AGENDA #1

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:

Mayor and Town Council

FROM:

Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager

SUBJECT:

Public Hearings:  Northern Area Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Land Use Management Ordinance Text Amendments and Zoning Atlas Amendments

DATE:

November 12, 2007

 

PURPOSE

 

This cover memorandum discusses three related proposals regarding the recommendations of the Northern Area Task Force and the moratorium closure in the Northern Area of Chapel Hill:

 

  1. Proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan;
  2. Proposed amendments to the Land Use Management Ordinance; and
  3. Proposed Zoning Atlas Amendments.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On March 24, 2007, the Council created a Northern Area Task Force to provide advice on managing future development of the northern area, including establishment of a vision statement for the area; to prepare recommendations for the implementation of transit-oriented development along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Homestead Road, Weaver Dairy Road and Eubanks Road; and to develop recommendations on pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements throughout the study area.

 

On May 21, 2007, the Council enacted a temporary moratorium on development within the Northern Study Area. The moratorium will conclude on January 31, 2008.

 

On September 24, 2007, the Council received and referred (to selected Advisory Boards and Commissions and the Town Manager and Attorney) the Final Report of the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force as well as the Chapel Hill Northern Area Workshop: Transit Oriented Development Concept Plans, thanking the Task Force for the work.

 

On October 8, 2007, the Council called a Public Hearing for tonight to consider the following items:

 

  1. Amending the Comprehensive Plan to include:
    1. The Final Report of the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force;
    2. The Northern Area Workshop Transit Oriented Development Concept Plans, and
    3. An updated Land Use Plan, a component of the Comprehensive Plan, to identify the transit oriented development (TOD) opportunity sites identified by the Northern Area Task Force Report.
  2. Amending the Land Use Management Ordinance to allow for uses by right in the existing Mixed Use-Village (MU-V) zoning district; and
  3. Enacting Zoning Atlas Amendments for specific areas from Mixed Use-Office/Institutional-1 (MU-OI-1) to Mixed Use-Village (MU-V), or Residential-1A (R-1A), or Residential-1 (R-1), or Residential-2A (R-2A), or Residential-2 (R-2) zoning district.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The Northern Area Task Force Report includes a vision statement, goals and objectives to shape the type of development envisioned for the Northern Area and includes recommendations for future development in focus areas within the Northern Area. The focus area recommendations generally outline the preferred form and density of development and redevelopment.

 

We identified strategies at the October 8, 2007 Council meeting as possible actions to conclude the Northern Area moratorium and to begin implementation of the Northern Area Task Force recommendations. The possible strategies for concluding the moratorium included:

 

  1. Taking no action;
  2. Amending the Comprehensive Plan to adopt the Final Report of the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force as well as the associated Transit Oriented Development Concept Plans, as components of the Comprehensive Plan, and amending the Land Use Plan, a component of the adopted Comprehensive Plan, to identify the transit oriented development (TOD) opportunity sites in the Northern Area Task Force Report; and
  3. Rezoning selected properties in Area 1, Area 2, and Area 3 as indicated on the attached map and table (Attachments 4 and 5) in the accompanying memorandum.

 

My preliminary recommendation is to employ part of strategy two above as well as additional actions to implement the recommendations of the Northern Area Task Force. At this time I recommend the following:

 

1) Amend the Comprehensive Plan to adopt the Final Report of the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force without the associated concept plans; and

 

2) Identify the transit oriented development (TOD) opportunity sites in the Northern Area Task Force Report, on the Land Use Plan. I do not recommend general rezoning at this time.

 

I do not recommend amending Subsection 3.5.1(d)(2) of the Land Use Management Ordinance to permit uses by right in the Mixed Use Village (MU-V) zoning district.  This action would be necessary before rezoning properties as recommended by the planning staff. This action could now be deferred until Council receives further information because I am not recommending any rezonings. The attached memoranda provide additional detail regarding the items under consideration related to the moratorium closure for the Northern Area.

 

I believe that the incorporation of the Northern Area Task Force recommendations into the Comprehensive Plan and updating the Land Use Plan to include transit oriented development opportunity sites identified by the Northern Area Task Force Report are consistent with other Townwide initiatives to inform the Council’s discussion of transit-oriented development. Those other Town initiatives include the development of a Long Range Transit Plan and the pending findings of the Staff Higher Density Development Steering Committee regarding the implications of higher density development on Town services.  This incorporation into the Comprehensive also expands the basis for Council consideration of rezoning requests in the area after the moratorium is closed.

 

I believe the Community Design Commission recommendation to seek additional guidance, would better inform transit oriented development decisions. I believe that the Council would be well served to establish a committee, composed of advisory board members, whose charge could be to oversee development of transit oriented design guidelines and zoning districts. I think that setting a timetable for the committee to deliver results would be an important consideration. With committee recommendations in hand, the Council could then consider rezoning the transit oriented development opportunity sites to zoning districts specifically constructed for those properties.

 

The recommendations of such a committee could be considered by Council with existing goals and other planning efforts underway. Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are now finalizing a Long Range Transit Plan which will include the identification of transit oriented development sites intended to support the goal of increasing transit usage throughout the community. The Staff Higher Density Development Steering Committee will provide information on the services required for higher density development and the cost of those services.  Transit oriented development and increased transit use also support the Town’s commitment to reducing carbon production and greenhouse gases. 

 

NEXT STEPS

 

With these preliminary recommendations, we have identified the following steps for the Council’s consideration following closure of the moratorium:

 

  1. Review and consider adopting the Long Range Transit Plan. This work is underway and is expected to inform future transit oriented development decisions.
  2. Appoint a committee, composed of advisory board members, to oversee the work of a consultant to prepare transit oriented development design guidelines and zoning districts.
  3. Consider the work of the staff Higher Density Development Steering Committee to better understand the cost of service implications of transit oriented development.

 

Please refer to the attached memorandum, Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, for more detail regarding coordination with other planning efforts.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

I recommend that the Council take action on the attached three items related to the moratorium closure in the following order: 1) proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, 2) proposed amendments to the Land Use Management Ordinance, and 3) proposed Zoning Atlas Amendments.

 

My preliminary recommendations are as follows:

 

Comprehensive Plan Amendments: That the Council adopt the attached resolution to amend the Comprehensive Plan to include;

  1. The Final Report of the Chapel Hill Northern Area Task Force; and
  2. An updated Land Use Plan, a component of the Comprehensive Plan, to identify the transit oriented development (TOD) opportunity sites identified by the Northern Area Task Force Report.

 

Land Use Management Ordinance Amendments: That Council not enact the attached Ordinance to amend Subsection 3.5.1(d)(2) the Land Use Management Ordinance to permit uses by right in the Mixed Use Village (MU-V) zoning district; and

 

Zoning Atlas Amendments: That the Council make no zoning changes at this time.

 

Please see the attached three memoranda for additional discussion.