Meridian council directs staff to prepare findings denying In N Out drive-thru at Costco corner after hours of testimony

The Meridian City Council on Sept. 9 moved to deny an In N Out Burger conditional-use permit for a 2.2-acre site at the Costco-anchored shopping center on North 10 Mile Road, directing staff to draft written findings supporting the denial. The vote followed a de novo hearing that drew more than 190 written comments and more than two hours of public testimony from nearby residents and business representatives.

In N Outsenior development manager Cassie Reese told the council the company had revised plans to reduce late-night impacts and to add mitigation: the store would close at midnight instead of 1:30 a.m., limit delivery hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., add denser landscaping on the western boundary and new pedestrian connections, and commit to a tailored grand-opening traffic-control plan. "We do a traffic plan that's tailored to that site," Reese said, adding that In N Out has done similar mitigation at openings and operates successfully at other nearby locations.

Neighbors and homeowners associations argued the location is unsuitable. Steve Elliott, vice president of the Bainbridge Homeowners Association, said the area already sees frequent backups from Costco and surrounding uses and warned that additional peak queuing could spill into Lost Rapids and other neighborhood streets. "Where are those cars gonna escape to?" Elliott asked the council, summing up neighborhood concerns about safety, childrenand congestion.

Planning staff summarized the record and noted the applicant supplied supplemental queuing observations, a photometric plan and a noise study. Staff also pointed to uncertainties in the internal circulation and the proximity of residences to private drive aisles that serve the shopping center.

Ada County Highway District planner Justin Lucas told council ACHD's 2018 traffic study for the larger Costco-area development provided the basis for previously required improvements and that ACHD had not identified additional public-right-of-way improvements required for this specific proposal. "We don't comment on how a drive-through or stacking would operate on a private site," Lucas said, noting ACHD focuses on public-street impacts.

Council members expressed differing views on how to weigh the company's mitigations against neighborhood risk. Several members cited concerns that In N Outwould generate a higher-than-typical regional draw and extraordinary stacking that is not compatible with adjacent residential areas. Councilwoman Strader said the "combination of unusually high trip generation, extraordinary stacking needs, and a regional draw" supported denial. Others noted the applicant's concessions and operational commitments but said uncertainty about long-term impacts remained.

Councilman Whitlock moved to deny the application; the motion was seconded and carried 5-1. Council instructed staff to prepare formal written findings referencing the code standards (compatibility with adjacent uses and impacts from traffic and noise) and return those findings for adoption at a later meeting.

The decision does not yet represent final written findings or an ordinance; staff will draft the legal findings that align with the councilmotion and return to the council for final action. The city recorded extensive public comment in the hearing record, which will be part of the official file.

What happens next: Staff will prepare the draft findings of denial consistent with the councildirection and schedule them for a future council meeting for formal adoption. If the council adopts the findings, the city will deny the CUP; the applicant may pursue further options available under local law.