ATTACHMENT 6

 

Northern Area

Responses to Issues Raised by Citizens at the

November 12 and 19, 2007 Public Hearings

  1. Development of a process to analyze various levels of density and types of development in order to assess cumulative impacts on neighborhoods, the environment, services, and revenues. This could be best achieved by the use of currently available modeling tools.

    2. Comment: Please refer to the Key Issues section of attached memo.

  2. Establishment of an adequate public facilities protocol that insures that essential infrastructure is synchronized with development. This must include assessing whether there is sufficient water for an almost doubling of the population.

    3. Comment: Please refer to the Key Issues section of attached memo.

  3. Design of a financial model that balances costs and benefits of commercial and residential development resulting in a revenue neutral or even a revenue positive outcome.

    4. Comment: Please refer to the Key Issues section of attached memo.

  4. Creation of zoning alternatives that make available zones that work for a specific area.

    5. Comment: Please refer to the Discussion section of attached memo.

  5. Formation of planning guidelines which evolve from the current individual project review system to one that looks at an area comprehensively.

    6. Comment:  Please refer to the Key Issues section of attached memo.

  6. Take the necessary steps to obtain Rights of Way for the realignment of University Station Rd to a new Timberlyne entrance. This is a fundamental component of the Task Force vision. It must be coordinated with the D.O.T. WDR improvements.

    7. Comment: We recommend that the Northern Area Task Force Report be adopted as a component of the Comprehensive Plan. As a component of the Comprehensive Plan, Town staff can recommend that future development applications incorporate the roadway realignment. Future discussions and coordination with NCDOT are anticipated. Initial discussions have taken place with developers regarding the possible realignment of University Station Road.

  7. Take a census of mobile home park residents in order to establish a baseline number of affordable housing units that would be required to be replaced by new development.

    8. Comment: The approximate number of mobile home dwelling units in the Northern Area is 94, which are included in the focus areas studied by the Northern Area Task Force. We understand that the mobile home parks in the Northern Area provide a relatively high concentration of affordable dwelling units. The Comprehensive Plan encourages developers to provide 15% affordable housing for development proposals of 5 or more units. We recognize that development proposals that displace existing affordable housing may have an additional responsibility regarding consideration of replacement of the units.

  8. Begin the process of grant writing for Clean Water Management Trust Fund money to protect the Booker Creek headwaters.

    9. Comment: We do not recommend that the Town apply for a Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant. We believe that it is not an appropriate mechanism for protecting the headwaters of Booker Creek. Created in 1996 by the General Assembly, the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) makes grants to local governments, state agencies and conservation non-profits to help finance projects that specifically address water pollution problems. CWMTF will fund projects that (1) enhance or restore degraded waters, (2) protect unpolluted waters, and/or (3) contribute toward a network of riparian buffers and greenways for environmental, educational, and recreational benefits.

    Included in the Northern Area Task Force Report implementation steps was a recommended follow-up action that the Town make application for a CWMTF grant to acquire 300-foot easements along the perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams contained within the Altemueller property in order to protect the headwaters of Booker Creek.

    As shown on the attached map, the centerline of the perennial segment of stream on the Altemueller property coincides with the rear property lines of the homes on the northern end of Tremont Circle. A 300-foot easement, the maximum width eligible for funding under the CWMTF, extends beyond the Altemueller property boundaries to include Fire Station 4 northward and Northwoods single family homes to the south (area bounded by red line). Reducing the easement width and limiting it to only the north side of the stream would make the CWMTF grant application non-competitive as any demonstrable water quality benefits would be significantly negated by the Northwoods residential development located immediately on the south side of the stream segment and the surrounding urban development.

    It should be noted that any proposed development of the Altemueller property would have to comply with the Resource Conservation District (RCD) requirements contained in the Town’s Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO). The LUMO requires a 150-foot stream buffer along perennial streams and a 50-foot buffer along intermittent streams. The RCD stream buffer, also shown on the attached map, will provide a comparable amount of stream buffer protection as that under a potential CWMTF grant application.

    In conclusion, staff does not recommend pursuit of a CWMTF grant as it would not afford any more stream buffer protection than that provided by the Town’s RCD Ordinance. In making this assessment, Town staff did contact the CWMTF staff representative to discuss the grant program criteria and the existing stream buffer protection provided by the LUMO.

  9. Appoint citizens to a committee to monitor implementation of the NATF guidelines and recommendations. If the Task Force report is added to the Comprehensive Plan, this committee should make sure that ensuing development is consistent with it.

    10. Comment:  We do not recommend that the Council appoint a citizens committee for this purpose. We believe that the recommendations in the Key Issues section of the attached memorandum will provide appropriate oversight of implementation of Northern Area Task Force recommendations. In particular, we recommend that the Council appoint a committee, composed of citizen advisory board members, to oversee the work of a consultant to prepare transit oriented development design guidelines and transit oriented zoning districts. The work of this committee would be open to the public and all recommendations from the committee would be presented to the Council for public comment.

  10.  Keep development away from Interstate-40 corridor as the noise level emitted may be unhealthy.

    11. Comment: The Council could hire a consultant to study I-40 noise issues if Council desires. We do not recommend this action. We believe the adoption of the Northern Area Task Force Report and its associated recommendations will enable staff to work with developers to minimize the noise impacts on future residential development in proximity to the Interstate.