AGENDA #4j

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Request for Expedited Processing of Special Use Permit Application for Renovations to the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House

 

DATE:             January 10, 2000

 

 

The Town Council has received a petition from Mr. Dan Jewell for expedited processing of a Special Use Permit application for renovations to the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house, located at the northwest corner of Cameron Avenue and South Columbia Street (please see attached letter).  The attached resolution would authorize expedited processing of the application.

 

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 application 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 two to three months to obtain final approval of detailed construction drawings and final plans.  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.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The applicant indicates that the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house is in immediate need of renovations and expansion to bring the facility up to current codes and standards for health, safety and appearance.  The intended renovations would involve fire safety measures, such as enclosing the exterior metal stair towers, rebuilding the front staircase and installing a fire sprinkler system.  A formal brick patio is also proposed to be added to the front of the building.

 

The applicant indicates that the renovations will require the current residents to vacate the building for the duration of construction.  To minimize the amount of time that the students would be relocated, the applicant seeks to complete the project by the fall, 2000 semester.

 

We have generally followed the criteria listed below in making our recommendations to the Council on requests 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.

 

Following staff recommendations based on these criteria, the Council has approved expedited processing for the Intimate Bookshop, Erwin Village Subdivision, Ruth Faison Shaw Museum, Chapel Hill Public Library, Chapel Hill Public Housing, Culbreth Park Subdivision, East Chapel Hill High School, Orange County Southern Human Services Center, the Hargraves Gymnasium addition, Transitional Housing on Clark Road, Chapel Hill Day Care at Southern Village, Bolin Creek Greenway Phase II, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Transportation center, WUNC Tower request, Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center, the Pavilion, the Southern Village Elementary School, Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, the Neville Tract, McDade House relocation, Freedom House, Orange Community Housing Corporation Affordable Housing, Kenan Stadium Expansion, UNC Co-generation Facility Boiler Replacement, Chapel Hill Internal Medicine, Midway Business Center, Carol Woods Retirement Community (for Village Charter School use), and the University Mall Redevelopment.

 

Requests for this special application processing by East Franklin Car Care, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and an application for parking and refuse facilities at 317 W. Rosemary Street were not approved by the Town Council.

 

We believe that this request for expedited processing is justified, because the project would bring the building into compliance with the Town’s fire safety codes.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

Manager’s Recommendation:  We believe that expedited processing is justified in this case, because the application proposes to bring the building into compliance with the Town’s fire safety codes.  We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution, directing the Town Manager to expedite processing of the Special Use Permit application for the Delta Kappa Epsilon renovation and expansion project.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1.            Letter from Mr. Dan Jewell Requesting Expedited Processing  (p. 4)


 

A RESOLUTION DIRECTING EXPEDITED PROCESSING IN THE REVIEW OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE DELTA KAPPA EPSILON RENOVATION AND EXPANSION PROJECT (2000-1-10/R-9)

 

WHEREAS, the Town Council has received a petition from Mr. Dan Jewell for expedited processing of a Special Use Permit application for renovations to and expansion of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house, located at the northeast corner of the South Columbia Street/Cameron Avenue intersection; and

 

WHEREAS, the proposed improvements to the fraternity house would bring the building into compliance with the Town of Chapel Hill’s fire safety codes;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is directed to expedite processing of the Special Use Permit application for the Delta Kappa Epsilon renovation and expansion project, in a manner that will speed review without sacrificing breadth or depth of analysis.

 

This the 10th day of January, 2000.