusted slightly to coincide with that annexation."
Darwin McKay: "Why did the annexation process go so smoothly for Upland Industries
when fora regional shopping mall, it must undergoevery stumbling block that certain
people can throw in front of it?"
Hinrichs: "If you look at the policy diagram in the Comprehensive Plan, you will find
that most of Upland Industries is located in an area designated for Industrial, but
that a small part of it does go beyond the Urban Service Planning Area. However, it
does occur in an area that has been designated as Industrial. The Quong-6Jatkins
property is located in an area on the Comprehensive Plan that is designated Rural
Residential."
McKay: "So Upland Industries was in accordance."
Hinrichs: "Yes."
Doris Oliason: "I would like to question what Mr. Williams has in mind in mentioning
a law suit?"
Hinrichs: "I would suggest that you check with him personally on this. He is not
here to answer any questions. All through this procedure the Commission has attempted
to do everything legally and correctly as possible. The Commission is very aware that
the person who finally does build a shopping center has a marvelous thing. All of us
want to be very careful about doing things legally."
Meridian Planning & Zoning - Special Meeting 4. July 1, 1982
Public Testimony Cont'd .
Richard Willia+ns: "I want to make it clear that I did not refer to any lawsuits
against Mr. Quong. I did., not state that, I did not refer to that. My concern is
strictly that the procedures of the law are followed, so to preclude a lawsuit by
anybody. I don't care who it is. I don't want the City involved in a~ lawsuit.
That was my sole intent."
Hinrichs: "I would like to add that is why at times, our procedures seem to be
stumbly & humbly. The P%+eridian Planning and Zoning is trying very hard to follow the
letter of the law, but it is sometimes hard to distinguish exactly what that is."
Chairman Hinrichs called for any additional comments or ouestions from the public.
There were none.
Chairman Hinrichs called for any comments, ouestions, or discussion from the members
of the Commission.
There were none.
Hinrichs: "The Public Hearing is now closed."
The Motion was made by Mitchell and seconded by Spencer that the Special fleeting of
the Planning & Zoning Commission be adjourned at 9:00 P.M.
Motion Carried: All yea
ATTEST:
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Ch irman; Annette Hinrichs
a ana L. Ni ann City er~k~