City of Meridian Blogs

By Jay Gibbons, Parks & Pathways Project Manager

Pathway connections epitomize the City’s emphasis on being a great place to ‘Live, Work, and Raise a Family.’  We endeavor to provide and maintain pathways throughout the City for citizens to pursue healthy lifestyles, recreate with their children, and for use as alternative transportation routes.  The City’s pathway network has come a long way since the original Pathways Master Plan was implemented in 2007.  The development community has generously provided numerous pathway connections through and between neighborhoods, subdivisions, and commercial areas. 

Because the master plan is still relatively new, many opportunities to provide pathway connections in partnership with the development community were missed in older sections of town.  The City is committed to identifying potential pathway connections to downtown.  This involves working with property owners, irrigation districts, ACHD, and businesses; and ultimately, building new pathways, sidewalks, and bike lanes.  Currently, a new pathway project is underway on Pine Avenue as part of the Five Mile Creek Pathway project.  This is one of several concerted efforts to provide pedestrian and bicycle links to and from established neighborhoods, parks, and businesses.

The Fivemile Creek Pathway project will provide a ten-foot-wide pathway from the point where the creek crosses under Pine Avenue, heading west approximately 900 feet along Pine Street, turning north, and following the Five Mile Creek to Badley Avenue.  Efforts are ongoing to identify a route between Badley and Fairview and to secure pathway easements from willing property owners.  The project is being funded by a Community Development Block Grant.  The construction project kicked off in early March and is progressing well, in spite of the uncertainty of spring weather.  It is anticipated that the project will be completed and open to the public by the end of June. 

We are all thankful for the willingness of our neighbors in the Danbury Fair and Sterling Creek subdivisions, private property owners John and Shannon Uriona, and BW Meridian, Inc. for working with the City to get this pathway to construction.  In addition, we look forward to seeing many of you on the pathway in coming weeks!

Click here for more information about Meridian’s pathways, parks, and bikeways.  

Have you ever observed your child or another intently concentrating on making exuberant flourishes with bright crayons, or watched young ones spread colorful finger paints over smooth paper with their small fingers? If so, then you’ve seen the joyful expressions of art explored and have witnessed creative art in process.

Most of us know that art is important for our children – an opportunity to explore and express themselves – we witness it in our children or through others. But beyond what we feel and believe, there is also much factual information about why art is important in young peoples’ lives.

Creating art expands a youngster's ability to interact with the world around them, and provides them with a new set of skills for self-expression and communication. Not only does art help to develop the right side of the brain, it also cultivates important skills that benefit a child's overall physical and emotional development.

But art goes far beyond the tangible statistics measured by studies -- it can become a pivotal mode of uninhibited self-expression and amazement for a child. You might say that art matters the same way language matters. It is a fundamental component of what makes us uniquely human.

Here at the City, we encourage young artists in a variety of ways.

From now until the end of May, Initial Point Gallery, located on the third floor of Meridian City Hall, will be filled with student art. This month-long exhibit, which includes more than 60 works of art by 40 local school students of all ages, was coordinated by Rocky Mountain High School student Megan Murphy, who is the youth representative member of the Meridian Arts Commission. I hope you’ll take time to come and view the art. It’s colorful, thought-provoking, and as diverse as the creative youngsters who created it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and delighted as I always am, by the high level of talent on display. The gallery is free and open to the public on weekdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with the exception of major holidays.   

Throughout the year, our Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of youth art classes at the Meridian Community Center. This summer, local artist Brian Schreiner will instruct a series of themed multi-media art camps for a variety of age groups. Details are available in the Spring/Summer 2012 Activity Guide which you can access from the City of Meridian website.

The Meridian Arts Commission has successfully launched an Artist in Residence program. The program brings professional artists into schools to provide students with an opportunity to make art that would generally be too complex to create in an ordinary classroom setting or without the expertise, instruction, and supplies of a professional artist. This year, students at River Valley Elementary and the Christine Donnell School participated in art projects made possible through this program. 

A growing collection of art created by students from Joint School District No. 2 decorates the walls of the Mayor’s Office at City Hall. These winning pieces from the school district’s annual student art competitions include a pencil sketch, a water color, photograph, and oil and acrylic paintings – showcasing the incredible artistic talent being nurtured within our schools.

