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Commission backs Apex Zenith annexation and rezone, seeks specifics on buffers and design
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted Dec. 5 to recommend the Apex Zenith annexation and rezone to City Council with modifications requiring landscape buffers per the applicant exhibit and language to avoid mandating on‑street parking/bulb‑outs; staff had flagged missing mixed‑use details to be addressed in a phase‑2 development agreement amendment.
The Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 5 recommended that City Council approve the annexation, rezoning and a modified development agreement for the Apex Zenith (Pinnacle) mixed‑use project, while adding conditions that require specific landscape buffers and clarify parking/bulb‑out expectations.
Staff said the proposal requests to rezone roughly 71.7 acres from R4 to CG and annex an additional area, encompassing approximately 149.41 acres in total near the southwest corner of Meridian Road and East Lake Hazel Road. The concept plan presented by the applicant includes about 446,000 square feet of commercial space and 100,000 square feet of office/employment uses but lacks detail on essential mixed‑use elements staff expects in a master concept plan.
Staff recommended including provisions in the development agreement or deferring key mixed‑use requirements to phase 2 so the final plan will provide plazas that connect commercial and residential uses, active shared open spaces, a minimum mix of land uses and required building‑frontage standards. Staff also recommended that landscape buffer improvements along Meridian Road and East Lake Hazel Road be completed in phase 1 and that the applicant coordinate access points with Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and Ada County Highway District (ACHD).
John Wardle of Brighton Corporation said the applicant seeks "first‑step" approvals to allow limited initial building permits and the start of infrastructure work. He asked the commission to allow some detailed design items to be addressed in a later phase, while committing to a comprehensive master plan and design guidelines before full build‑out.
Commissioners emphasized timing and sequencing for required landscape buffers and questioned the DA language that would mandate bulb‑outs and on‑street parking without site‑specific review. To resolve that, the commission's recommendation modifies the DA to require the landscape buffers shown in the applicant's exhibit and adds the phrase "such as" to avoid mandating on‑street parking and bulb‑outs as a blanket requirement.
Commissioner Veil moved to recommend approval of file H2024‑0052 with those modifications; the motion carried by voice vote. The recommendation is forwarded to City Council for a Dec. 19, 2024 hearing, and staff will expect the applicant to provide a comprehensive concept plan and the phase‑specific details described in the DA.
