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to: |
Mayor and Town Council |
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from: |
Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager |
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subject: |
Public Hearing: Land Use Management Ordinance Text Amendments Higher Density Residential Zoning Districts and Resource Conservation District Floor Area Ratios |
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date: |
March 10, 2008 |
PURPOSE
Tonight, the Council considers an application from Ram Development for a Land Use Management Ordinance text amendment. The application from Ram Development proposes the creation of a higher density residential zoning district. During the planning staff’s consideration of the applicant’s proposal to create a new higher density residential zoning district, they proposed additional higher density residential zoning districts. They also viewed this application as an opportunity to increase the floor area ratios in the Resource Conservation District. Those additional proposed changes to the Land Use Management Ordinance are included in this memorandum.
Tonight’s Public Hearing has been scheduled to receive public comment about the proposed text amendments. The purpose of this cover memorandum is to provide some general background information, to comment on reasons the Council might consider these text amendments and to forward my preliminary recommendation.
BACKGROUND
In February 2007 the Town received a Special Use Permit application from Ram Development Company for the Residences at Grove Park. The applicant also submitted an application for a Land Use Management Ordinance text amendment for the following reasons:
The applicant’s proposal includes the creation of a new residential zoning district that would accommodate the proposed higher floor area and higher density.
In addition to this particular application proposing higher residential zoning districts, the community, Council, and staff have been engaged in much conversation concerning future development in Chapel Hill. Discussions over the previous 9 to 12 months have included the development of Carolina North, opportunities for alternate modes of mass transit, energy management and carbon reduction, other higher density and mixed-use developments and projected growth in population and employment. Associated actions include the enactment of a temporary moratorium in the northwest area, University-Council discussions on Carolina North, an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to include the Northern Area Task Force Report and the enactment of a higher density Town Center zone allowing for Greenbridge and the Lot 5 project.
The Council and staff have recently begun a process to synthesize the results from the January 2008 Council Retreat into a strategic planning document. The objective is to create a document that would give guidance to staff in the short term on the Council’s priorities and provide a framework for the Mayor and Council’s interest in a longer term testing of assumptions used in making land use and development decisions. A Council work session on this matter was held on February 27, 2008. A dilemma for the Town is the appropriate manner in which to address development applications while the Council’s interests in longer term development occur.
DISCUSSION
Although there is much on-going discussion concerning future land development, and a great deal of work remains with respect to determining appropriate growth and managing that growth in the best interests of the community, we believe the Council should consider the applicant’s text amendment proposal. We believe that the proposed ordinance for higher density residential zoning districts provides a useful planning tool that can help the Council implement some of the themes of the 2000 Comprehensive Plan including: working towards a balanced transportation system, creating affordable housing opportunities, identifying areas of creative development opportunity, and developing strategies to address fiscal issues.
The proposed Ordinance creating the new zoning districts does not rezone any properties within the Town’s planning jurisdiction. Its adoption would permit a property owner within the Town’s planning jurisdiction the opportunity to submit a rezoning application for Council’s consideration. With respect to the ordinance amending the Resource Conservation District floor area ratios, upon adoption, the change to floor area ratios would apply to all existing properties with RCD. We anticipate that amended ordinance will only affect multi-family and non-residential developments which is encumbered by a Special Use Permit and which therefore would require Council action in order to allow additional floor area.
MANAGER’S PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION
The proposed Land Use Management Ordinance Text Amendment would create new higher density residential zoning districts and increase the floor area ratios in the Resource Conservation District. The Council would control where the zoning districts may be applied.
I believe the proposed changes to the Land Use Management Ordinance would benefit the community by: 1) creating options for Council’s consideration with respect to higher density residential development; 2) allowing more options for higher residential density and thereby create a greater mix of housing types including affordable housing; and 3) continuing to protect the environmental sensitive Resource Conservation District by maintaining the current limits on land disturbance and impervious surface limits in this overlay district.
My preliminary recommendation is that the Council enact the attached Ordinances [Ordinance A (PDF), Ordinance B (PDF)] approving the proposed Land Use Management Ordinance text amendments.