The Meridian City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to return the proposed Syringa Crossing mixed-use development to the city’s planning and zoning commission, after the developer revised the project to include more office and retail space while trimming the number of residential units. The 55-acre development, planned for the northwest and southwest corners of the Amity and Meridian roads intersection, has been a point of contention since the commission recommended denial in April over concerns about connectivity and mixed-use compatibility.
What Changed in the Revised Proposal
Developer Hawkins Companies reworked the project following the April planning and zoning commission hearing. The revised application, which covers annexation, a preliminary plat, and a conditional use permit, reflects a meaningful shift in the balance between commercial and residential uses on the site.
Office space in the updated proposal grows to 45,000 square feet, an increase of 24,000 square feet over the prior version. Commercial space expands to 147,500 square feet — about 10,000 square feet more than before — with roughly 63,000 square feet reserved for a grocery store. All proposed commercial space would be non-drive-thru businesses. On the residential side, the development now proposes a maximum of 400 homes, down 23 units from the previous application.
The southwest portion of the project was also restructured to include three distinct land use types, compared to just two in the original submission. Additionally, the Idaho Transportation Department granted a waiver allowing right-in, right-out access from State Highway 69, addressing one of the project’s prior access challenges.
Why the Commission Still Has Questions
Despite the revisions, unresolved concerns remain — both from city staff and from a review of the project’s compliance with Meridian’s mixed-use community zoning standards. One of the most significant issues: the southwest portion of the development is still proposed at 68 percent residential, well above the 50 percent maximum allowed under the mixed-use community zone designation. That gap puts the proposal out of alignment with the city’s land use guidelines without further adjustment or justification.
City staff flagged additional concerns about inadequate integration between the residential and commercial portions of the site, insufficient prioritization of pedestrian connectivity, and unresolved questions about whether open spaces on the property would be designed to serve both residents and the broader public.
Those outstanding issues factored into the council’s decision to send the revised plan back to the planning and zoning commission rather than act on it directly. Council Member John Overton said the scope of the developer’s revisions was the deciding factor: “I first looked at this and saw the changes, and the first thing that came to me is that the changes look significant enough to be remanded to planning and zoning.” Council Member Liz Strader was absent from Tuesday’s discussion.
Impact on Meridian Residents and the Surrounding Area
Syringa Crossing represents one of the larger mixed-use projects currently in Meridian’s development pipeline. If ultimately approved, the project would bring a sizable grocery store, office space, and up to 400 homes to a rapidly growing corridor along Meridian Road — a stretch that has seen substantial residential buildout in recent years.
For Meridian residents and taxpayers, the outcome of the planning process matters beyond just one development. How the city applies its mixed-use zoning standards here will signal how seriously it enforces those rules going forward. Projects like Syringa Crossing are also relevant to broader conversations about retail and commercial growth in the Treasure Valley, including ongoing expansions at established destinations like the Village at Meridian.
What Comes Next
The Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission will now conduct a new hearing on the revised Syringa Crossing application. The commission will review whether the updated project better addresses the connectivity and land-use compatibility concerns that led to the April denial, and whether the residential percentage in the southwest area can be brought into compliance with zoning requirements.
Residents who live near the Amity and Meridian roads area or who have concerns about the project’s design and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood should watch for the commission’s scheduled hearing date. Public comment is typically accepted at planning and zoning hearings, giving community members an opportunity to weigh in before the proposal potentially returns to the city council for a final decision.