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MYMERIDIANPRESS.COM // 03.14.14
LOCAL NEWS
Project denial highlights road concerns in south Meridian
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Greg Kreller/MP
Front page: Monday rush-hour traffic on South Eagle Road near the intersection of East Victory Road in Meridian.
eridian City Council shot down a proposal last week for 36 new townhouses in south Meridian, citing concerns over traffic, density and zoning. The proposed development, Falconers Place, would have sat on the southeast corner of South Eagle Road and Falcon Drive. Applicant Laren Bailey with LEI Engineers & Surveyors chose not to comment for this story. Several neighboring residents spoke out against Falconers Place at a March 4 public hearing. “It’s just an area where there’s a lot of traffic, and it’s Total revenue: $392.9 million getting worse. We’re having more and more subdivisions to By jurisdiction: n Boise: $175.4 million, 45 percent the south,” resident Robert Aln Meridian: $80.7 million, 20 dridge said. Without improvements, he said, South Eagle Greg Kreller/MP percent Road is an “accident waiting to Some south Meridian residents spoke out against a proposed townhouse development along South Eagle Road, which was n Ada County: $80.1 million, 20 happen.” denied by City Council. Residents said it would worsen traffic along a stretch of road that saw 94 accidents from 2008 to 2012. percent South Eagle Road between n Eagle: $24.1 million, 6 percent Overland and Lake Hazel roads n Kuna: $10.6 million, 3 percent saw 94 accidents from 2008 to n Garden City: $10.7 million, 3 2012, including one fatal wreck, according to the Idaho percent ^ Transportation Department. n Star: $6.6 million, 2 percent N “Improvements need to be made soon,” Councilman David Zaremba said. Total expenses: $384.8 million Ada County Highway District decides which road Victory Road narNeighborhood projects across the county By jurisdiction: rows to one lane n Boise: $158.3 million, 41 percent to complete, but it takes recby Holly Beech Victory Rd. on each side. ommendations from cities. n Meridian: $108.6 million, 28 hbeech@mymeridianpress.com At the public hearing, © 2014 MERIDIAN PRESS percent Meridian Mayor Tammy n Ada County: $65.6 million, 17 Eagle Road de Weerd said she wishes percent ACHD would give more weight to south Meridian narrows to n Eagle: $21.5 million, 6 percent needs. one lane on n Kuna: $12.6 million, 3 percent “What do we need to do to get the attention of each side. n Garden City: $10.1 million, 3 ACHD on needed road improvements out in south Mepercent ridian? It really is frustrating,” she said. “... I hope that n Star: $8.1 million, 2 percent our residents in south Meridian find a voice, because that voice needs to be heard. Falcon Dr. Amounts expended compared We need to start seeing some improvements out in that to revenue received: Proposed n Meridian: 135 percent (ACHD area.” Falconers Place ACHD officials were perspent 135 percent of the value of townhouse plexed by this comment, AVTC – Overview Meridian’s revenue on Meridian Rome Dr. development spokeswoman Nicole Pineda projects) In-network with insurance said. AVTC – Overview n Star: 123 percent “The mayor’s comments Cost-effective assessment, 1 visit n Kuna: 120 percent are somewhat of a mystery to In-network with insurance n Garden City: 94 percent us,” she said in an email. “Since Cost-effective assessment, 1 visit n Boise: 90 percent 2001, the city of Meridian has Neighborhood n Eagle: 90 percent received $45 million more in n Ada County: 82 percent transportation improvements from ACHD than what they SOURCE: ACHD have contributed in revenue to the district.” Meridian has given input ROBERT ALDRIDGE and its blessing to all the recent Resident road projects, she added, which were chosen on the basis of safety, traffic congestion and anticipated growth. De Weerd, who was out of town this week, could not be reached for comment. But Zaremba said the city is not upset with ACHD; the city understands ACHD doesn’t have the resources to fund every requested project. “What Tammy said is most of the red lines (indiFor more than 20 years our team of experts have helped solve vision problems cating traffic congestion) are in Meridian, and I agree For more than 20 years our team of experts have helped solve vision problems with that, and I think we all agree with that — that Me• Binocular Vision Assessments ridian is where the greatest need is,” he said. • Binocular Vision Assessments • Neuro-Optometric Assessments On the city’s 2013 list of roadway priorities, south • Neuro-Optometric Assessments • Athlete Vision Assessments Meridian roads don’t make the list until rank No. 9, • Athlete Vision Assessments which calls for a Linder Road overpass at Interstate 84. • Vision Therapy • Vision Therapy South Eagle Road isn’t mentioned until rank No. 12. Interactive Metronome MetronomeTherapy Therapy •• Interactive With the current state of South Eagle Road, Aldridge Dr. Ryan Ryan Johnson Johnsonisisin-network in-networkwith withmost mostinsurances, insurances,including includingMedicaid Medicaid said he’s thankful the city did not approve the townDr. houses. But he’s still concerned about traffic safety, 7960 W. W. Rifleman Rifleman St, St, #155 #155 || 377.1310 377.1310 | | www.AdvancedVisionTherapyCenter.com www.AdvancedVisionTherapyCenter.com 7960 noting that there had been two accidents in the area just last week. “Don’t wait for people to get killed or injured before you start doing things,” he said, “and I think that’s what the city was saying.”
Eagle Rd.
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It’s just an area where there’s a lot of traffic, and it’s getting worse. We’re having more and more subdivisions to the south.”
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Falconers Place is a good proposal, just in the wrong spot, de Weerd said. The area in question at the Eagle/Victory roads intersection is an R-8 zone — meaning eight units per acre are allowed. Falconers Place would fit that requirement, but the City Council said the only reason they approved the R-8 zone was for a planned retirement facility, which fell through around the time the economy collapsed, Zaremba said. The land ownership has since changed hands. LEI’s application asked the city to modify the development agreement to allow for multi-family housing rather than a retirement facility. But the city didn’t see that as a good idea. “We didn’t make this an R-8 to make it a greater density,” Zaremba said. “We made this an R-8 specifically because they wanted an assisted living facility.” Meridian will revisit the R-8 zone designation in the Unified Development Code, Zaremba said, to try to prevent this problem from arising in the future. “We don’t want to hamstring people so they can’t develop if they want to, but we do have to have some standards that do involve the neighbors, because they had certain expectations when they bought the property,” he said.
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