AGENDA #4b

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Consideration of Joint Planning Amendment to Adopt the Town’s 2000 Comprehensive Plan

 

DATE:             October 8, 2003

 

 

The attached resolution would approve changes in the land use designations on the Neville and Greene tracts and re-approve the Town Council’s recommendation to Orange County to adopt a Joint Planning Amendment to incorporate Chapel Hill’s 2000 Land Use Plan into the Joint Planning Land Use Plan.

BACKGROUND

 

• Chapel Hill adopted a new Land Use Plan in May, 2000, and asked its Joint Planning partners to change the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan for Chapel Hill’s Transition Areas to reflect the new plan.

 

• Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County held a Joint Public Hearing in the fall of 2000 for the purpose of making that change.

 

• Chapel Hill and Carrboro subsequently both approved the change.  The labels that each used to describe the Greene and Neville tracts were slightly different, although there was no substantive difference.

 

• The County Commissioners did not vote following the Joint Public Hearing, stating an interest in waiting until the multi-jurisdictional Greene Tract Work Group concluded its discussions.  That group finished its work last year.

 

• At a spring, 2003 Joint Public Hearing, this issue was discussed and all parties agreed that the staff would come up with draft language to assign to the Greene and Neville Tracts on the Joint Land Use Plan that could be commonly agreed to by all parties.  The idea would be to then send the item around one more time so that Chapel Hill and Carrboro could re-approve the proposal with identical language and the County Commissioners could vote.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The joint staffs have conferred on language that could be agreed upon by all parties. The language proposed is shown on the attached map, and is as follows:

*          Designation for the Greene Tract:  “Housing/Recreation/Open Space/County     Use”

            *          Label for the Neville Tract:  “Non-landfill County Use”

 

We believe these designations are consistent with prior actions of the parties in endorsing the work of the Greene Tract Work Group.  In addition, the Greene Tract designation is similar to that of the Town’s adopted 2000 Land Use Plan.  The Neville Tract designation would be changed from a “landfill” land use to the new designation of “Non-landfill County Use.”

 

NEXT STEPS

 

The Board of Orange County Commissioners is scheduled to consider this item on October 1, 2003.    Carrboro’s governing board is scheduled to consider this resolution on October 14, 2003.  The resolution would be effective when all parties adopt it.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend the Council adopt the attached resolution amending the Joint Planning Land Use Plan and Map.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1.            Map of Joint Planning Transition Area with Draft Revisions, October 8, 2003 (p. 4).

 

 

 

 

A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE JOINT PLANNING AREA LAND USE PLAN AND MAP (2003-10-08/R-4)

 

WHEREAS, Orange County, the Town of Chapel Hill, and the Town of Carrboro entered into a Joint Planning Agreement, dated September 22, 1987, as amended April 2, 1990; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Joint Planning Agreement, a Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan and Map were adopted on October 13, 1986, by all parties to the Joint Planning Agreement, and have since been amended on several occasions; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill’s Comprehensive Plan, which provides a framework for the future use of land within the Chapel Hill Joint Planning Transition Area (Northwest Area), was adopted by the Chapel Hill Town Council on May 8, 2000; and

 

WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan was the product of a two year planning process that involved numerous public officials, planners, and residents of the affected area and the Town; and

 

WHEREAS, the geographic area covered by the revised Comprehensive Plan Land Use Plan includes the Chapel Hill Joint Planning Transition Area as identified in the Joint Planning Agreement, which area is also covered by the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan and Map; and

 

WHEREAS, implementation of revisions to the Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Plan requires amendment to the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan and Map.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL, AND CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN HEREBY RESOLVE that the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan and Map be amended according to the attached map dated October 8, 2003, with the Greene Tract designated as “Housing/Recreation/Open Space/County Use,” and the Neville Tract designated as “Non-landfill County Use.” 

 

This resolution shall become effective upon adoption by the governing boards of Orange County, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro.

 

This the 8^th day of October, 2003.