AGENDA #4h
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Request
for Expedited Processing of Special Use Permit Applications for Fraternities
and Sororities
DATE: February 28, 2000
The Town Council has received and referred a petition from Aaron Nelson and Ron Binder as well as a petition from Gary Giles, requesting expedited processing of Special Use Permit applications for fraternities and sororities (please see attached letters). The attached resolution would authorize expedited processing of these applications.
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 or 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 three to four months to obtain final
approval of detailed construction drawings and final plans in order to then
obtain 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.
In 1996, a
Town Council enacted an Ordinance requiring automatic sprinkler systems to be
installed in each fraternity and sorority house. Existing fraternity and sorority houses were given five years to
come into compliance. Proposed sorority
or fraternity houses were required to comply prior to occupancy. In addition, if substantial renovation to an
existing fraternity or sorority house is proposed, compliance is required as
part of the renovation.
The petition
from Mr. Nelson and Mr. Binder indicates that 15 fraternities/sororities have
complied with this provision. These 15
that now comply represent nearly half of the recognized fraternities and
sororities with houses in Chapel Hill.
Installation of a sprinkler system is a big investment.
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), the University Mall
Redevelopment, and Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House, the Greene Tract
rezoning, and Manley Estates Housing.
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 remaining
fraternities and sororities must comply with the automatic sprinkler regulation
in a timely manner. Adherence to this
regulation is a public safety issue.
Manager’s Recommendation: We believe that expedited processing is justified for the fraternity and sorority applications because of the public safety issue associated with sprinklering these structures. We cannot assess the impact of expedited processing on our development review system because it is not known at this time how many of the remaining fraternities and sororities anticipate additional changes which might trigger Special Use consideration. As always, there will be some opportunity for flexibility in schedule based on pending applications, the Council's schedule, and community needs.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Letter from Mr. Aaron Nelson and Mr. Ron
Binder Requesting Expedited Processing
(p.4)
2. Letter from Mr. Gary Giles Requesting
Expedited Processing (p.5)
A RESOLUTION DIRECTING EXPEDITED PROCESSING IN THE REVIEW OF SPECIAL
USE PERMIT AND SPECIAL USE PERMIT MODIFICATION APPLICATIONS FOR RECOGNIZED
FRATERNITY AND SORORITY HOUSES IN CHAPEL HILL (2000-02-28/R-5)
WHEREAS, the
Town Council has received petitions from Mr. Aaron Nelson and Mr. Ron Binder
and from Mr. Gary Giles for expedited processing of fraternity and sorority
Special Use Permit and Special Use Permit Modification applications seeking to
comply with the automatic sprinkler system code; and
WHEREAS, the
proposals are intending to comply with automatic sprinkler system; and
WHEREAS, the
projects would satisfy a public safety objective.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is directed to expedite processing of Special Use Permit and Special Use Permit Modification applications for University recognized fraternities and sororities seeking to comply with the sprinkler system requirements of the Town, in a manner that will speed review without sacrificing breadth or depth of analysis.
This the 28th day of February, 2000.