Hayden denies new housing tract

Following an appeal from Olson Engineering, the Hayden City Council upheld their decision to deny its request for a zone map amendment that would have allowed a mixed residential development at the corner of Ramsey Road and Dakota Avenue.

Former Hayden resident Jeramie Terzulli of Olson Engineering presented the appeal for the proposed zone change during a special meeting last week. The property owners, Justin and Laurel Kerr, sought the zone change to allow them to build four twin homes on the 6.44 acre lot, among 21 other single family homes.

“If denied, we can wait it out a couple of years and see if the flavor of the community and the council changes,” Terzulli said.

In previous meetings residents from Moonridge Acres, located just to the north of the property, were outraged generally by the addition of the development, citing safety concerns around traffic trying to enter Ramsey Road, or the gross speeding that already occurs down Dakota, and general opposition to the crowding and unmitigated growth in the city.

In the appeal hearing, residents were more tailored in their criticism, saying they’d be fine with single family homes, but couldn’t be OK with the townhomes.

Terzulli cited the city’s own comprehensive plan, which shows the location zoned as mixed use in projections through 2040.

“We have your guiding documents,” he said. “That’s what I have when I bring this project forth. If the council and the community hates anything that isn’t R-1 residential or suburban, I’m pleading with you, just update the future land use map and we can skip all this. If the goal is to bring forth some different housing types in an attempt to create some diversity, and hopefully some price ranges, that was the goal of this.”

Council members cited safety concerns, in their original denial, especially with speeders traveling along Dakota.

The sheriff wrote a letter, in response to a request for comment, warning the city council about the impacts of growth on the city of Hayden’s safety.

My concern over safety is not about the type, said Councilman Ed DePriest. “We have testimony from the residents who live there every day. That’s people who see it all day every day.”

Regarding safety concerns, Terzulli offered to negotiate striping and street improvements along Dakota from Ramsey to Reed, to help the city make road improvements for less money.

“Growth pays for growth,” Terzulli said.

If the impact fees won’t cover the cost of a road improvement to Dakota, Olson Engineering was willing to negotiate a deal that could save the city money on adding sidewalks, curbs, bike lanes and swales that would improve the block for public safety.

Additionally, the proposed development would have added an alternate exit to the Mooridge Acres development, typically required for a development with over 30 homes. The additional exit would allow two entry points for first responders.

Traffic impacts were a major factor in Councilman Roetter and DePreist’s original denial of the project.

Terzulli presented a transportation analysis, in addition to the one he submitted in his first application for the zone change, that found the increase in traffic in the area would be less than what is modeled in the city’s transportation plan.

“With that, I attempted to take it one step further,” Terzulli said.

He attempted to commission a traffic report specific to Dakota and Ramsey through the consulting company Iteris, but it could not agree to do the site specific analysis in a memo citing “Iteris is an extension of city staff and they don’t want it to look like the city was part of the development team.”

Coeur Terre was mentioned several times as an external force impacting traffic through Hayden, and council members were leary of the future costs that will add to Hayden street maintenance.

With the denial, the property owner can now opt to subdivide the property under its current zoning to 12 half-acre lots to build 12 homes each with a shop.

“The property will be developed,” Terzulli said.

*This story has been updated.