AGENDA #5e

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            Delores Bailey, Chair, Northside Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee

 

SUBJECT:       Status Report on Development of Recommendations for a Neighborhood Conservation District for the Northside Neighborhood

 

DATE:             September 22, 2003

 

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Council with a status report of the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee’s activities to date.  The Northside Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee has been meeting since May 19, 2003, to develop recommendations for a Neighborhood Conservation District for the Northside neighborhood. 

 

Please see Attachment 1 for the Land Use Management Ordinance regulations for a Neighborhood Conservation District. 

 

BACKGROUND

 

On April 14, 2003, the Sykes Street Steering Committee, consisting of community organizations and residents of the Northside neighborhood, provided the Council with a recommended Neighborhood Conservation District Committee composition and proposed list of members to serve on the Committee (please see Attachment 2).

 

Also on April 14, 2003, the Council adopted a resolution that: (1) authorized the formation of a Northside Neighborhood Conservation District Committee; (2) adopted a charge for the Committee; and (3) established the boundaries of the study area (please see Attachment 3).

 

The Committee held its first meeting on May 19, 2003, and continues to meet the first and third Thursday of each month.

 

DISCUSSION

 

To make certain that all members had a common understanding of the neighborhood’s goals, at an early meeting the Committee discussed and developed a Vision Statement (please see Attachment 4).  The statement expresses the Committee’s goal of ensuring that the Northside neighborhood continues to be a neighborhood.

 

To date, the Committee has agreed to some key recommendations for the Neighborhood Conservation District (please see Attachment 5).  The recommendations are:

 

  1. No duplexes in the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District;
  2. No more than four (4) unrelated persons may reside in one unit;
  3. Restrict front-yard parking to 40% of the front-yard;
  4. Notify owners within 1000 feet in the case of Zoning Compliance Permits that involve a change in floor area or a garage; and
  5. No owner notification requirement for building permits.

 

The Committee will continue to discuss the remaining standards indicated on the worksheet as required by the Land Use Management Ordinance at its subsequent meetings.  Please see Attachment 6 for the schedule for development of the Neighborhood Conservation District.    

 

The Committee also discussed several issues that are not zoning issues, but are important to the residents of the Northside neighborhood and members of the Committee.  These issues include:

 

  1. On Street Parking – Residents on the Committee expressed their concerns about off-street parking and the Town’s residential permit process.  It was discussed that the residents of a street currently have the ability to petition the Council to restrict parking on their street.  The group concluded that the final report to the Council would include a statement that the Committee supports a more aggressive information sharing process on the Town’s parking ordinances to educate neighbors about established regulations.
  2. Enforcement – The Committee is concerned about how the Town would enforce the regulations of the Neighborhood Conservation District.  We want to be sure that once the Neighborhood Conservation District is in place, the Town will make every effort to obtain compliance with all regulations.
  3. The Town’s Notification Process – The Committee raised concerns about the process used for notifying property owners about new development.  Residents would like to be more informed about development that occurs in our neighborhood.  Our preliminary recommendation includes notification of owners within 1000 feet for Zoning Compliance Permit applications for a change in floor area or garages. 

 

Once the draft regulations of the Neighborhood Conservation District are developed, the Committee will discuss these issues and present its final recommendations to the Council. 

 

Attachments 7 through 9 contain maps of the neighborhood that the Committee has discussed over the past several months. 

 

NEXT STEPS

 

The next meeting of the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, 2003, at 6:30 p.m.  We invite members of the Council to attend this meeting. 

 

The Planning Board is scheduled to review the final recommendations for a Northside Neighborhood Conservation District on October 21, 2003.  The Committee is scheduled to return to the Council on November 24 with their recommendations. 

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1.            Land Use Management Ordinance Excerpt on Neighborhood Conservation Districts      (p. 4).

2.            April 14, 2003 Memorandum to the Mayor and Town Council from the Sykes Street Steering Committee (p. 9).

3.            April 14, 2003 Memorandum to the Mayor and Town Council regarding the Process for Development of a Neighborhood Conservation District for the Northside Neighborhood (p. 13).

4.            Draft of Northside Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Board Vision Statement (p. 21).

5.            Zoning Worksheet (p. 22).

6.            Schedule for Development of Northside Neighborhood Conservation District (p. 25).

7.            Map of Northside Neighborhood Area with Conservation District Boundary (p. 27).

8.            Map of Northside Conservation District Range of Property Sizes by Acre (p. 28).

9.            Map of Northside Lots Grouped by Minimum Square Footage for Single Family or Duplex Units / Northside Vacant Lots Grouped by Minimum Square Footage for Single Family or Duplex Units (p. 29).