CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW SUMMARY MINUTES
COMMUNITY DESIGN COMMISSION
AUGUST 15, 2007, 7:00 P.M.

Chairperson Jonathan Whitney called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commissions attending the meeting were: Mary Margaret Carroll, George Cianciolo, Chris Culbreth, Gretchen MacNair, Laura K. Moore, Scott Nilsen, Glenn Parks, Amy Ryan, Jonathan Whitney (Chair), and Robin Whitsell. Staff members present were Senior Planner Kay Pearlstein and Administrative Clerk, Renee Zimmermann.

Chapel Hill Industrial Park, Lot #4 (File No. 9870-78-8402)

The Town has received a request for a Concept Plan Review which proposes construction and an earthen materials supply operation located at 7404 Millhouse Road. The site is located on the east side of Millhouse Road, approximately 350 feet north of Eubanks Road. The proposed project includes an 8,400 square foot office building with two loading bays, parking for 14 cars, outdoor storage for stone, sand, mulch, and top soil, and parking for earth-moving machinery. The 3.4-acre site is located in the Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) and Mixed Use-Residential-1 (MU-R-1) zoning districts, the Resource Conservation District, and is outside of the Town limits and within the Joint Planning Transition Area. The site is identified as Orange County Parcel Identifier Number 9870-78-8402.

CONCEPT PLAN PRESENTATION

Property owner Mr. Calvin Mellott and project engineer Steven Byrum made a presentation to the Commission.

CITIZEN COMMENTS

No citizens spoke on this development.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

Commissioner George Cianciolo asked what type of vehicles would be moving in and out of the site.
The applicant replied that delivery trucks carrying gravel, sand, and stone will be the main truck traffic on the site.
Commissioner Laura Moore was concerned about screening of the site and asked the applicant what kind of landscape buffers and screening were being proposed.
The applicant replied that he wanted his material products to be seen from the road and was not planning on additional screening.
Commissioner Moore asked if the Stormwater Management Plan had been reviewed.
The engineer for the project replied that the Stormwater Management Plan had not yet been submitted to the Town for review.
Commissioner Chris Culbreth thanked the applicant for providing the needed service to the community. He stated that he was interested in reviewing the building elevations when they were available.
Commissioner Glenn Parks asked what the building will look like and how many employees will be on-site.
The applicant replied that they were recycling a 22-foot by 62-foot wide utility building currently used on their Carrboro site. The applicant stated that approximately 10 employees will be on-site.

Commissioner Parks was interested in viewing the building elevations and encouraged the applicant to provide roof overhangs on the building.
Commissioner Amy Ryan believes that the use is compatible with the area however she expressed concern about the screening along Millhouse Road and in particular adjacent to the horse farm on the north.
Commissioner Robin Whitsell expressed concern with stormwater management and protection of the Resource Conservation District.
Commissioner Jonathan Whitney supported the use in this location.

SUMMARY

The Commission generally thought that the earthen materials supply operation was a compatible use with the surrounding area but were concerned about the amount of screening being proposed along Millhouse Road and between the property and the adjacent horse farm and about development close to the Resource Conservation District. The Commission wanted additional information on the proposed building and stormwater management for the site.