TO: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
FROM: J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director
Loryn Clark, Housing and Neighborhood Services Coordinator
SUBJECT: Coker Hills Neighborhood Conservation District Progress Report and Recess of Public Hearing
DATE: September 27, 2006
PURPOSE
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a progress report to the Council on the Neighborhood Conservation District activity in the Coker Hills neighborhood.
Adoption of the attached resolution would recess the Coker Hills Neighborhood Conservation District Public Hearing until March 5, 2007.
On March 7, 2005, the President of the Coker Hills Neighborhood Association petitioned the Council for establishment of a Neighborhood Conservation District. On March 29, 2005, the neighborhood submitted its formal petition with signatures from property owners to the Town Clerk. On June 15, 2005, the Council authorized the Town Manager to contract for services with Clarion Associates to prepare Neighborhood Conservation Districts for the Coker Hills neighborhood as well as the Greenwood, Morgan Creek/Kings Mill and Pine Knolls neighborhoods.
On February 21, and March 21, 2006, the Planning Board received public input from Coker Hills residents about the proposed Neighborhood Conservation District. Some residents who spoke in favor of the proposal noted that a Neighborhood Conservation District might help to preserve the current look and feel of the neighborhood. Some residents who spoke in opposition to the proposal objected to proposed standards with regard to setbacks, height limits, and floor area ratios. There was also some dissatisfaction expressed about the process of consideration of a Neighborhood Conservation District.
On May 10, 2006, Town Clerk received a valid and effective Protest Petition that was signed by owners of 33.7 percent of the land area in the Coker Hills neighborhood. The effect of the petition would require a three-fourths vote by Council to enact new zoning.
On May 15, 2006, an alternative recommendation was presented to the Council that proposed a minimum lot size of .6 Acres (26,000 Square Feet) and the condition that no additional land area would be needed to build an accessory apartment. Again, testimony from residents reflected support and opposition to the proposed Neighborhood Conservation District regulations and to the process that was used to develop the recommendations. The Council indicated that it would not take action on the Neighborhood Conservation District recommendation and requested that the staff provide a summary of options for future actions regarding the Coker Hills neighborhood.
On June 12, 2006, the Council considered the options for future actions regarding the Coker Hills Neighborhood Conservation District. Please refer to Attachment 1 for the June 12, 2006 Council Memorandum. The Council recessed the Public Hearing until tonight in order to give the neighborhood more time to work together. The Council requested that staff provide a point person for the neighborhood and that the Planning Board be included if the neighborhood took any future action. The Council also requested that the Town staff provide a progress report for tonight’s meeting.
DISCUSSION
On June 20, 2006, the Planning Board appointed Margy Campion to be the liaison between the Planning Board and the Coker Hills Neighborhood. Town staff person Rae Buckley is the Town point person for the neighborhood. Since June, Ms. Campion has met with numerous residents of the neighborhood. Ms. Campion is currently working with neighborhood residents to organize an acceptable meeting format and schedule that will allow residents to address the issue of whether to pursue a Neighborhood Conservation District for the Coker Hills neighborhood.
We believe there is still significant interest among the residents of Coker Hills in continuing to discuss a Neighborhood Conservation District for this neighborhood. In order to provide enough time for the residents to engage with each other and to present their wishes to the Planning Board for review, we recommend that the Council allow the neighborhood until the spring of 2007 to continue its work.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution to recess the Coker Hills Neighborhood Conservation District Public Hearing. The resolution would recess the Public Hearing until March 5, 2007.
ATTACHMENTS