CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW SUMMARY MINUTES

COMMUNITY DESIGN COMMISSION

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2007, 7:00 P.M.

 

Chairperson Jonathan Whitney called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commission members present were Mark Broadwell, Mary Margaret Carroll, Laura K. Moore, Amy Ryan, and Jonathan Whitney (Chair). Absent: George Cianciolo, Chris Culbreth, Kathryn James, Ade MacGregor, Gretchen MacNair, Scott Nilsen, Glenn Parks, and Robin Whitsell. Staff members present were Kay Pearlstein and Renee Zimmerman.

CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY EXPANSION

(File 9789-93-0456)

   The Town has received a request for review of a Concept Plan Proposal for expansion to the Chapel Hill Public Library located at 100 Library Drive near the intersection of E. Franklin Street and S. Estes Drive. 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 34.25-acre site is located in the Residential-1 (R-1) zoning district and the Resource Conservation District. The site is identified as Orange County Parcel Identifier Number 9789-93-0456.

CITIZEN COMMENTS

 

No citizens spoke on this item.

 

COMMUNITY DESIGN COMMISSION COMMENTS/QUESTIONS

 

  1. Commissioner Mark Broadwell wanted to see the proposed architecture associated with the current architecture, especially with roof lines on the south side. The applicant replied that the Library Committee had reviewed several options for architecture and wanted a different statement from what was currently there. The Library Committee supported opening up the southern façade.

    2. Commissioner Broadwell wanted to know if the inside of the reference collection area was proposed to be elevated. The applicant replied that is was planned to be more open.

    Commissioner Broadwell thought pedestrian and bicyclist access to the library was hampered with the design and suggested an entrance closer to the street. He thought the entrance was auto-oriented that that many of the patrons would not have cars.

    The applicant stated that they were considering entrances off the computer class areas for students to enter the computer rooms without going through the library.

  2. Commissioner Amy Ryan liked the “tucking-in” of the building and the openness of the building to the Resource Conservation District. She liked the options available with the outdoor areas for different uses.

    3. She expressed her dislike for the proposed shop in a civic space. She believed that marketing and selling was misplaced in a library and should not be included.

    She supported the teen space but doesn’t think the area should be accessed through the children/toddler book section.

    She asked if the building was proposed to be “Green.”The applicant replied that it would be Silver LEED as required by the Town for civic projects. 

    Commissioner Ryan did not like the parking spaces proposed down-hill from the front entrance. She thought that walking uphill with books and children was not a good design. She supported the use of drop boxes for book returns.

  3. Commissioner Laura K Moore liked the integration of the building and the site. She did not like the front door location and wanted to see a wide pedestrian sidewalk to the entrance. She thought that the vehicular parking should be more compact and that the front entrance drop-off was not going to function well, everything seemed to be too tight. She believed that a northern entrance could be dark and that perhaps an eastern-facing entrance could be lighter and more pleasant. She liked the handicapped parking within the drop-off area.
  4. Commissioner Mary Margaret Carroll supported well-located drop-off boxes as an alternative for book returns. She also did not like the shop within the library and wanted to keep the library for books and not marketing. She thought the sale of used books might be better.
  5. Commissioner Jonathan Whitney liked the sandwiching of the two proposed additions and thought that the view coming up Library Lane was improved over the service area currently seen. He liked the public areas and the additional meeting area.

    6. He hoped that the beautiful views from inside the building to the outside would be maintained.

    He suggested a shuttle from the down-hill parking lot to the front entrance.

    He liked the model and the ability to use it as a study of the site.

Prepared for:    Jonathan Whitney, Chair

Prepared by:     Kay Pearlstein, Staff