MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Greenways Commission

                        Glenn Parks, Chair

SUBJECT:       Development Application: Chapel Hill Library and Pritchard Park

DATE:             October 24, 2007

The Commission voted unanimously (5-0) to recommend adoption of Resolution A with the following additional recommendations:

• Additional bicycle parking should be provided near the lower library entrance.
• The Commission notes that stipulation #34 in Resolution A limits the amount of disturbance within the Resource Conservation District to a total of 17,500 square feet. The Commission notes that the future stream restoration project and the future extension of the greenway trail to Audubon Road would exceed that limitation. The Commission is concerned that even though these two projects are permitted uses within the Resource Conservation District the specific limiting language related to the number of square feet of disturbance allowed may prevent these projects from being built without future modification of the Special Use Permit.
• The paved path from Library Drive to the Library and beyond to Audubon Road should be designated an official part of the Greenways system.

In addition, three Commission members have individual recommendations:

Commission member Christine Berndt recommends that the parking along Library Drive be removed because of its impact on the visual qualities of the site and safety considerations related to pedestrian crossings of Library Drive.

Commission member Gary Galloway recommends that the parking along Library Drive remain as proposed because of the parking needs of the Library. He noted that moving the parking to other portions of the site would require additional clearing of trees.

Commission member Glenn Parks recommends only parallel parking along Library Drive, and no angled parking along the drive.

Commission members voting yes were:  Glenn Parks (Chair), Jim Earnhardt (Vice Chair), Christine S. Berndt, Mary Ann Freedman, and Gary Galloway   Absent: Mary Blake and Reed Huegerich  A quorum was present.