AGENDA #4d

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

  SUBJECT:       Calling a Public Hearing for a Land Use Plan Amendment to Identify Locations of Potential School Sites

 

DATE:             April 26, 2004

 

 

 The attached resolution would call a public hearing for May 24, 2004, on a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan to identify locations of potential school sites.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On September 7, 2003, the Chapel Hill - Carrboro Board of Education approved goals for the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools Superintendent which included the following:

 

“10. Identify at least two additional potential school sites and take initial steps to acquire future school sites.”

 

School System staff have reviewed the existing sites identified on the Town of Chapel Hill Land Use Plan, and in collaboration with Orange County environmental resource staff, geographical information systems staff and the Town’s Planning Department, have explored the possibilities of other locations for school sites.

 

On December 18, 2003, the Board of Education approved the sites listed in Attachment 1 for submission to the Town Council for inclusion on the Land Use Plan and on January 12, 2004, the Town received a formal request to amend the Land Use Plan to show the sites listed. The list includes some existing and new sites and deletes some existing sites which are no longer available.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The Town of Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Council on May 8, 2000, designates potential school sites identified by the Chapel Hill - Carrboro Board of Education on the Land Use Plan.  As stated in the Plan:

 

“This designation will allow the School Board to reserve a school site when a subdivision application is submitted for approval, if the subdivision application includes part or all of a school site designated on the Land Use Plan. If the School Board decides to reserve a site, it will have 18 months from the date of final subdivision approval in which to acquire the property.”  (Page 63 Comprehensive Plan)

 

The Plan is based on section Section 4.6.13, Reservation of School Sites as set out in the Town’s Land Use Management Ordinance.

 

On June 23, 2003, at the Town’s request and in response to a petition from the Chapel Hill – Carrboro Board of Education, the State Legislature enacted legislation for the Town which extended the scope of reservation to other forms of development requiring approval as Site Plans, Special Use Permits or Special Use Permit modifications.

 

On September 22, 2003, the Town Council adopted sections 4.5.8 and 4.7.8, Reservation of School Sites, as modifications to the Land Use Management Ordinance to include these new provisions.  If the School Board desires to reserve a school site designated on the Town’s Land Use Plan, it will have 12 months from the date of final approval in which to acquire the property in the case of a Site Plan, Special Use Permit, or Special Use Permit modification.

 

The procedure for considering an amendment to the Land Use Plan to identify the revised locations of potential school sites identified by the Chapel Hill - Carrboro Board of Education includes calling a public hearing and receiving a recommendation from the Planning Board.   We also recommend referring it to Town advisory boards, who may wish to comment.

 

PROPOSED SCHEDULE

 

The following is a provisional schedule for consideration of the requested Plan amendment:

 

• Apr 26             Call a Public Hearing; refer to advisory boards and commissions.
• May 18            Planning Board
• May 24            Public Hearing
• June 14            Town Council Consideration of Amendment to Land Use Plan

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend the Council adopt the attached resolution calling a hearing for May 24, 2004, on a proposed land use plan amendment.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1. Letter from Chapel Hill – Carrboro City School System, January 8, 2004 (p. 4).

 

 

A RESOLUTION CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE LAND USE PLAN TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SCHOOL SITES (2004-04-26/R-4)

 

WHEREAS, the Town Council has designated school sites on the Town’s Land Use Plan in the 2000 Comprehensive Plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education has requested that the Council consider an amendment to the Land Use Plan to add sites to the Plan and delete sites from the Plan;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby calls a public hearing for May 24, 2004, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, 306 N. Columbia Street, to consider an amendment to the Land Use Plan to identify potential school sites.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council refers this proposal to the Planning Board for a recommendation, and to other Town advisory boards for comment should they desire.

 

This the 26^th day of April, 2004.