SUMMARY OF A COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON PROPOSED MEADOWMONT MASTER LAND USE PLAN AND REZONING REQUESTS, THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1995

Mayor Broun called the work session to order at 5:38 p.m. Council Members in attendance were Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Pat Evans, Lee Pavão, Barbara Powell, Jim Protzman and Rosemary Waldorf. Also in attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Manager Florentine Miller and Planning Director Roger Waldon.

Mayor Broun noted that this evening's session was a continuation of the Council's June 21st work session on the Meadowmont development application. He stated that this evening's work session would focus on three areas not discussed at the last session: designation of public spaces, pattern of development and level of development (densities). Mayor Broun said he hoped the Council would be able to give the applicant specific instructions and feedback concerning the proposed development. He also expressed hope that the Council and applicant would be able to have a discussion about public/private facility tradeoffs relative to the proposed Meadowmont development. Mayor Broun called upon Roger Perry to make a brief overview presentation.

Mr. Perry noted that East-West Partners had consulted with Town staff to develop answers to unresolved questions raised at the June 21st work session. Land Planner Scott Murray presented illustrative conceptual plans of proposed buildings overlaid on the existing site. Land Planner Brad Davis presented a comparative analysis of several existing or planned mixed-use developments including Marble Head, Myers Park, the Kentlands and Cameron Park. He stated that although the Kentlands was much more dense than the proposed Meadowmont development, the two developments were quite similar in the proposed mix and intensity of land uses.

Referencing East/West Partners letter of June 26th to the Mayor and Council, Mr. Perry presented an overview of responses to Council questions raised at the June 21st work session. Mr. Perry said he hoped the Council would be supportive of efforts to garner NCDOT's support to put an underground pedestrian/bicycle tunnel under NC 54. Mr. Murray reviewed a graphic depiction of the proposed pedestrian/bicycle/greenway circulation plan for Meadowmont. He stated that key points on the site would accommodate pedestrians or bicyclists wishing to travel short distances between destinations.

Mr. Perry stated that the applicant was willing to comply with all ordinances regarding aesthetics and overall water quality standards pertaining to stormwater management.

Public Open Spaces

Mr. Murray stated that approximately thirty percent of Meadowmont's net land area was proposed for open space or park usage. He noted that proposed recreational facilities lay outside of the wetlands area. Mr. Perry said approximately one-third of the Meadowmont site was set aside for open space, not including a possible school site.

Council Member Waldorf inquired about the possibility of providing walking and jogging trails around ponds and open space on the site. Mr. Perry said he would be amenable to providing such facilities.

Council Member Evans inquired about the possibility of the applicant providing basketball courts. Mr. Perry said such facilities could possibly be sited in mini-parks throughout the site. Mr. Davis noted that a typical mini-park would comprise approximately one acre. Council Member Evans noted that her purpose was to encourage active recreation activities. Council Member Waldorf said it would be desirable to have recreational improvements which were appropriate to proposed development types.

Council Member Waldorf inquired whether Mr. Perry was proposing to donate land for civic uses. Mr. Perry said no, noting that he was proposing that the proposed civic site, comprising about one acre, could be reserved for future acquisition by the Town.

Council Member Capowski inquired about the location of the proposed school site. Mr. Murray said it would be in the northern portion of the property. Mr. Perry said if the school district wished to have the school site, the project's master plan could be changed accordingly. Council Member Chilton asked whether the proposed school site would reduce the number of proposed dwelling units. Mr. Perry said yes, by approximately fifty units.

Council Member Capowski inquired about the possibility of digging a deeper floor for the existing tunnel under NC 54. Mr. Kirchbaum said this would likely compromise the structural integrity of the crossing and therefore would not be approved by the State Department of Transportation. Council Member Powell inquired whether the feasibility of an overhead crossing over NC 54 had been investigated. Mr. Perry said that based on strong signals from the Council and advisory boards that this was not a preferable approach, the viability of this option had not been explored. Mr. Waldon added that board and commission concerns had focused on aesthetics and whether or not such a walkway would be utilized.

