AGENDA #11b(1)
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Petition: Request for Expedited Processing for the Southern Community Park
DATE: February 23, 2004
This memorandum is a petition from the Manager requesting expedited processing for the Southern Community Park project.
In 1986 and 1989 Chapel Hill voters approved Parks bonds, portions of which were used to purchase the Southern Community Park property.
In 1997 Orange County voters approved the sale of Parks bonds that included $1,000,000 designated for the Southern Community Park. Approximately $100,000 has been spent for development of the athletic/soccer field at Scroggs Elementary School. About $100,000 has been spent or committed for environmental assessment, development of the park conceptual plan, and preparation of the park Special Use Permit application. In 2001 Orange County voters approved issuance of additional Parks bonds that included $2,000,000 designated for the Southern Community Park.
The Town Council appointed the Southern Community Park Conceptual Plan Committee in July 2000. On March 25, 2002, the Town Council adopted the Report of the Southern Community Park Conceptual Plan Committee and directed the Town Manager to prepare an implementation plan. The Board of Orange County Commissioners adopted the park Concept Plan on March 5, 2003.
In 2003, the Council and the Board of Orange County Commissioners agreed to a process for developing projects using Orange County bond funds. The process includes use of a Project Planning Committee comprised of two members each of the Council and of the Board of County Commissioners to address both the Southern Community Park and the Homestead Park projects. The Project Planning Committee has been meeting since March 2003.
Project Description: The Southern Community Park Conceptual Plan includes a mix of active and passive amenities. As proposed about 65% of the park would be left in a natural state and served by trails. The remaining 35% would be developed with:
Additional space would be reserved for:
Costs and Benefits of Expedited Processing: We believe that the primary benefit derived from expedited processing would be time savings. We predict a project timeline of approximately 2 ½ years from the date the Special Use Permit application is submitted to opening. Any number of factors could delay the project further. It would not be unusual for this process to take 3 ½ years or longer to complete. If the Council does not grant expedited processing we would expect the process to take at least 4 months longer to complete.
The primary cost related to granting expedited processing for this project would be to potentially delay other projects that have not been granted expedited processing.
If the Council accepts and refers this petition to the staff we will prepare a report and a recommendation for a future Council meeting.
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council accept and refer this petition to the staff for analysis.
ATTACHMENTS
1. List of Projects Granted Expedited Processing (p. 3).
2. Conceptual Plan (p. 5).
List of Projects Granted Expedited Processing
February 9, 2004
After receiving staff recommendations based on these criteria, since 1993 the Council has approved expedited processing for:
Ø Intimate Bookshop,
Ø Erwin Village Subdivision,
Ø Ruth Faison Shaw Museum,
Ø Chapel Hill Public Library,
Ø Chapel Hill Public Housing,
Ø Culbreth Park Subdivision,
Ø East Chapel Hill High School,
Ø Orange County Southern Human Services Center,
Ø Hargraves Gymnasium addition,
Ø Transitional Housing on Clark Road,
Ø Chapel Hill Day Care at Southern Village,
Ø Bolin Creek Greenway Phase II,
Ø Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Transportation Center,
Ø WUNC Tower request,
Ø Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center,
Ø Pavilion,
Ø Southern Village Elementary School,
Ø Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity,
Ø Neville Tract,
Ø McDade House relocation,
Ø Freedom House,
Ø Orange Community Housing Corporation Scarlette Housing,
Ø Kenan Stadium Expansion,
Ø UNC Co-generation Facility Boiler Replacement,
Ø Chapel Hill Internal Medicine,
Ø Midway Business Center,
Ø Carol Woods Retirement Community (for Village Charter School use),
Ø University Mall Redevelopment,
Ø Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House,
Ø Greene Tract rezoning,
Ø Manley Estates Housing,
Ø University Fraternity and Sorority applications (sprinkler projects),
Ø Carol Woods Retirement Center (for day care addition, dining hall expansion and new units),
Ø Church of the Holy Family Expansion,
Ø Eastwood Lake Project,
Ø Chapel Hill Pediatrics,
Ø UNC Airport Drive Office Building,
Ø Rams Plaza Renovations,
Ø Meadowmont School/Park,
Ø Meadowmont Wachovia Bank,
Ø Orange County Landfill,
Ø Rosemary Street Mixed Use Development,
Ø Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center,
Ø Rusch Road Habitat for Humanity Subdivision,
Ø Village Plaza Shopping Center,
Ø Meadowmont Hilltop and Greenway Condominium,
Ø Empowerment, 229 North Graham Street,
Ø Red, Hot and Blue Restaurant at Village Plaza,
Ø UNC Print Services,
Ø Town of Chapel Hill Operation Center,
Ø Eastgate Shopping Center gas station conversion, and
Ø Village Plaza Theater Modification.
Requests for this special application processing by East Franklin Car Care, Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, an application for parking and refuse facilities at 317 W. Rosemary Street, The Franklin Hotel, Eastowne 501 Office Building, and Avalon Park Subdivision were not approved by the Town Council.