memorandum

to:                  Town Council

from:            Mayor’s Strategic Planning Committee:
                        Mayor Kevin Foy
                        Council Member Bill Strom
                        Council Member Ed Harrison
                        Council Member Sally Greene
                        Roger Stancil, Town Manager

subject:      Sustainable Community Visioning Task Force

date:            February 23, 2009

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide the Council a recommendation on how to move forward with a Sustainable Community Visioning Task Force as a means to advancing the Town’s strategic planning.. 

BACKGROUND

During the September 22, 2008 Business Meeting the Council asked the Strategic Planning Committee to initiate a community charrette along a transit corridor.  The Committee would base the corridor choice on background information provided by the Planning Department staff.  The Council asked that the Committee set the process in motion. 

The Committee met and discussed how best to move the plan forward successfully.  The Committee expressed concern about whether the Council should be driving this visioning process or whether it would be better if it was citizen driven.  The Committee also expressed concern that the Carolina North Development will take much of the Council and staff’s time over the next several months.   

DISCUSSION

One way for the Council to move this process forward is to create a special Citizen Task Force that would be supported primarily by an outside professional consultant.  Town Staff would support the professional consultant by providing relevant information and documentation as needed. The assumption that will guide the Task Force’s work is that future development in Chapel Hill should be designed and located in a manner that will support the Town’s goal of creating a sustainable community.

The Task Force would be charged to make recommendations to the Town Council regarding the design, timing, scale and appropriate location of higher intensity, mixed use, sustainable development along major transportation corridors in Chapel Hill.  The results of the Task Force’s report would complement the staff’s internal strategic planning focus.  In appointing members of the Task Force, the Committee looked particularly to develop a group that could bring fresh perspectives and diverse interests to the discussion. 

Composition of Task Force:

10 members:
2 Planning Board members (Chair plus another)
Community Design Committee (represented as Planning Board Chair)
Transportation Board member
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board member
Sustainability Committee member
Justice in Action Committee member
4 citizens at-large

Scope of Work for Consultant:

  1. Review growth projections for Chapel Hill and surrounding region with Committee.
  2. Review the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan and the land use findings and recommendations of the Chapel Hill Long Range Transit Plan and other relevant plans with the Committee.
  3. Develop a range of sustainable, transit supportive development prototypes appropriate for various locations along major transportation corridors
    1. Review best practices
    2. Assess the impacts of higher intensity, mixed use development on a range of topics, including sustainability and transportation.
    3. Assist Committee in development of a vision statement
  4. Engage the Chapel Hill community through a range of outreach efforts to both educate and gather public comment on the appropriate design and location for future development.
    1. 3 community workshops
    2. Develop interactive website/blog
  5. Prepare recommendations for the Town Council on design and location of future development (5-10 years).

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee recommends that the Council direct the Mayor to create a “Sustainable Community Visioning Task Force.” 

The Committee also recommends that the Council direct staff and the Mayor’s Strategic Planning Committee to begin the process of hiring a professional consultant to facilitate the Task Force’s work.