Mr. Perry said this matter could be analyzed if the Council wished.

Council Member Pavão inquired whether the applicant's discussion with NCDOT concerning a tunnel under NC 54 had been exploratory. Mr. Kirchbaum said the nature of the discussion had been to broadly explore the possibility of an open cut or an actual tunnel. He added that NCDOT had not reached a final definitive conclusion on these possibilities. Mr. Perry said the Council's support might be helpful in securing NCDOT's assistance in this matter.

Council Member Brown said it was especially critical that wetland areas be protected. Mr. Kirchbaum said the wetlands area had been delineated by the Army Corp of Engineers during January, 1995, one of the wetter months of the year. He stated that the applicant and Corp of Engineers had worked closely together to delineate the wetlands areas. Council Member Brown said she was very interested in knowing whether or not the wetlands area had ever been filled in. Mr. Kirchbaum said that judging from tree cover in the area, there had been no fill activity in the last ten to fifteen years. Council Member Brown requested that this matter be further explored.

Council Member Pavão inquired whether Council Member Brown had flooding-related concerns. Council Member Brown said she especially concerned about runoff potential onto adjoining areas and properties. She also said that the Council owed it to Town residents to be vigilant in this regard. Mr. Perry said the Town had very thorough development standards which would not permit building activity to occur in designated wetlands or other especially sensitive areas.

Council Member Waldorf inquired whether the applicant proposed to dedicate land for a school site. Mr. Perry said a proposal had been made to the School Board that land could be offered at raw land prices. He stated that this was quite a generous offer since 40 to 50 homes could be constructed on the possible school site.

Mr. Perry said the proposal was for an eighteen acre site, rather than the six acre site in the Southern Village development.

Mr. Perry said it would be necessary to have equal tradeoffs in order to accommodate any additional significant unilateral concessions such as the provision of more open space or density reductions. Mr. Perry also said the applicant was indifferent economically about whether the property was developed using its current zoning or mixed-use zoning. Council Member Waldorf inquired whether the developer had calculated that estimated profits from developing the tract as a mixed-use development or with the existing zoning would be about the same. Mr. Perry said this was correct. Council Member Capowski inquired whether the possibility of alternative school sites had been explored. Mr. Perry said alternative sites had not been explored, adding that the proposed site was adjacent to play fields and a park, effectively creating a thirty-five acre site.

Pattern of Residential and Commercial Development

Mr. Perry stated that the 430-acre Cameron Park development in Raleigh would have land uses and comparative densities which were similar to the proposed Meadowmont development. He also said that about sixty percent of residential units would be located within one-quarter mile of the village center and eighty percent of the units would be located within one-half mile of the center.

Council Member Brown requested that the applicant examine the possibility of using commercial village centers such as those in Carrboro or Hillsborough as concept plan models for the proposed Meadowmont development. Council Member Brown also requested that work on proposed transportation plans for the development to minimize the need for, and number of, automobile trips. She suggested that the applicant work more closely with the Town's Comprehensive Plan to integrate all housing types into the proposed development.

Mr. Perry stated that the proposed village center comprised a total of approximately 125,000 square feet, about one-seventh the size of the Cameron Village Shopping Center in Raleigh. He noted that the proposed center would need to draw about 5,000-7,000 regular customers in order to be viable, contrasted with the proposed Meadowmont full build-out population of 2,500 persons. Mr. Perry also stated that the proposed Meadowmont development was not sufficiently large or dense enough to viably sustain its own commercial uses. He said the proposed village center area was the last critical area on the site in terms of water quality and environmental concerns.

