AGENDA #10

MEMORANDUM

TO:	Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
FROM:	J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director
	David C. Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Planning Coordinator
SUBJECT:	Draft Southwest Durham/Southeast Chapel Hill Collector Street Plan
DATE:	December 4, 2006

PURPOSE

This memorandum responds to comments and questions related to the draft Southwest Durham/Southeast Chapel Hill Collector Street Plan raised at the November 20, 2006 Council meeting. The attached resolution would provide the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee with recommendations on the draft Plan.

BACKGROUND

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization initiated the process to develop a collector roads plan for southwest Durham and southeast Chapel Hill. The purpose of the Plan is to assess the need for additional roadway connections in the study area to support the adopted 2030 Regional Transportation Plan and provide improved connectivity between existing and anticipated development. A draft Collector Street Plan has been prepared by Kimley Horn, Inc., under contract with the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has received the draft Plan and has requested that Chapel Hill and Durham provide comments and recommendations on the draft Plan.

The Council held a Public Forum on October 18, 2006 to receive comments. On November 20, 2006, the Council reviewed the issues raised at the Public Forum (Attachment 1) and discussed several alternate resolutions.

DISCUSSION

On November 20, 2006, the Council reviewed several alternate resolutions, including a proposal from Council Member Harrison (Attachment 2). The Council directed staff to revise the proposed recommendation to incorporate suggestions from Council Members and other recommendations. We have incorporated those considerations in the attached resolution.

The Council also requested clarification concerning the staff recommendation for coordination of connections of the collector network.  In 2003, the Town of Chapel Hill, City of Durham and Durham County executed an agreement establishing a courtesy review process for development proposals (Attachment 3). This agreement allows the administrative staffs of each jurisdiction to pursue cooperative efforts to coordinate long range plans and provide opportunities for review and comment for development proposals within the Joint Review Area. We believe that this agreement should be used to increase coordination between staff from Chapel Hill and Durham with regard to development proposals that are expected to implement the collector street plan. This coordination should focus on the final design of the collector street network and the timing of the connections to the existing street system.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff Recommendation:  We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution providing the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee with the following recommendations:

• The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee should direct Metropolitan Planning Organization staff to initiate a process to secure a combination of public and private funds to upgrade George King Road as a collector road which connects Ephesus Church Road to NC 54 east of the Chapel Hill limits.
• Staff from Chapel Hill, the City of Durham and Durham County should coordinate the implementation of the collector streets network, through the existing courtesy review agreement, to ensure that the design of the network provides multiple connections, discourages through traffic and includes adequate traffic calming features.
• The Metropolitan Planning Organization should provide funding from the Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation program to implement traffic calming, including bicycle and pedestrian improvements along existing streets that are part of the proposed collector street network.
• The Metropolitan Planning Organization should revise the Memorandum of Understanding to correct any inconsistencies between State statutes and the provisions of the Memorandum.
• The draft Collector Streets Plan should be revised to realign the proposed collector street crossing of I-40, south of US 15-501, to conform to the proposed fixed guideway crossing.

ATTACHMENTS

1. November 20, 2006 Council Memorandum (begin new page 1).
2. Council Member Harrison Resolution (p. 102).
3. Durham-Chapel Hill Courtesy Review Agreement (p. 104).