Council approves Baratza (formerly Jamestown Ranch) annexation; developer offers to accelerate traffic improvements at McMillan and Black Cat

The Meridian City Council approved the Baratza subdivision annexation and preliminary plat (file H2024-0016) on Dec. 17, 2024, after the applicant revised the plan to reduce higher-density areas, add a new housing product the team calls "NextGen" homes, and work with the Ada County Highway District on roadway improvements.

Project scope: applicant representatives told the council the project involves roughly 80 acres at Black Cat Road and West McMillan Road and will be developed in multiple phases. The preliminary plat shows a mix of R-8 and R-15 lots, a central, large open-space amenity with playgrounds and a barn-style gathering area, and an internal collector (Grand Lake Way) connecting Black Cat and McMillan.

Transportation commitments: ACHD staff and the applicant described required frontage improvements and dedications along North Black Cat Road and West McMillan Road, including 17 feet of pavement from centerline, multiuse pathways, and tie-ins to existing improvements. The applicant told the council it would dedicate right-of-way and construct the Grand Lake Way collector to provide a north-south connection through the site and agreed to coordinate relocation/pipe work for irrigation laterals that cross the project. Sonya (Kittelson transportation consultant) and the applicant said the developer discussed an offer to accelerate a planned long-term intersection improvement at Black Cat and McMillan: ACHD has a traffic signal scheduled, but the developer offered to up-front construction of the ultimate multi-lane roundabout; in discussion consultants described developer offers ranging from a commitment to pay at least $1.5 million toward acceleration up to comments from an ownership representative citing as much as $6 million in private funding in public remarks. ACHD staff earlier in the presentation said the addition of funded projects in the area would add thousands of peak-hour vehicle capacity; the applicant—s transportation expert said Baratza—s own frontage and collector improvements would provide far more capacity than the development itself generates.

Planner and school comments: city staff recommended conditions and revisions; the applicant revised the plat to meet block-face requirements and reduce common driveways. The West Ada School District provided a letter noting that several nearby schools were at or near capacity and that students would likely need to be bused or reassigned until additional school capacity is available. The applicant said West Ada is planning new school construction funded through statewide school modernization allocations and that a school opening in 2026 (Star Elementary) would relieve pressure in some nearby attendance areas.

Public and council discussion: neighbors and a local developer spoke in public comment, some urging enforcement of an earlier 2019 development agreement in a separate Meridian case; Baratza—s team said it had met with neighbors and revised plans to address concerns. Council members thanked the applicant for changes, noted the project would help close pedestrian-pathway gaps and recommended careful construction and dust-control practices.

Council vote: the council voted to approve the annexation and preliminary plat with conditions and the modifications reported in staff materials. The vote was recorded in the transcript as the motion carrying with council approval; staff will finalize required documents and conditions when the applicant returns for final plat hearings.

Sources: Meridian City Council meeting, Dec. 17, 2024; applicant presentations by Matthew Adams (Lennar) and Kittelson transportation consultant; ACHD staff comments; West Ada School District letter; public comments.