AGENDA #4h

MEMORANDUM

TO:	Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
FROM:	J. B. Culpepper, Planning Director
	Gene Poveromo, Development Coordinator
SUBJECT:	Request for Expedited Processing Special Use Permit Modification Application for the Chapel Hill Public Library
DATE:	June 27, 2007

PURPOSE

Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize expedited processing of the Chapel Hill Public Library Special Use Permit Modification application.

BACKGROUND

On June 18, 2007, the Town Council received a petition and referred it to the Town Manager for review and recommendation.  The petition requests expedited processing of a Special Use Permit Modification application for the Chapel Hill Public Library.

Expedited processing grants priority status for review at every step of the process and grants priority status when being scheduled on agendas of advisory boards and the Town Council.  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 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.

We believe that this application meets the Council’s criteria for granting expedited processing.

DISCUSSION

Request:  The petition requests expedited processing status for a Special Use Permit Modification application. We understand the proposed project includes an expansion of approximately 37,000 square feet of floor area.  The proposal also includes approximately 120 new parking spaces.

The applicant’s request for expedited processing of the Chapel Hill Public Library indicated that the development will meet significant public objectives. 

Expedited Processing:  We follow the Council-endorsed criteria listed below in making recommendations to Council on request for expedited processing:

1. Recommend expedited processing only in cases where there is a public interest or public objective involved.
2. Recommend expedited processing only when a project that involves public interest would be harmed by following normal rules of procedures.
3. Recommend expedited processing in cases where an applicant has submitted evidence, as endorsed by the Town Council and provided in Attachment 3, that the applicant is actively pursuing the development of a project that will:
1. meet or exceed the LEED Silver certification; and
2. exceed the energy standards by 20 percent of ASHRAE 90.1-2004.
4. Avoid expedited processing in situations where other applications that do not carry this special status would be delayed.

Several development applications are currently working toward being placed on the Council’s Public Hearing schedule.  The impact of granting expedited processing for Chapel Hill Public Library is that one less space would be available on the Council’s schedule for which other applications are competing.

We believe that the proposal meets the objectives for public purpose in the criteria above for granting expedited processing status.  We recommend that the Council grant Expedited Processing Status for the Chapel Hill Public Library.

Projects that have been granted expedited processing are identified in Attachment 4.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff’s Recommendation: We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution.  Adoption of the resolution would grant expedited processing for the Chapel Hill Public Library, if the Council chooses to grant this request.

ATTACHMENT

1. Petition (p. 4).

2. Area Map (p. 5).

3. LEED Certification Criteria (p. 6).

4. List of Projects Granted Expedited Processing (p. 7).