For: Public Hearing

City of Ammon, Planning and Zoning Commission 

Re: Gem Innovation Schools Foundation LLC for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow placement of a school at 3445 E Greenwillow Lane. 

As homeowners in Bridgewater subdivision, we are deeply concerned about the proposed construction of a new school within our neighborhood. We believe that building another school in our neighborhood is not only unnecessary but raises serious concerns about access and public safety. This issue is personal to us as it threatens to disrupt our peaceful community with increased traffic congestion and potential accidents. 

The proposal for this new school does not take into account the impact on local infrastructure. Adding hundreds of additional cars to the morning and afternoon rush would exacerbate existing traffic problems on Ammon Road. There are two schools already adjacent to subdivision entrances at Lincoln and Ammon roads. The National Center for Safe Routes to School reports that traffic-related accidents near schools are higher than average due to increased vehicle activity during drop-off and pick-up times (National Center for Safe Routes to School). 

The planned location for this school is at the intersection of busy Ammon Road and the main entrance to Bridgewater subdivision. According to the U.S Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, intersections near schools are among the most dangerous areas for pedestrians due to high vehicle volumes (FHWA Safety Program). This poses significant risks for children who will be walking or biking to and from school every day. This location is along the primary route used by the Idaho Falls Fire Department and Bonneville County Fire District is along responders. Building a school here could potentially delay these critical services when they are needed most. Even an increase in response time as small as one minute can significantly affect survival rates for severe injuries.

According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, traffic-related crashes are higher near schools. We should not put our children at risk by increasing traffic within the Bridgewater and adjacent neighborhoods. The influx of vehicles during drop-off and pick-up times will significantly increase traffic within the neighborhood by those taking shortcuts. Moreover, our neighborhood's infrastructure may not support such an influx of people daily. This will add congestion on our roads that are not designed for such volume. There also appears to be no provision for marked crosswalks, lighting, and traffic lights on Ammon Road with the addition of a second school to the subdivision.

The size of the lot and number of students is not sufficient for a K-12 school plus all related traffic and parking. The size of the lot allocated for the school construction and the expected number of students simply doesn't make sense. The original intent of the lot was for placement of a church.  The lot size and location is typical of what one would expect of a local church located within a residential subdivision. The proposed site is too small to accommodate an educational institution that would cater to hundreds of students on a daily basis. This will inevitably lead to overcrowding which is not conducive for learning and can even pose safety risks. Moreover, there is only one entry and one exit to the school which seems to be a bottleneck as well as safety issue. The absence of dedicated bus and car lanes also poses serious safety risks that we cannot ignore.  The access to the school would be via the subdivision’s main entrance from two-lane Ammon Road.  It is not indicated there will be a dedicated turn lane associated with the school.  Ammon Road is already highly congested during morning and late afternoon hours.    

There are already over ten schools within a two-mile radius of Bridgewater subdivision. The need for another one in the immediate area is questionable at best. We need solutions that reduce traffic congestion rather than adding onto it. The proposed additional school would place a school at every one of the three entrance/exits of the subdivision. Residents attempting to avoid issues at these access points will be forced to exit through other subdivisions. This will either divert them to access there the stop light at Ammon Road and 1st Street.  As any current traffic study would reflect, this area is highly prone to congestion and difficulty in access and egress. The other viable option would lead residents to attempt to exit on to 1st Street in the direct vicinity of Tie Breaker school as well as several other private schools and a large residential complex.   These will be the only options for residents as well as emergency vehicles. 

We must prioritize safety and tranquility in our neighborhoods over unnecessary expansion. We understand the need for education facilities; however, we believe there are other locations within Ammon that can accommodate this new school without disrupting residential peace and posing serious safety risks associated with having a school at this location. We urge local decision-makers to reconsider this plan and explore other more suitable locations for building new educational facilities. While schools can enhance the value of a subdivision, once a sufficient number are highly concentrated, they lose this benefit and become a detriment.  Among the various duties of those serving the City of Ammon, the duty to not make decisions to cause detriment to values within large swathes of homes is paramount.

We must prioritize the safety of our children over any other considerations. We have more than enough educational facilities to cater to our children's needs and we believe there is no need for another one in our immediate vicinity. Building another school in our subdivision would not only increase traffic congestion but also lead to noise pollution during construction and operation hours. It could potentially decrease property values due to increased noise levels and traffic.  Furthermore, the influx of non-residents into our community on a daily basis and daily operation of two schools would significantly disrupt our peaceful environment and degrade the quality of life we currently enjoy. Additionally, we cannot overlook the inevitable construction noise and dust that will affect all residents during the building phase.   

With over ten schools in the immediate area already serving this population, there seems to be no urgent need for an additional educational institution that would require busing in of students.  Even though this is a private project, it will ultimately require resources to maintain the local community area due to increased traffic, water, sewer and other community resources. We believe that resources could be better allocated elsewhere to improve existing facilities or fund other community projects instead of building another school in our subdivision. A church or park would serve as more beneficial alternatives for this space - enhancing community spirit without causing undue disruption or safety concerns. Let's stand together as neighbors against unnecessary development that disrupts our peaceful neighborhood!  

Therefore, we urge you all - fellow residents, parents, educators - to reject this proposal by signing this petition. Let's protect our community while ensuring quality education in appropriate settings! Please sign this petition and let your voice be heard!