AGENDA #4b
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response to Petition Regarding Rusch Hollow Expedited Review
DATE: March 6, 2006
PURPOSE
On February 27, 2006, the Town Council received the attached petition from Ms. Susan Levy, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity that requests expedited processing. The petition was referred to the Town Manager for review and recommendation.
Adoption of the attached resolution would grant expedited processing of the application. We recommend adoption.
BACKGROUND
On November 10, 2003, the Town Council approved a Special Use Permit and Zoning Atlas Amendment for Rusch Hollow Subdivision. The permit authorized the construction of a multi-family residential development containing 12 single-family dwelling units, one duplex, and one triplex on 3.2-acres. The 12 single family dwelling units are all nearing completion.
EXPEDITED PROCESSING
Expedited processing grants priority status for review at every step of the process and priority scheduling on agendas of advisory boards and the Town Council. A Zoning Atlas Amendment application or 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 Council 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.
DISCUSSION
Rusch Hollow Request: The petition requested expedited processing status of Zoning Atlas Amendment and Special Use Permit Modification applications. Habitat for Humanity has acquired property on Rusch Road that is adjacent to the existing Special Use Permit and would like to add it to the Rusch Hollow Subdivision. The applications propose to expand the boundary of the R-SS-C zoning district and the associated Special Use Permit to increase the size of the development by approximately 10,000 square feet and construct the previously approved triplex on an expanded lot #3. The applicant indicates that the additional land area would enhance the spacing for the triplex and improve the overall quality of the subdivision design. The applicant is proposing no other changes to the original Special Use Permit. The 3.2-acre site is located on the east side of Rogers Road between Purefoy Road and Rusch Road.
Expedited Processing: We follow the Council-endorsed criteria listed below when making recommendations to the Council on requests for expedited processing:
Several development applications are currently working toward being placed on the Council’s Public Hearing schedule. The impact of granting expedited processing for the Rusch Hollow Subdivision is that one less space would be available on the Council’s schedule for which other non-expedited applications are competing.
We believe that the proposal meets the objective for public purpose in the three criteria above for granting expedited processing status. The applicant has identified public objectives as the provision of affordable housing. Projects that have been granted expedited processing are identified in Attachment 1.
Formal applications have not yet been submitted to the Town. The rezoning application must also be approved by Orange County as the property is located in the Joint Planning Transition Area. We recommend that the Council grant Expedited Processing Status for the Rusch Hollow Subdivision applications.
RECOMMENDATION
Manager’s Recommendation: We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution. Adoption of the resolution would grant expedited processing for the Rusch Hollow Subdivision applications, if the Council chooses to grant this request.
ATTACHMENTS