AGENDA #4d

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Request for Expedited Processing of Special Use Permit Modification for the Proposed Southern Orange Senior Center

 

DATE:             September 27, 2004

 

 

The attached petition was submitted to the Town Council on August 18, 2004, regarding expedited processing for a Special Use Permit Modification application for the Southern Orange Senior Center proposed at the Southern Orange Human Services site on Homestead Road.  The petition was referred to the Town Manager for recommendation and review.  The attached resolution would grant expedited processing status for this Special Use Permit Modification when it is submitted.  We recommend adoption of the attached resolution.

 

BACKGROUND

 

Expedited processing grants priority status for review at every step of the process, and grants priority status in being scheduled on agendas of advisory boards and the Town Council.  A Special Use Permit Modification would normally take nine months to a year to be reviewed by all the required boards and commissions and to be heard at a Public Hearing.

 

Following approval, an application normally takes four to five months to obtain approval of detailed construction drawings and final plans, prior to obtaining a Building Permit.  The review process is often long because of the breadth and depth of review and analysis, and because many projects are usually being reviewed at any given time.

 

Of thirteen (13) applications currently seeking Town Council approval, six (6) have expedited processing status.  The following current applications awaiting Council review, have previously been granted Expedited Processing:

 

·            Eastgate Shopping Center – Starbucks (Expedited Processing granted November 10, 2003);

·            229 North Graham Street – EmPOWERment Zoning Atlas Amendment and Special Use Permit (Expedited Processing granted September 23, 2002);

·            Southern Community Park Special Use Permit (Expedited Processing granted March 22, 2004);

·            Homestead Park Aquatic Center Special Use Permit Modification (Expedited Processing granted March 22, 2004);

·            Holy Trinity Church Special Use Permit (Expedited Processing granted May 24, 2004);

·            OWASA I-40 Booster Pump Station Special Use Permit (Expedited Processing granted June 30, 2004).

 

The following active applications awaiting Council review do not have expedited status:

 

·            Chapel Watch Zoning Atlas Amendment and Special Use Permit;

·            Montclair Subdivision;

·            Chancellor’s View Cluster Subdivision;

·            The Farm Special Use Permit;

·            Montessori School Special Use Permit;

·            Wilson Assemblage Special Use Permit;

·            Chapel Hill North Special Use Permit.

 

Fourteen (14) other applications that are in Final Plan review have recently been approved by the Town Council.  Of these fourteen (14) applications that have been approved by the Town Council, eight (8) have expedited processing status.  In total, of the applications both seeking approval and that have been approved by the Council, fourteen (14) of the 27 applications have expedited processing status.

 

We believe that this application meets the Council’s criteria for granting expedited processing; however, because of the other 14 applications previously granted such status, there will likely not be much shortening of the review time for this project if expedited processing is granted.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Request:  The petition request expedited processing status of a Special Use Permit Modification.  We understand the application is proposing to construct the Southern Orange Senior Center at the County’s facility on Homestead Road.  The applicant is requesting Expedited Processing in order to complete the new Senior Center prior to the lease termination at the existing facility on Elliott Road.  We have not received a Special Use Permit application.

 

Expedited Processing:  We follow Council-endorsed the criteria listed below in making recommendations to Council on request for expedited processing:

 

  1. Recommend expedited processing only in cases where there is a public interest or public objective involved.
  2. Recommend expedited processing only when a project that involves public interest would be harmed by following normal rules of procedure.
  3. Avoid expedited processing in situations where other applications that do not carry this special status would be delayed.

 

Several development applications are currently working toward being placed on the Council’s Public Hearing schedule.  The impact of granting expedited processing for Southern Orange Senior Center is that one less space would be available on the Council’s schedule for which other applications are competing.

 

We believe that the proposal meets the objectives for public purpose in the three criteria above for granting expedited processing status.  We recommend that the Council grant Expedited Processing Status for the Southern Orange Senior Center.

 

Projects that have been granted expedited processing are identified in Attachment 2.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

Manager’s Recommendation:  We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution.  Adoption of the resolution would grant expedited processing for the Southern Orange Senior Center application, if the Council chooses to grant this request.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

  1. Petition requesting Expedited Processing (p. 5).
  2. List of Projects Granted Expedited Processing (p. 6).

 

A RESOLUTION DIRECTING EXPEDITED PROCESSING IN THE REVIEW OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT MODIFICATION APPLICATION FOR SOUTHERN ORANGE SENIOR CENTER (2004-09-27/R-6)

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has received a written petition for Southern Orange Senior Center requesting expedited processing of a Special Use Permit Modification application seeking approval of construction of a senior center; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that there is a significant public purpose associated with development of this application;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is directed to expedite processing of a Special Use Permit Modification application for Southern Orange Senior Center in a manner that will speed review without sacrificing breadth or depth of analysis.

 

This the 27th day of September, 2004.