Council Member Brown stated that a recent study by the Rocky Mountain Institute had concluded that many mixed-use type developments were a burden on existing community taxpayers. Council Member Brown also said it was very important that the proposed development fit in with the Town's Comprehensive Plan and that it be a beneficial asset for the community's residents. Council Member Pavão said it was important for the Council to consider the proposal on a broad scale, using the East Entranceway component of the Comprehensive Plan as development guidelines. Council Member Brown said there appeared to be a difference of opinion on this matter.

Council Member Evans inquired whether all retail uses were proposed for the portion of the site north of NC 54. Scott Murray said the preponderance of retail uses (125,000 square feet) were proposed for the village center area north of NC 54. He also said that 9,600 square feet would be located on the south side of NC 54, with a small parcel being located on the proposed hotel site. Mr. Murray noted that the total square footage for office and commercial uses would be 242,000 square feet, excluding the proposed hotel.

Council Member Evans noted that the total proposed retail square footage, 134,000 square feet, was roughly equivalent to the combined square footage of Carr Mill Mall and the Movies at Timberlyne building. She inquired how much office space was proposed on the north side of NC 54. Mr. Perry said commercial establishments such as a wellness center and day care center were proposed for the north side of NC 54. Council Member Evans also noted that the Village of Fearrington had permits for the construction of up to 1,600 units. She noted that there were presently 700 units completed with a total of 1,100 persons living in Fearrington. She also stated that a total of 41,597 persons had attended 658 events at the Friday Continuing Education Center during the past year. Stating that visitors to the community could leave their tax dollars here, Council Member Evans suggested that the applicant consider making shopping as convenient as possible for pedestrians in the area.

Council Member Chilton said he agreed that the language in the Comprehensive Plan for the east entranceway corridor was subject to interpretation. He stated that the applicant's proposal differed from the Comprehensive Plan in respects such as the interspersal of uses. Mr. Perry said he believed the proposed master land-use plan contained a good mix of considerably different housing types. He also said it made sense to cluster multi-family housing around higher intensity commercial areas. Mr. Perry expressed his belief

that the applicant's plan to build in concentric circles relative to density was consistent with the concept of "fine grains" in the Comprehensive Plan. Stating that some single-family homes would be located immediately adjacent to multi-family development, Council Member Chilton said he begged to differ with Mr. Perry on this point. Mr. Perry said this point was very well-taken in this instance.

Council Member Protzman requested a clarification of Council Member Chilton's wishes concerning the desirable location of commercial uses. Council Member Chilton said a development such as the Fountains which proposed to include office, retail and residential uses all in the same building. Brad Davis said the proposed village center area could include office, commercial and residential uses. He stated that some residences could possibly be located on the second or third floor of buildings in the village center area. Council Member Waldorf asked whether the proposal was for commercial uses to be on the first floor, with residential uses on the second floor. Mr. Davis said office and residential uses could be blended on the second and third floor of buildings in the village center area. Council Member Waldorf asked whether blending of uses was feasible in terms of marketability. Mr. Perry said he believed this was feasible. Council Member Waldorf said she really liked the idea of blending uses. Council Member Pavão inquired about the estimated build out time for Meadowmont. Mr. Perry said seven to ten years.

Council Member Capowski expressed concern that the applicant had made no adjustments to the proposed master or illustrative plan in response to the Council's adopted Comprehensive Plan for the Town's east entranceway corridor. Council Member Protzman said he believed that the applicant's plan was mostly in agreement with the Council's comprehensive plan document for the east entranceway corridor.

Council Member Capowski noted that the proposed wellness center was to be used by UNC Hospital patients, rather than persons wishing to pursue general fitness and wellness programs. He also stated proposed five-story office buildings on the south side of NC 54 would have to serve a broader area than local neighborhoods.

Mayor Broun said he believed that the applicant intended to construct a good, high quality development. He also said it was very important that the proposed development meet the goals of the Town's Comprehensive Plan and the community's needs. Mayor Broun urged the applicant to maximize the opportunities for pedestrian uses while recognizing the need for commercial uses. He also suggested that the applicant reexamine the proposed plan in terms of the principles in the Town's Comprehensive Plan for the east entranceway corridor.

