Questions Unanswered
Firstly, we would like to thank all of our neighbors and friends who attended the long Planning and Zoning Commission hearing last night, April 27, 2023, and to express our gratitude to those of you who wrote comments and shared testimony opposing the SAP application. We are humbled by and grateful for your support.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” —Theodore Roosevelt
PARKING
Applicant is planning on 1110 parking spaces across the entire development.
1110 parking spaces / 780 residences = 1.48 spaces per residence and nothing left for the remainder of the site.
Applicant in their hearing presentation promises art events, Saturday market, music events—where will the attendees park with only 1110 parking spaces?
OVERFLOW PARKING IN ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD
With only 1110 parking spaces across the entire project, residents, guests and event attendees will have nowhere to go.
DENSITY
The zoning map shows R-2 for a reason. The proposed high intensity development isn’t in any way compatible with the zoning designation or the existing and well established character of the area.
This very intense and urban development is proposed to be set in the middle of a suburban area. Not everyone in Garden City wants to live in a crowded and noisy space. Some people thrive in that environment, but the character of this area is not that type of an environment.
HEIGHT
With each story at 12 feet, a 5 story building will be about 55 feet. Two story homes average between 28 and 30 feet. Fifty-five feet is about 83% taller than the surrounding homes—almost double the height of adjacent homes.
MASSING
Massing is a 3 dimensional perception that influences a sense of space.
What will the adjacent single family residents’ sense of space be with a tall and high volume building next door?
Building C in the East Subzone is estimated to be between about 650 and 700 feet long based on the depiction of the master plan compared to the adjacent parcels.
Townhomes between the big apartment building and the single family homes doesn’t buffer—they just increase the visual impact of massing.
OPEN SPACE / AMENITIES
The development plan appears to be dependent on off-side elements like Lake ________.
The development is so dense that the developer cannot provide a reasonable amount of open space.
A Linear Park (aka walking path) along the side of a gold course fairway is, at a minimum, very hazardous.
Where will the music events and the Saturday market, food trucks and art walk promised by the developer be held? The site is consumed with buildings and parking lots.
NOISE
The parking lot sweepers and hand help leaf blowers will show up at 10 PM at least once a week.
The delivery trucks for the bars/restaurants will show up at 5 AM with the generators running while the driver spends 30 or 40 minutes unloading their delivery.
UTILITIES
The interior sewer system lines may be “owned” by Garden City but the outflow will be going into the City of Boise main line in State Street. Has Boise signed off on this arrangement in writing?
LOSS OF FLOODPLAIN
This development will remove over 20% of the existing floodplain as designated by FEMA. How is the developer proposing to mitigate the loss of this area?
ACHD SEQUENTIAL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
ACHD indicates in the staff report that they have concerns that the SAP process removes the opportunity for subsequent applications to have appropriate and sufficient review and comment opportunities. How will the developer and Garden City address this important concern?
COMPARISION TO AVIMOR
The Avimor development team stands in front of the Ada County Board of County Commissioners annually to explain their progress including evaluation by staff. They are also required to conduct an annual survey of the residents to identify any problems.
BOWN CROSSING
The application materials reference Bown Crossing as a comparable for this proposal. Bown Crossing has a substantial parking problem—enough so that new development is being denied due to parking shortage issues.
STATE STREET CAPACITY
ACHD has not completed some of the essential design tasks to accommodate the development. At the bottom of page 3 of the ACHD staff report they recommend the development stop at 15% of buildout until essential infrastructure is completed.
Without the widening and intersection improvements for development beyond the 15% of buildout the level of service will be beyond an acceptable level on State Street.
Is there verification that ACHD has completed their design of the intersection of State Street and Pierce Park?
THIS PROPOSAL IS INSUFFICIENTLY EVALUATED FOR IMPACTS.
TOO MANY ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A DEVELOPMENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE ARE NOT CONFIRMED, AND NOT PROVIDED WITH SUFFICIENT SUPPORTING MATERIAL BY THE DEVELOPER.
Join us at upcoming Garden City meetings to make your voice heard. View all meetings here or on Garden City’s website.