HomeMy WebLinkAboutWRITTEN RESPONSE #2 - Craig Broadbent - 22-00420 - The Preserve (south of Star View Drive) - Rezone from LDR1 to LDR2To: Rexburg Zoning and Planning Commission
From: Craig D. Broadbent, 123 S, Hidden Valley Rd. Rexburg Idaho
As a resident of the Hidden Valley neighborhood, I am concerned about the effects that proposal
#22-00420 - RPRXBCA0291271 from LDR1 to LDR2. I object to this rezoning for the reasons stated
below:
1. The existing phases of the Hidden Valley Neighborhood, hereby referred to as north Hidden
Valley Subdivision, have lot sizes that range from 0.211 acres (see 63N Hidden Valley rd) to 1.24
acres (see 47 Mill Race Rd). In addition, all constructed homes in north Hidden Valley Subdivision
are single family detached residences with the majority of these properties ranging from 0.3
acres to 0.4 acres. LDR2 allows for a minimum of 12,000 square feet for a parcel (approx. 0.275
acres) to be considered family dwellings. While this lot size does not differ much from existing
lot sizes in north Hidden Valley, the problem arises in that LDR2 also allows for twin homes of a
lot size of 5,000 square feet (approx. 0.115 acres) which is considerably smaller than the existing
lot sizes.
2. The development on south Hidden Valley (parcel RPR6N40E299001, which is LDR1) has four
existing parcels (RPR4HH40010040, RPR4HH40010030, RPR4HH40010020 and
RPR4HH40010010) having lot sizes ranging from 0.31 acres to 0.35 acres. Rezoning the three
proposed parcels to allow for lot size development at 0.115 acres is significantly different than
these four parcels that have been developed on the south end of Hidden Valley.
3. There is a large concern that development of Parcel RPRXBCA0291838, the low-lying area of
these three parcels, will create significant flooding in the north Hidden Valley Subdivision. This
parcel is 16.7 acres. Developing this parcel will lead to significant watershed disruption. During
spring runoff and during
large storm events (i.e.
July 2014, February
2018 and June of 2019
to list a few) we have
witnessed significant
flooding to the residents
of the north Hidden
Valley Subdivision. If
this parcel is developed
this will lead to more
stormwater runoff
through the north
Impervious Areas
301,v Evapotranspiration
55% Runoff
700a Shallow
infiltration 5°x Deep
Infiltration
Natural Areas
-10- Ev ypc,tfanspiration
t0`* Runoff
2V� Shallow
Infiltration 25% Deep
Infiltration
Hidden Valley Figure 1-1. When impervious areas (roads, rooftops, parking
Subdivision. According lots) cover much of the land (left image), more than half the
to the U.S. rainfall runs off and flows directly into surface waters, allowing
Environmental only 15 percent of rain water to soak into the ground. In
Protection Agency' contrast, areas that are designed to mimic natural areas (right
image) allow only 10 percent of rain to run off and nearly half
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25-60% of land area in the United States is covered by impervious roadways, alleys, driveways,
sidewalks and surface parking lots. They estimate that these impervious areas have 55% of all
stormwater as runoff, whereas a natural undisturbed landscape observes 10% of stormwater as
runoff. See figure 1-1 from the EPA report. Seeing that we already have stormwater runoff
issues with parcel RPRXBCA0291838 as currently undeveloped, developing this parcel could
significantly increase stormwater runoff impacting the residents of the north Hidden Valley
Subdivision.
If parcel RPRXBCA0291271 is to be developed this is a total of 31.51 acres, again creating
impervious surfaces across the landscape. The National Association of Home Builders' estimate
that single family only subdivisions have a median gross density of 2.1 units per acre, this is
similar to LDR1, which would lead to approximately 66 properties that could be created on this
parcel. That creates new roads, sidewalks, driveways, and roofs that are all impermeable
surfaces. All this stormwater would flow into the north Hidden Valley Subdivision which could
overwhelm this parcels capacity to effectively allow for mitigating water flows away from the
developed lots in the north Hidden Valley Subdivision. We already have flooding issues without
development. Further if these parcels are to be developed as town home only subdivisions
(LDR2 allows for this) the National Association of Home Builders estimate a mean gross density
of 5.9 units per acre, due to smaller lot sizes. That is more than double a single-family
development, creating even more impermeable surfaces, causing even larger stormwater runoff
concerns.
For these four reasons i object to rezoning these three properties from LDR1 to LDR2. If development of
these properties is to occur, the development scenario that has the smallest impact upon the community
is to remain as an LDR1 property keeping the mean density of homes to a smaller number, reducing the
percent of the landscape that is an impervious surface so as to mitigate the impact of stormwater runoff
events.
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