Council Member Protzman thanked Mr. Perry and his staff for sharing site renderings and the proposed scale of different buildings on the site. He noted that the reality of restored meadows might be that some buildings would be set back on the meadow land areas. Council Member Protzman urged the applicant to provide the Council with more fully developed ideas and details for the area outside of the village center.

Stating that the Town's Comprehensive Plan was about goals, rather than absolutes, Council Member Evans said the east entranceway component of the plan was meant to serve as a guide for development, rather than rigid, inflexible rules. She noted that the plan contained the phrase "where practical and appropriate" in a number of places. Council Member Evans said she did not like strict definitions being used as development "stoppers".

Council Member Chilton said he concurred that a lot of the Town's Comprehensive Plan was about goals. Council Member Chilton also said he was attempting to determine whether or not the applicant had done everything possible to achieve the plan's goals. He suggested that the applicant consider the mix of uses in the development and compress the overall development area. Council Member Chilton also said he had some concerns about the number of intersections and potential impacts on NC 54. He expressed hope that it would be possible to connect the southwest portion of the property to Finley Golf Course Road and Friday Lane.

Council Member Chilton also requested that the applicant consider

having no driveway directly on to Meadowmont Lane. Mr. Perry said it was possible that Meadowmont Lane could serve as a residential street only, rather than a mass transit/light rail compatible corridor, if the Council wished.

Mayor Broun inquired whether it was feasible for this roadway to cross the Lloyd property. Mr. Perry said this would make it possible to tie the road into NC 54 at Friday Lane. Mr. Waldon added that the Thoroughfare Plan paid closer attention to tie-in points rather than a specific roadway alignment. Council Member Pavão inquired about the feasibility of locating the transit center closer to the village center. Mr. Perry said this could potentially be worked out in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Stating that there had been considerable joint discussions with the City of Durham and NCDOT in 1991 concerning the proposed roadway alignment, Council Member Brown said it would be necessary to reopen discussions if a new alignment were proposed. She inquired about the proposed intersection point on NC 54. Mr. Waldon said the conceptual alignment would be the intersection of NC 54 and Friday Lane. He added that all proposed alignments had been in this approximate area and crossed the Corp of Engineers property, consistent with the Thoroughfare Plan adopted by the Council and other parties.

Council Member Waldorf said she thought it was worth looking into the potential advantages of possible alignments to the east.

Mayor Broun said Meadowmont Lane would still be a significant road even without a school site. Mr. Perry said Meadowmont Lane would still be a minor connector road. Council Member Evans said the possible realignment would give access to the Lloyd property.

Council Member Brown asked whether it was correct that area developers would be responsible for building Meadowmont Lane/Laurel Hill Drive. Mr. Waldon said this was staff's understanding. He added that public funds would be used to build portions of the roadway such as the Corp of Engineers land. He added that the applicant could not be required to construct the portion of roadway on the Lloyd property. Mayor Broun suggested that the applicant examine the possibility of revising the roadway alignment plan. Council Member Pavão added that it was important to plan 25-30 years in advance for the transit center facility. Mr. Perry said these matters could be examined in concert with Town staff. Council Member Brown said she believed it would be a mistake to place driveways on to Meadowmont Lane, a main collector roadway.

Mayor Broun suggested that the applicant reexamine road alignment options and report back to the Council in the future.

Council Member Pavão said the applicant's proposal appeared to be consistent with the Council's sustainable development goals. Mr. Perry said although the proposed development was not totally in compliance with the sustainability report, a lot of the criteria were met, including providing potential employment opportunities along the Town's east entranceway corridor.

Council Member Waldorf said she sensed a difference on the Council about the level and placement of commercial development. She inquired whether it was correct that feeder neighborhoods would need to support proposed commercial development in Meadowmont. Mr. Perry said this was correct. He expressed optimism that a financially successful and socially responsible mixed-use development could be constructed on the site by the applicant.

