AGENDA #8
MEMORANDUM
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TO: |
Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager |
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FROM: |
J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director and David Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Coordinator |
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SUBJECT: |
Transmission of Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force Report |
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DATE: |
September 24, 2007 |
PURPOSE
This memorandum transmits the Final Report of the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force to the Town Council. Adoption of the attached resolution would receive and refer the Task Force report and addendum, for review and comment, to advisory boards and commissions, and the Town Manager and Attorney, and thanks the Northern Area Task Force for its work. Also attached for review is the Chapel Hill Northern Area Workshop: Transit Oriented Development Concept Plans, which summarizes the results of two workshops conducted by the Task Force and the consulting firm of Crosby, Schlessinger and Smallridge to develop conceptual transit oriented development plans for the four subareas of the northern area.
We will return to the Council on October 8 with a proposed schedule and options for follow-up actions for the Council’s consideration. We will propose a public hearing date for consideration of proposals for amendments to the Town’s Land Use Management Ordinance prompted by the Task Force Report.
BACKGROUND
On March 7, 2007, the Council held a work session to review development activity in the northern area of Chapel Hill.
On March 26, 2007, the Council considered a follow-up report outlining alternatives to address the issues raised at the work session. The Council took the following actions:
On April 23, 2007, the Town Council considered additional information concerning the implications on downzoning or rezoning developable property and enacting a moratorium.
On May 21, 2007, the Town Council enacted a moratorium on development within the Northern Study Area, which will cease on January 31, 2008.
DISCUSSION
The Task Force Report includes a vision statement for the Northern Area, goals and objectives to shape the type of development envisioned for the area and recommendations for focus areas within the Northern Area. The focus area recommendations generally indicate the preferred form and density of development and redevelopment.
As part of the process of working with the Task Force, the Town engaged consultants to prepare concepts for the development and redevelopment of the focus areas. The consultants worked with the Task Force in two work sessions to discuss and revise concepts. The Task Force Report includes recommendations drawn from the development of the conceptual plans but does not endorse the conceptual plans. The Task Force included the conceptual plans as an addendum to their report for illustrative purposes. Staff has prepared a separate report summarizing the development of those conceptual plans. Both reports are attached.
We are currently preparing preliminary options to address the matters raised by the Council at Public Hearings, April 23 and May 21, 2007, related to transit oriented development and associated design guidelines, and the Task Force recommendations. We will return to the Council on October 8 with options, and a proposed schedule, including a recommended Public Hearing date.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend the Council adopt the attached resolution referring the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force Report and the Chapel Hill Northern Area Workshop: Transit Oriented Development Concept Plans, for review and comment, to advisory boards and commissions, and the Town Manager and Attorney, and thanking the Northern Area Task Force for its work.
ATTACHMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (September 24, 2007)