AGENDA #3a(5)(b)
MEMORANDUM
TO: Horace Williams Citizens Committee – Process Sub-Committee
FROM: JB. Culpepper, Planning Director
SUBJECT: Process for the Development of the Horace Williams Property (Carolina North)
DATE: December 6, 2005
This memorandum offers information and recommendations for consideration by the Horace Williams Citizens Committee.
BACKGROUND
On November 9, 2005, the Town Council provided guidance to the Horace Williams Citizens Committee for completion of its charge (Attachment 1). The Council requested that the Committee provide a proposal on the following outstanding task:
Propose a process for Council consideration (concerning the development of the Horace Williams Property) identifying points in the process where Public Hearings and Forums would be appropriate, to be able to bring information to the attention of the community and provide opportunity for citizen comment.
The current zoning districts, Residential- 2 (R-2) and Office/Institutional-2 (O1-2) which apply to the Horace Williams Property likely would not allow the type of campus development envisioned by the University. Such a large scale development would require rezoning of the property.
For further background information, we previously sent you information about the development review process that is established by the Land Use Management Ordinance (Attachment 2).
In addition, further information about the Council’s enactment of the Office/Institutional-4 (OI-4) zoning district is provided. In 2001, the Council created the OI-4 zoning district following discussions with the University regarding the development of facilities on the main campus. The University’s main campus development was nearing maximum levels allowed under Chapel Hill’s development regulations of that time. A negotiated process was initiated following appointment of a Mayor’s Committee that met with University representatives. Please see Attachment 3.
The background of the development of the OI-4 district is set out in a memorandum and attachments from Mayor Waldorf to the Town Council dated April 23, 2001. Please see Attachment 4.
The OI-4 zoning district has the following structure:
· The property owner (UNC) has the option of preparing and submitting a Development Plan for some or all of the property.
· If the Town Council approves the Development Plan, then permits for individual buildings in the subject area can be issued by the Town Manager, after evaluating to be sure that such individual building plans matched the larger, Council-approved Development Plan.
· Absent an approved Development Plan, new buildings on campus need to go through a Special Use Permit process, and obtain a Special Use Permit prior to commencement of construction.
On April 25, 2005, the Town Council indicated its willingness to work cooperatively with the University to develop a new zoning district for the future development of the entire Horace Williams Property. Please see Attachment 5
We believe this background information may be helpful as the Committee identifies public participation opportunities in the process.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
A NEW ZONING DISTRICT
Before a new zoning district is established, we believe that the following key issues should be addressed.
Transportation: The Chapel Hill Public Transit Committee has begun a process to develop a scope of work to prepare a Long Range Transit Plan for the Chapel Hill Transit Service Area. This Plan would include the following steps:
We believe that the Long Range Transit Plan will define the capacity of the future transportation network for the area thereby establishing land use and development intensities that would be feasible.
The Public Transit Committee, which includes representatives from Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University, is expected to meet in January 2006 to review a draft scope of work for the preparation of the Long Range Transit Plan. It is anticipated that a consultant could begin work on the Plan in late spring or early summer, 2006.
Fiscal Equity: The Horace Williams Citizens Committee’s report submitted to the Council on October 11, 2004, included the following comment:
“We feel that the fiscal plan is as important as the physical plan. As a consequence, we strongly urge the Town to set up a structure to measure and evaluate fiscal impacts and take other actions recommended in this section prior to the development review process.”
The Principles, Goals and Strategies report recommends several specific strategies related to fiscal equity.
On January 10, 2005, the Town Council received a report from the Town Manager concerning Rezoning, Fiscal Equity, and Land Conservation Issues related to the Horace Williams Property. Please see Attachment 6.
The Council resolved that it would ask the University, as a potential future developer, to pay an independent consultant to develop a fiscal equity model that could be used to estimate direct revenues and direct costs that would result from proposed development of University lands. The School of Government could assist in the selection of a consultant, with the Council approving the selection. A joint committee appointed by the Council and the University could review consultant work and provide feedback on a proposed fiscal equity model. Please see Attachment 7.
Land Conservation: The Principles, Goals and Strategies report recommends preserving “in perpetuity the maximum amount of open space possible with a goal of preserving 75 percent of the Horace Williams property as stated by the University.”
On January 10, 2005, the Council considered options available to the University to protect areas of the property from development such as conservation easements or lease agreements. The Council resolved to forward to the University, for information, options for the conservation of land on the Horace Williams Property. Please see Attachment 7. We believe it would be important to establish which parts of the property are to be protected in order to better understand what could be developed.
Principles, Goals and Strategies Document: We believe that the Principles, Goals and Strategies for Guiding the Development of the Horace Williams Property (Carolina North) report identify matters of concern to the community that need to be considered by the University. We believe that the University should undertake plans and studies to address these matters, for example:
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
The Horace Williams Citizens Committee has been charged with identifying opportunities in the process where public participation will be appropriate in order to bring information to the attention of the community. There are a variety of opportunities for community participation. We believe that preparation of a Long Range Transit Plan, the development of a Fiscal Equity Model, and the preparation of other miscellaneous plans and studies provide opportunities for public input and comment. For example when a study is commissioned, we recommend a public forum on the scope of the study. Once prepared, we recommend that public forums be held to review the findings and recommendations of each study.
Following determination of the capacity of the Horace Williams Property, we recommend development of a participatory process to determine the appropriate zoning of the property. As recommendations are developed, this process would include:
These meetings would provide an opportunity for citizen input and comment as a new zoning district is developed and ultimately assigned to the property.
NEXT STEPS
We recommend that the Horace Williams Citizens Committee consider including the items outlined above as the Committee discusses a recommended process for the development of the Horace Williams Property. We believe it will be important for the Council to consider the goals identified by the Committee as the capacity of the Horace Williams Property is determined through the Long Range Transit Plan, Fiscal Equity Study and other possible studies identified above. We recommend that these items be considered as the Council works toward development of a new zoning district. Community involvement throughout the process will be a key objective. The Horace Williams Citizens Committee has been charged with identifying opportunities in the process where public participation will be appropriate in order to bring information to the attention of the community.
ATTACHMENTS (Not Included)