AGENDA #4j
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.
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.
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.
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.