REVISION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
A Report of the Chapel Hill Planning Board
October 3, 2006
Board Members:
Ruby Sinreich (Chair), George Cianciolo (Vice-Chair), Margaret Campion,
Tom Jensen, Nancy Milio, Gene Pease, James Stroud, and Judy Weseman
Former Members:
Tim Dempsey
Rebecca Boyles
PURPOSE
To identify for the Town Council potential changes to the Town of Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Comprehensive Plan is designed to manage change by setting a positive course for Chapel Hill’s future. The Plan articulates a vision and direction for the community. It suggests ways in which we can invest in our community and build value for the future. And, most importantly, the Plan focuses on specific actions that will help us achieve a desired future.
BACKGROUND
The Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan, adopted in May 2000, included provisions for ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The Plan also proposed that a major revision be undertaken five years after the adoption of the Plan. Advisory boards are being provided an opportunity to comment to the Planning Board on possible revisions to the Comprehensive Plan.
REVIEW PROCESS
On January 12, 2006, the Town Council endorsed a process for revising the 2000 Comprehensive Plan. The Council requested that the Planning Board oversee the process as outlined below:
- Request Town advisory boards review and comment on possible modifications to the adopted Comprehensive Plan. All comments and recommendations are to be forwarded to the Planning Board.
- The Planning Board is to review comments and recommendations from advisory boards. The Planning Board is to then prepare a recommendation to the Council, identifying areas for possible revision or new sections to be added to the Plan.
- The Council is to consider recommendations of the Planning Board for revisions to the Comprehensive Plan and receive public comment on the proposals. The Council may approve an outline highlighting sections to be revised or added to the Comprehensive Plan.
- The outline would be referred to the Planning Board and the Planning Board would initiate work on revisions to the Comprehensive Plan.
- The revised Comprehensive Plan would then be submitted to the Council for review and adoption.
TASK FOR ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
In the spring of 2006, the following advisory boards and commissions and committees were given the opportunity to review the Comprehensive Plan:
Active Living by Design Committee
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board
Community Design Commission
Greenways Commission
Historic District Commission
Million Solar Roofs Steering Committee
Public Arts Commission
Public Housing Program Advisory Board
Parks and Recreation Commission
Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board
Transportation Board
In addition the OWASA Board of Directors and the Downtown Partnership were given the opportunity to review the Comprehensive Plan.
The advisory boards and commissions, the committees, the OWASA Board of Directors and the Downtown Partnership were requested to review and comment on possible modifications to the adopted Comprehensive Plan. The request was to include any suggested modifications to the existing Plan, new information, new topics, and any new or revised implementation actions.
The following review materials were provided to facilitate the review:
- Description of Comprehensive Plan materials for review
- Chapter 2 “Major Themes” of the Comprehensive Plan 2000
- Summaries of adopted Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives, strategies and actions
- Action Plan Initiatives Summary Table
- Status List of Plan Actions
Please see Attachment 1-5 (review materials)
REVIEW COMMENTS
On July 31, 2006, the Planning Board reviewed the Plan and recommended the following matters be identified and addressed in a revised Comprehensive Plan:
- Tree protection on private property
- Transportation, Fiscal Equity and Environmental Resources associated with the UNC Carolina North development
- The Public Arts Contextual Master Plan
- Follow-up on the Plan measures of progress which are identified in the existing plan
- Define the community’s sense of downtown; define its characteristics, define terms such as “human scale” to assess whether downtown development proposals are appropriate.
- Review the Town’s strategy to provide affordable housing, consider additional strategies and actions
On August 15, 2006, the Planning Board reviewed the comments received from OWASA, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, the Greenways Commission, the Public Arts Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board.
MAJOR THEMES
The Comprehensive Plan identifies 12 existing major themes (not listed in order of priority):
Maintain the Urban Services/Rural Buffer Boundary
Participate in the regional planning process
Conserve and protect existing neighborhoods
Conserve and protect the natural setting of Chapel Hill
Identify areas where there are creative development opportunities
Encourage desirable forms of non-residential development
Create and preserve affordable housing opportunities
Cooperatively plan with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Work toward a balanced transportation system
Complete the bikeway/greenway/sidewalk systems
Provide quality community facilities and services
Develop strategies to address fiscal issues
Staff compiled the suggestions received from boards and commissions using these themes and additional themes identified by the boards and commissions. The proposition being that existing themes could be modified or expanded to address some suggestions and new themes added to address other suggestions.
The following lists the items and the elements identified by Boards and Commissions to date that relate to potential new or existing major themes.