As youth art continues to play a growing role in our community, I hope you’ll come to see that art education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self-expression, cooperation with others, and critical thinking – all skills vital to the success of our future leaders, our children.

Many of you, as am I, are eagerly awaiting the opening of the new businesses under construction in the Meridian Town Center at the northeast corner of Eagle Road & Fairview Avenue, as well as Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park directly across Records Avenue to the east.  

This project represents one of the most fabulous commercial projects ever developed in Idaho – right here in our city! When finished, the lifestyle center will consist of more than 1,032,215 square feet of retail, entertainment, restaurant and office uses with apartments overlooking Kleiner Park.

You’ve probably heard a lot of rumors about which businesses are coming. So far, Big Al’s Bowling & Sports Bar, Marshall’s, Gordmans, Petco, Tilly’s, Nike, Gap, and Chick-fil-A have been approved for development and are in the construction process. Seven (7) other multi-tenant buildings have also been approved that are proposed to house retail, restaurant, and office uses. 

Gordmans and Big Al’s are slated to commence the openings in early August with the others quickly following. The grand opening of Kleiner Memorial Park is planned for June 9^th.

A movie theatre is proposed within the area known as the Village at the southeast end of the center along with a large central plaza area. The plaza will offer folks a beautifully landscaped area to rest on benches under mature shade trees in an Italian themed setting while watching dancing fountains choreographed to music & lights inspired by those at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

A seasonal outdoor ice skating rink, two glass & Tuscan column pavilions housing fast food establishments overlooking the plaza, restaurants with doors that open onto the plaza during warm weather, Neri style kiosks, bronze statues, and a children’s play area are also planned.  Gas lamps will illuminate the plaza and provide an old world style ambiance after dark. During the Christmas season, there will be a Santa house & decorated Christmas tree.  Perhaps most importantly, along with the various shopping, eating, living, and entertainment opportunities this development will offer, a multitude of much needed jobs will also be created.

As you may have noticed if you’ve visited or driven by Meridian City Hall lately, one of the large water features in the outdoor plaza is currently being removed by work crews. In the spirit of transparency, I believe you deserve to know the story behind the decision for its removal.

The long narrow raised stone waterway, intended to pay homage to Meridian’s early canal system, fell victim to substandard materials and improper construction.  This feature, an issue of our lawsuit, has not been functioning properly since its installation in 2008.  Because of these issues, the waterway had been losing large amounts of water underground, the bricks were crumbling as they failed to meet the specified standards necessary to handle the constant force of the falling water, and the capstones were literally falling off.

After the careful consideration of the repair options available and the proposed costs, the City Council sadly decided it would be most prudent and fiscally-responsible to remove the water feature altogether. While we would have preferred a different resolution, we value accountability, as you do, and will continue to try to hold the parties responsible for the water feature’s failed design and operation.

While the loss of this water feature is unfortunate, we’re confident that City Hall’s outdoor plaza will continue to be an inviting and welcoming asset to our community and a dynamic venue for future gatherings and events for generations to come. The area where the failed water feature once stood will soon be sodded and landscaped, creating an additional grassy area where visitors to the outdoor plaza can sit to enjoy the outdoors or to take in special events, such as the summertime Concerts on Broadway performances which will begin in June.

The City Hall Plaza’s remaining water features – the two large pools near the building’s main entrance and the stream and waterfall on the south side of the plaza – will remain intact.  The stream and waterfall are also experiencing some of the same issues involving leaking and may or may not be able to function as envisioned. We will continue to evaluate our options and hope to make the most of this unique outdoor space for the public to enjoy.

I hope you respect the decision City leaders have made on your behalf regarding the removal of the water feature. We truly believe decisions have been in the community’s best interest and we will continue to put Meridian first when faced with tough calls such as this in the future.

We are less than a month away from this year’s primary election on May 15.  I feel very strongly about the importance of voter choice and am grateful that Meridian voters have a diverse choice of candidates for the state legislature seats in all four of our legislative districts – Districts 14, 20, 21, and 22 as well as for our County Commissioners.
 
While having a variety of candidates is important, just as important is the need for an informed electorate. For voters to make meaningful choices, they must have the opportunity to get to know something about the candidates and what they stand for.
 
