AGENDA #9a

  

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Town Council

 

FROM:            Mayor Rosemary Waldorf

 

SUBJECT:       Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee Request for Development Information

 

DATE:             May 22, 2000

 

The attached resolution would endorse the request of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee that Chapel Hill provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information on development applications.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On March 8, 2000, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee adopted a resolution (Attachment 1) requesting that local governments within the Urban Area provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information about development proposals.

 

In 1998, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee adopted housing and employment projections for 2025. The Urban Area has used these projections to develop the recently adopted 2025 Current Trends Regional Transportation Plan. The projections are also being used to develop the 2025 Comprehensive Regional Transportation Plan.  The 2025 projections were developed by local jurisdictions within the Urban Area and were based on locally adopted land use plans.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The Transportation Advisory Committee has asked local governments within the Urban Area to provide information about ongoing development proposals to the Metropolitan Planning Organization to ensure the accuracy of the 2025 projections. Specifically, the Transportation Advisory Committee has requested that local governments identify proposed projects that would exceed the adopted 2025 projections for the transportation analysis zone in which the project is located. The Committee has also indicated that it will comment on land use changes that exceed the adopted 2025 projections and allow member jurisdictions to request that the Committee review and comment on projects prior to the jurisdiction approving the proposals.

 

The Metropolitan Planning Organization has begun the process of developing guidelines to be used to gather information on development proposals from local jurisdictions. It is anticipated that the submission of information to the Metropolitan Planning Organization will be an ongoing responsibility and require some commitment of resources by the local jurisdictions. Chapel Hill currently keeps up to date records of development applications and could provide this information to the Metropolitan Planning Organization on a regular basis.

 

I believe that the accuracy of the regional land use projections is important to ensure that the region can maintain mobility.  The Regional Transportation Plan, which is developed using the land use projections, is used to prioritize the investment of federal, State and local funds in transportation projects. In order for these transportation improvements to be effective they should be based on accurate land use projections. I also believe that comments from the Transportation Advisory Committee concerning the regional impact of specific development proposals would be useful in the consideration of those proposals by local jurisdictions.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

I request that the Council adopt Resolution A, endorsing the request of the Transportation Advisory Committee and directing the Town Manager to provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information on development proposals within the Town on an ongoing basis.

 

 


 

A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE REQUEST OF THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO PROVIDE THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION WITH INFORMATION CONCERNING DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS (2000-05-22/R-12)

 

WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has adopted land use projections for the year 2025; and

 

WHEREAS, the accuracy of these projection is important to ensure the efficient use of transportation funding to support the goals of the Regional Transportation Plan, and

 

WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee has requested that local jurisdictions monitor changes in housing and employment within transportation analysis zones, and

 

WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee has asked that local jurisdictions provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information on development proposals to determine whether they might exceed adopted 2025 land use projections;

 

NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council endorses the Transportation Advisory Committee’s request for land use information and directs the Manager to provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information on development proposals within the Town on an ongoing basis.

 

 

This the 22nd day of May, 2000.