AGENDA #4i

MEMORANDUM

TO:

Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager

FROM:

J. B. Culpepper, Planning Director

Gene Poveromo, Development Coordinator

SUBJECT:

Request for Expedited Processing of a Concept Plan, Zoning Atlas Amendment, and Special Use Permit Applications for the Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station

DATE:

June 11, 2007

PURPOSE

Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize expedited scheduling of a Concept Plan and processing of the Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station applications.

BACKGROUND

On April 27, 2007, the Town Council received a petition from Orange County and referred it to the Town Manager for review and recommendation.  The petition requests expedited processing of a Concept Plan, Zoning Atlas Amendment, and Special Use Permit applications for the Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station.

Expedited processing grants priority status for review at every step of the process, and grants priority status in being scheduled on agendas of advisory boards and the Town Council.  A Special Use Permit application would normally take nine months to a year to be reviewed by all the required boards and commissions, and to be heard at a Public Hearing.

Following approval, an application normally takes four to five months to obtain approval of detailed construction drawings and final plans, prior to obtaining a Building Permit.  The review process is often long because of the breadth and depth of review and analysis, and because many projects are usually being reviewed at any given time.

However, because of the other applications previously granted such status, there will likely not be much shortening of the review time for this project if expedited processing is granted.

We believe that this application meets the Council’s criteria for granting expedited processing.

DISCUSSION

Request:  The petition requests expedited scheduling and processing of a Concept Plan, Zoning Atlas Amendment, and Special Use Permit applications. We understand the existing Orange County Landfill is projected to reach capacity sometime in 2010 and the proposed transfer station is needed to be operational prior to that time.  The proposed Solid Waste Transfer Station would include relocation of the Solid Waste Convenience Center and relocation of some of the existing landfill facilities.  The Transfer Station would be located on the north side of Eubanks Road near the existing Solid Waste Convenience Center.

The applicant’s request for expedited processing of the Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station indicated that the development will meet significant public objectives. 

Expedited Processing:  We follow the Council-endorsed criteria listed below in making recommendations to Council on request for expedited processing:

 

  1. Recommend expedited processing only in cases where there is a public interest or public objective involved.
  2. Recommend expedited processing only when a project that involves public interest would be harmed by following normal rules of procedures.
  3. Recommend expedited processing in cases where an applicant has submitted evidence, as endorsed by the Town Council and provided in Attachment 3, that the applicant is actively pursuing the development of a project that will:
    1. meet or exceed the LEED Silver certification; and
    2. exceed the energy standards by 20 percent of ASHRAE 90.1-2004.
  4. Avoid expedited processing in situations where other applications that do not carry this special status would be delayed.

Several development applications are currently working toward being placed on the Council’s Public Hearing schedule.  The impact of granting expedited processing for Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station is that one less space would be available on the Council’s schedule for which other applications are competing.

We believe that the proposal meets the objectives for public purpose in the criteria above for granting expedited processing status.  We recommend that the Council grant Expedited Processing Status for the Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station.

Projects that have been granted expedited processing are identified in Attachment 4.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff’s Recommendation:  We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution.  Adoption of the resolution would grant expedited scheduling of a Concept Plan and expedited processing for the Orange County Solid Waste Transfer Station, if the Council chooses to grant this request.

ATTACHMENT

  1. Petition (p. 5).
  2. Area Map (p. 7).
  3. LEED Certification Criteria (p. 8)
  4. List of Projects Granted Expedited Processing (p. 9).