Recently, the Meridian Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee hosted a pair of well-attended candidate forums which allowed the candidates from Meridian’s legislative districts to introduce themselves and to answer a series of questions posed to them by the events’ moderators. I applaud the Chamber for holding these forums as a way for the business community and interested citizens to learn more about those running for office.
 
In a similar fashion, the Meridian Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) will help the public further their dialog with these legislative candidates by hosting a pair of candidate open houses during the next few weeks.  At these forums the candidates will briefly introduce themselves and then be available to meet and mingle with those in attendance and have information about their candidacy.
 
The first candidate open house will be on Wednesday, April 25, from 6:30—8:00 p.m. at Meridian City Hall.  This event will feature candidates competing for seats in Districts 14 and 20.  On Wednesday, May 2, candidates running for positions in Districts 21 and 22 will be on hand to meet the public from 6:30—8:00 p.m. at Meridian City Hall.  I look forward to seeing you at one of these events.
 
While many in MYAC are not old enough yet to vote, it is great that they are doing their part to provide a forum for those who are so they can learn more about the candidates.  This is just another example of how they go above and beyond in their service to our community.

As the primary election approaches, I encourage you to become an informed voter.  While the choice is not always easy, the person that wins can have a significant impact on you and our community if they are in it for the right reasons - to represent 'we the people' not a personal agenda. You can take the following steps to make sure your vote counts:

1.         Take time to learn about and understand the basics of how government and our elected bodies work;
2.         Find out who represents you;
3.         Determine which issues matter the most to you;
4.         Find out the candidates’ positions on the issues that matter most to you; and,
5.         Vote your values!

If you’re uncertain which legislative district you’re in or have other questions regarding the upcoming election, a good source of information can be found online at www.idahovotes.gov.

When you go to the polls to exercise your privilege to vote, remember the people you select and support will make a very real and practical difference in the lives of real men, women, and children in our community and beyond.

Last week approximately 60 people took part in one of two town hall meetings focused on senior transportation issues; one at the Meridian Senior Center and the other at Meridian City Hall. We had representatives on hand from the City of Meridian, Meridian Senior Center, Valley Regional Transit (VRT), and other organizations that provide transportation services to seniors in the community.

Transportation is an important issue for everyone, but especially for our community’s seniors looking for alternative ways to get around our city rather than drive themselves. As part of these town hall meetings, we discussed options on how our growing senior population in Meridian might find safe, affordable, reliable transportation in order to access personal services and travel in and around our community without driving themselves.

The challenge is to find how best to leverage scarce funding sources to serve the needs of our community’s seniors.  Due to budget limitations, Ada County outside of Boise has limited bus service. While it is anticipated that more bus routes will offer enhanced service beyond the commuter service offered today, is not anticipated in the immediate future.

For now, seniors and other non-drivers must continue to seek alternatives in order to get to doctor’s appointments, social activities, grocery shopping, and other outings that enrich daily life. To aid their efforts, VRT hopes to better “manage mobility” to a greater extent by coordinating the current available options and helping to leverage resources.

According to VRT, there are some transportation options currently being considered or recently rolled out in neighboring communities.  This includes a Volunteer Driver Program which reimburses volunteer drivers for driving seniors to and from errands, and Travel Training and Ambassador Programs which educate and mentor seniors on various transportation alternatives and how to use them. VRT hopes a Dial-a-Ride type program is also a future possibility, as is some type of vehicle sharing system which would create a pool of vehicles which could be accessed by groups at various days and times as needed.

Some might be surprised to find that we have a few private businesses and non-profits who currently provide transportation options for seniors.  The Black & White Taxi has a policy to transport Meridian seniors anywhere they wish to go in Meridian for a flat rate, and seniors receive a discounted rate for rides to and from the Boise airport.  Friends in Action is a non-profit organization that offers door-to-door transportation services for Treasure Valley seniors through a volunteer network.

Currently the Meridian Senior Center’s transportation system brings eligible seniors to and from the center each weekday for lunch and to the Ten Mile Albertsons for a weekly grocery trip. Despite the increase in costs, the Senior Center’s current transportation services will continue unchanged until after the center is well settled into its new location in Julius M. Kleiner Park as well as results of a transportation survey administered by VRT expected later this summer.  At that time decisions will be made about the best way to provide transportation service to our seniors.

There is no doubt that senior transportation is an important issue in our community.  We will continue our discussion to explore options to expand, coordinate, and fund transportation services for the senior population.