memorandum

to:                  Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager

from:            J. B. Culpepper, Planning Director
Gene Poveromo, Planning Manager

subject:      Concept Plan: Southern Village Center, 301 Aberdeen Street

date:            November 17, 2008

INTRODUCTION

Attached is a proposal for a Concept Plan for the Southern Village “Village Core.” The Council has the opportunity tonight to hear this applicant’s presentation, receive a set of comments from the Community Design Commission, hear public comments, and offer suggestions to the applicant for consideration as further plans are drawn. At the conclusion of the evening’s discussion, we recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution transmitting comments to the applicant.

This development proposal meets the Land Use Management intensity thresholds requiring Council review.

BACKGROUND

July 1993

Town Council approved a Master Land Use Plan for the 312-acre Southern Village site.  The plan called for a mix of uses including several  housing types, office, civic, recreation, cultural and retail uses located both within the neighborhoods and concentrated in a central office/retail Village Core.  

1993

The Southern Village “Village Core” Storefront District Special Use Permit.  The Special Use Permit approved 262,500 square feet of residential, commercial and office floor area.

October 22, 1996

Town Council approved a modification to the Southern Village Master Land Use Plan. Some of the changes authorized by the modification included: modification to the pedestrian / bicycle path; replacement of an approved stormwater control lake with small ponds; and modification to the required land use intensity ratios. 

The Council also approved a modification to the Southern Village “Village Core” Storefront District Special Use Permit.  The modification increased the maximum floor area from 262,500 square feet to 370,000 square feet of residential, commercial and office floor area.

Summary minutes from the September 24, 2008 Community Design Commission meeting are attached.

The Land Use Plan, a component of the Comprehensive Plan identifies the site as Parks/ Open Space.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Town has received a proposal from Southern Village Center, LLC for a Concept Plan Review for a hotel or multi-family development in the Southern Village “Village Core.”  The proposed development is located in the parking island in the Southern Village Center surrounded by Market Street, Kildaire Road, and Aberdeen Street. The Concept Plan proposes to demolish an existing ground level parking lot and construct a 6-story building with 90,000 square feet of floor area and underground parking. A drop-off area and parking for 147 vehicles is also proposed.  Access to the parking area is proposed from all adjacent streets. The .9-acre site is located in the Neighborhood Commercial-Conditional (NC-C) zoning district. The site is identified as Orange County Parcel Identifier Number 9787-05-5432. 

The Concept Plan has been revised from the initial submittal as reviewed by the Community Design Commission. The changes are in response to comments from both the Community Design Commission and the neighborhood. The following are the changes with this application are illustrated in the following table: 

 

September 24, 2008
CDC Concept Plan

November 17, 2008Council Concept Plan

Parking

147

146

No. of Hotel Rooms

90

101

No. of Condominium Units

60

50-75

Parking Space Layout (garage)

Not shown

90 degrees. 18 ft. long; aisle 24 ft. wide

Building Width

Outside street right-of-way

Encroaches into public street right-of-way

Aberdeen St.

Street right-of-way remains open

Street right-of-way closed

The proposal, if developed as proposed, will likely require a rezoning application.

ELEMENTS OF REVIEW

The Town Council and Community Design Commission, in examining Concept Plan proposals, are to consider the various aspects of design, with special emphasis on whether the proposed development is consistent with the Town’s Design Guidelines and the Goals and Objectives of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.

The Concept Plan review process does not involve staff evaluation of the proposal. Review of the submitted Concept Plan is conducted by the Community Design Commission and, in some instances, the Town Council.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.3 of the Town’s Land Use Management Ordinance, tonight’s Concept Plan review affords Council members the opportunity to provide individual reactions to the overall concept of the development which is being contemplated for future application. 

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend that the Council review this Concept Plan, receive comments from citizens, and adopt the attached Resolution transmitting comments to the applicant.

ATTACHMENTS

  1. Section 4.3 Concept Plan Review, Land Use Management Ordinance (p. 5).
  2. September 24, 2008 Community Design Commission Concept Plan Summary (p. 9).
  3. Applicants Materials (p. 16).
  4. Citizen Letters (p. 28).
  5. Citizen Petition (p. 62).
  6. Area Map (p. 68).