ATTACHMENT 4
We believe that the following additional issues were raised during the January 8, 2007 Public Hearing:
1. Text Amendment: Some citizens raised concerns that the proposed text amendment to the Land Use Management Ordinance for the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) zoning district may allow higher intensity future development in that zoning district in general and more specifically in the proposed University Village development. This preliminary proposal is due to go to the Council for Concept Plan Review February 19.
Comment: The proposed Land Use Management Ordinance Text Amendment does not propose any changes to allowable floor area. The text amendment relates to the mix of use and would not permit greater intensity in the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) zoning district. It will change the mix of uses allowing a greater percentage of the total floor area to be residential, and we believe a more satisfactory mix of uses as they relate to traffic impact and trip generation. We believe this to be an improvement over the current mix of office and retail uses permitted in the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) zoning district which mandates 60% to 85% of the overall floor area as office development (Attachment 6).
Please refer to the accompanying item related to the Land Use Management Ordinance text amendment for the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) zoning district for additional information.
2. Sound and Air Quality: Citizens expressed concerns regarding the proposed residential units and their proximity to the I-40 in regards to its capacity to generate noise as well as degrade air quality.
Comment: There are no provisions in the Land Use Management Ordinance for excluding residential development from existing highway corridors, such as I-40, because of their potential to generate noise or degrade air quality. The proposed Residences at Chapel Hill North is located in the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) zoning district. Section 3.5 of the Chapel Hill Land Use Management Ordinance classifies the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) zoning district as a “Special District” and these “…are intended to provide for the coordinated development of office, commercial, and residential uses and their necessary support functions in the vicinity of key highway intersections and transit corridors in Chapel Hill.” We do not believe that the proximity of the proposed development to I-40 is unusual nor do we believe that the concerns expressed could be a basis for the Town to prevent potential residents from living at this location.
3. Stormwater and Traffic Data: A citizen asked about the validity of the data in the Stormwater Impact Statement and the growth factors used in the Traffic Impact Assessment model for Chapel Hill North.
Comment: Both the Stormwater Impact Statement and the Traffic Impact Assessment are prepared by professional engineers and sealed by the engineer. These data are analyzed by Town staff for their validity prior to attaching them to staff memoranda. The growth factors used in preparation of Traffic Impact Statements are calculated from the average daily traffic counts (ADT). ADT counts are conducted every two years by the Town and N.C. Department of Transportation on arterials and collector streets in Chapel Hill. Five to ten year period ADT counts are compared to obtain the average growth rate in some cases.
4. Comments Regarding the University Station Concept Plan: A number of citizens submitted comments related to the University Station Concept Plan proposal and the associated Land Use Management Ordinance Text Amendment application to change the allowable mix of uses in the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 zoning district.
Comment: Citizens will have an opportunity to comment on the University Station proposal, which is scheduled for Council Concept Plan review February 19, 2007. The proposal is separate from the Residences at Chapel Hill North Special Use Permit application currently before the Council. As noted above, the text amendment application relates to the allowable mix of uses in a mixed use development and would not allow any greater floor area than that which is currently allowed.