AGENDA #5b

 

MEMORANDUM

 

 

TO:                Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:          W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:     Information Report: Citizen Petitions Regarding the Development of the Horace Williams Property (Carolina North)

 

DATE:           April 26, 2004

 

 

This memorandum follows up on citizen petitions submitted to the Town Council regarding the development of the Horace Williams property.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On March 1, 2004, the Council held a Public Forum on the Principles, Goals and Strategies for the Horace Williams Property (Carolina North) report prepared by the Horace Williams Citizens Committee with input from the Council.

 

On March 22, the Council adopted a resolution which:

 

·        Accepted the report for use as a guide in future discussions with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;

 

·        Authorized the Mayor to transmit the report to the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees of the University; and,

 

·        Stated that the Council “will carefully review each of the recommendations and questions, including those presented by the two petitioners at the March 22^nd meeting, to determine which ones require further work and a process to perform that work.”

 

On April 14, 2004, the Council received a third citizen request related to the Council’s involvement in the University’s plans for the Horace Williams property.

                                                                                   

The three requests from citizens submitted to the Council on March 22 and April 14 are included as Attachments 1, 2 and 3. We also have attached follow-up e-mail correspondence related to the citizen requests (see Attachments 4 and 5).

 

On April 14, the Council adopted a resolution that “directs the Council and Town staff to be extremely cautious with the allocation of Town resources toward the proposed Carolina North project until UNC, UNC Hospitals, and the Legislature have resolved the status of the airport” (please see Attachment 6).

 

CONCLUSION

 

Following up on the citizen requests would require substantial staff time. In response to the Council’s April 14, 2004, resolution directing the Council and Town staff to be “extremely cautious” in terms of involvement on planning for Carolina North until after the status of the airport is resolved, we plan on taking no further action on these petitions at this time.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1. Request submitted to the Council by Barnes Bierck on March 22, 2004 (p. 3).
2. Comments from the Coalition of Neighbors Near Campus submitted to the Council on March 22, 2004 (p. 6).
3. Request submitted to the Council by Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth on April 14, 2004 (p. 7).
4. March 23, 2004 e-mail from Barnes Bierck (p. 8).
5. April 5, 2004 e-mail from Barnes Bierck (p. 10).
6. Council Resolution Adopted April 14, 2004 (p. 11).