News & Updates
The Proposed Development
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Your help is needed!
As a resident of Spurwing Heights I would like to address the current residents of the following neighborhoods.
Spurwing
Spurwing Greens
Spurwing Heights
Fairbourne
As some of you might know the Meridian Planning Department is working on plans with Brighton Development, Sundance Investments (The Anderson) and The Club at Spurwing, LLC to develop acreage to the north of the 3 noted Spurwing/Fairbourne divisions called Basque Ranch. I read an article by Don Day of Boise Development stating that the plan is to have 570 residential units on their 2 pieces of property. That has now been changed to 2200 residential units along with a very large open park for the general public’s use. Although I am not against development of the acreage, I have the following concerns:
- Any resident of Spurwing Greens and Heights know the problem we have with current traffic issues. When you have the number of homes in our area the traffic is sometimes difficult. When you add the vehicle traffic of Rock Harbor Church and now the New Boise Co-Op on the corner of Chinden and Black Cat to this mix … it is more than difficult get into or out of our divisions on many days and evenings. Basque Ranch in its current plan allows for only 2 roads in and out … Black Cat and Jayker … nothing to the North, West, or East. Can you imagine the traffic on those two roads for possibly 3000+ (possibly more) cars on the 2 lane roads? (Meridian has not done a complete road study for this development to proceed) Then add all the trucks necessary to build Basque Ranch??? I understand that the use of Duck Alley is out of the question as one or more of the owners purchased property to block the expansion of Duck Alley! It’s a case of NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
- This land is on a flood plain. As the height of the land for the homes to the east of the golf course was increased by 4-6 feel to mitigate the possibility of flooding, will the land for Basque Ranch be increased by 4-5’? Weather that’s done or not … has the city or the developers met with the FEMA or the Corp of Engineers to mitigate the flooding possibility or possible damage to the Boise River? I understand one of the current Basque Ranch developers had to do this for his new home east of the Spurwing golf course. Again, possible case of NOT IN MY BACKYARD!
- Services … where is the sewer, water, gas coming from? I know Star has those services to the west of 16 … but The City of Meridian does not.
- Schools …. With all the expansion Meridian has seen … where are the students being placed?
- How are they going to provide Fire and Medical assistance with only 2 roads in and out of the development if a disaster strikes?
- When we bought our property the zoning for the proposed Basque Ranch was zoned for 4 houses per acre or R4 … now they are asking for a major part of the homes to be R15 or 15 houses per acre …. How is that change ever acceptable?
I have more but the above should generate enough questions to ask the City of Meridian and Star to slow this process down, advise all residents effected and to have their voices heard. There is an open meeting scheduled with the developers and the City of Meridian in early June. I understand this is going to give the development a thumbs up to begin the process.
I personally would like to hear from of the residents effected by this plan!