SUMMARY OF SUGGESTED REVISION ARRANGED BY PLAN THEMES
The following lists the items and the elements identified by Boards and Commissions to date that relate to potential new or existing major themes. The Board recommends that the Town Council revise the Plan to provide discussion of new themes identified in bold below, with goals, objectives and strategies for bulleted elements, also to refine or expand discussion of existing themes identified in bold below, with discussion of and goals, objectives and strategies for bulleted elements.
1. New Major Themes
Provide discussion of new themes identified in bold below, with goals, objectives and strategies for bulleted elements:
Environmental Protection:
• Air quality
• Climate change, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse gases
• Tree protection
• Water quality
• Water resources:
· Protection
· Conservation and efficient uses of water resources
· Wastewater Treatment
• Stormwater management program:
· Reduce non-point source and point source pollution
· Meet federal and state regulations e.g., National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
· Integrate stormwater management planning and practices
· Reduce impacts of development
· Guidance for development design and mitigation, low impact design (LID) clustered development, minimize impervious surfaces.
Health Promotion:
• Active living through improved infrastructure, development, street and public space design, programs and promotion
• Promote healthful food consumption and access to healthy foods
• Smoking reduction
Sustainability:
• Objectives and strategies, encourage sustainable design and development
• Co-locate housing and jobs. Location efficient mortgages
• Relationship to affordable housing and preservation
• Transportation (alternate fuel buses, solar power infrastructure)
• Green building, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Guidelines and regulations for green buildings, energy efficiency and solar exposure
• Regional cooperation
• Downtown focus for commerce and retail
• Sustainable design and renewable energy focus for new housing and housing renovation Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Neighborhood Design (LEED-ND)
Public Art:
See Draft Public Art Contextual Plan
2. Existing Plan Themes
Refine or expand discussion of existing themes identified in bold below, with discussion of and goals, objectives and strategies for bulleted elements:
Maintain Urban Services/Rural Buffer Boundary:
• Collaborative planning with OWASA for sustainable development
Participate in the Regional Planning Process:
• Growth management, sustainable development
• Transit
• Walking and bicycling
• Watershed protection
• Stormwater management
Conserve and protect existing neighborhoods:
• Pros and cons, relationship to creating development opportunities
• Extend Local Historic Districts to National Register Districts
• The economic benefits of historic preservation to the Town
Conserve and Protect the Natural Setting of Chapel Hill:
• Importance of entranceway corridors
Creative Development Opportunities:
• Downtown characteristics
• Mixed-use
• Conservation developments,
• Sustainable developments
• Redevelopment and Infill development
· Opportunities and constraints, impacts, density and community character
· Transit Oriented Development
Encourage desirable forms of non-residential development:
• Developments which decrease dependency on non-renewable energy
Create and preserve affordable housing opportunities:
• Sustainable designs to provide affordable living costs, incorporate renewable energy sources
• Additional strategies and actions
Cooperatively Plan with UNC:
• Development of Carolina North:
· Interconnected with all plan themes, specifically transportation, environmental resources and fiscal equity
• Affordable housing
• Alternative transportation
• Stormwater programs and strategies off and on campus
• Environmental protection
Balanced Transportation System:
• Focus public transportation on mobility and access for all citizens and ages
• Increase efficiency, expanded system for Chapel Hill Transit
• Town wide walkability and connectivity in particular to public facilities
• Reducing dependence on non-renewable energy sources
• Promote, facilitate and incentivize alternate transportation
• Improve connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Improve walkabilty and bikeability of schools
• Measure accessibility in addition to mobility
• Work with NCDOT to promote walking and bicycling
Complete the bikeway/greenway/sidewalk systems:
Expand and connect systems to promote physical activity and health
Community Facilities and Services:
• Parks recreation, open space and greenways (see Master Plans)
• Recreation requirements for developments
• Continuous funding stream for maintenance of parks recreation, open space and greenways
Develop strategies to address fiscal issues:
• Incentives for green building and renewable industry
NEXT STEPS
This report completes Phase 2 of the process and schedule for revision of the Comprehensive Plan endorsed by the Town Council on January 12, 2006.
Phase 3 as envisioned is for the Council to consider recommendations of the Planning Board for revisions to the Comprehensive Plan and receive public comment on the proposals.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Planning Board believes that the matters identified by advisory boards and commissions amount to more than minor adjustments of the Comprehensive Plan. The Board believes that there should be additional opportunities for citizens to provide input at this review stage of the plan revision process. The Board recommends that there be two of three opportunities for citizens to provide input at a public forum with one of those being held on a weekend.