Council Member Waldorf inquired which phases of the project would be completed first and why. Mr. Perry said residential development would occur first, followed by office and commercial development. He stated that there was a clear need for more retail space in the Town. Council Member Brown inquired which residential area would be built first. Mr. Perry detailed the specific area, generally in the southwest portion of the site. He stated that the area would have a mix of housing types including apartments, a congregate care facility, affordable housing, townhouse development, small cluster homes, medium and larger home sites.

Council Member Brown said the Council needed to carefully scrutinize developments along the NC 54 entranceway corridor. Mr. Perry said he hoped that the Town's Comprehensive Plan would provide sufficient flexibility to approve the proposed Meadowmont development plan. He expressed willingness to fine-tune the proposal in terms of pedestrian friendliness and other matters.

Council Member Evans requested that the applicant's follow-up report to the Council in the fall contain specifics for design guidelines for lots, buildings, parking, sidewalks, buffers, trees, screening and other items. Mr. Perry said although there was still some work to do in this matter, a lot of this information was contained in the original development application.

Council Member Capowski requested a clarification of how R-5-C zoning was initiated. Mr. Waldon reviewed the process, noting that R-5-C zoning would be in place following approval of the first special use permit for a project. Council Member Capowski inquired whether it was correct that development would have to conform to an approved master land-use plan. Mr. Waldon said this was correct.

Level of Development (Densities)

Mr. Perry said the amount of proposed office and retail square footage had been reduced by about 140,000 square feet since the original submittal. He stated that the current proposed office and retail square footage was at a minimal level to make the project viable. Mr. Perry also said there were many costs of the proposed mixed-use development which would not exist in a standard subdivision development application. Council Member Pavão inquired whether it was correct that the proposed 18 acre school site could accommodate forty or fifty home sites. Mr. Perry said this reflected a pure loss which could not be economically recovered.

Noting the importance of the provision of affordable housing, Council Member Capowski asked whether the applicant was willing to provide a breakdown of estimated selling prices for residential units. Mr. Perry said he would be pleased to provide this information to the Council. He added that joint efforts would be undertaken with the Orange Community Housing Corporation to attain affordable housing opportunities.

Mayor Broun inquired whether Council Members had any comments concerning street widths, especially the possibility of narrower streets. Council Member Evans said she hoped that roadways which would accommodate buses and bicycle lanes would be a little wider than other roads. Mr. Perry said he believed that narrower streets were more conducive to bicycling. He also stated that sidewalks would be provided on both sides of streets. Stating that the Council was not wedded to any particular street width, Mayor Broun said widths could be tied to individual need situations. Council Member Brown said it would be a good idea to have narrower streets, as outlined in the east entranceway portion of the Comprehensive Plan.

Mayor Broun suggested that the applicant review the proposed development plan and attempt to maximize pedestrian uses.

Council Member Brown said it was important for the applicant to examine possibilities to minimize the number of traffic signals and entrances on NC 54.

Council Member Waldorf suggested that the applicant continue to pursue the blending and clustering of housing prices and types.

Mr. Perry said efforts would be made to provide a high quality of life at the most affordable possible price.

Council Member Capowski inquired about traffic calming options if the Council approved a roadway connection between Pinehurst Drive and the proposed Meadowmont development. Mr. Perry said calming techniques could be explored. Council Member Capowski requested that the applicant consider scaling back the amount of proposed non-residential development.

Mr. Perry thanked the Mayor and Council for the deliberate and professional manner in which the development proposal had been handled this evening. Mr. Perry said he and his staff would make some adjustments to the proposed plan prior to the September 18th public hearing.

Mr. Waldon noted that Town advisory boards and commissions would review the proposal prior to the Council's September 18th public hearing.

Mayor Broun noted that the Council stood adjourned until its planning retreat on Saturday, August 26th. The meeting concluded at 9:08 p.m.