AGENDA #7
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Northeast Gateway Competition Jury:
Mayor pro tem Pavăo
Council Member Bateman
Council Member Foy
SUBJECT: Review of Submissions and Recommendation for Selection
DATE: October 23, 2000
The Northeast Gateway Competition Jury has met to review entries in this design competition, and tonight makes its recommendation to the Town Council for selection of a winning entry.
The competition opened on September 1, and the closing date for receiving entries was September 30. Town staff received 60 inquiries and initial registrations. Forty-nine registrants came by Town Hall to pick up Competition Packages (full scale maps, photographs, and background materials). Of those registrants, six submitted entries. We heard from several design firms during September that, due to the unusually high level of development activity ongoing in this area generally right now, time did not permit the preparation of a submittal.
The Competition Jury has met twice to review the submissions. Between those two meetings, Town staff arranged for an Open House to allow community review of the six submissions, with opportunity for comments. Our recommendation is based on consideration of the Program Statement approved by the Council, our review of the drawings, and our consideration of citizen comments (attached).
The competition was arranged as a “blind” judging. Entries were coded by number, and during all deliberations neither jury members, participating staff, or members of the public had knowledge of the identity of the individuals and/or firms associated with each entry. That information will be released tonight, following Town Council selection of a winning design.
We remind the Council and the community of the design objectives that we asked to be addressed by the designers. This excerpt comes from the Council-adopted Program Statement:
Designers are encouraged to approach these sites with creativity, and propose solutions that address policies that have been articulated by the Town Council for this corridor. For purposes of this design competition, the Town’s zoning regulations that govern this study area should not be considered to be a constraint. The Town Council has indicated an interest in seeing creative development of this site that meets Town goals, and has an interest in fully understanding the range of possible development scenarios.
In addition, a number of transportation policies are being discussed for the 15-501 corridor that warrant consideration by competition participants. A fixed-guideway transit corridor is being planned that will involve the southeastern corner of this study area. Designs should be drawn for this portion of the site that could easily incorporate a future transit station in this corner. Parking for 500 vehicles should be planned as an accompaniment to development in this corner of the study area, for use initially as a standard park-ride lot and in the future as parking for a transit stop. The exact route for the fixed guideway system is not yet determined.
While no specific design and planning criteria are offered, competitors should observe current development practices which favor compactness, mixed use development, pedestrian- and transit-oriented planning, sustainability, and the conservation and preservation of the natural environment. Additionally, the concept of "gateway" should suggest the importance of this project in terms of the image of the community. In this regard, proposals should consider the visual impact of the project from its various approaches, especially I-40 and route 15-501.
We offer the following comments on each of the six submittals. For each entry, we include here text that is taken directly from the submittal, followed by Jury comments on the submittal. We note that reduced versions of each of the six proposed site plans appear as an attachment.
Jury Comments: This site design proposes a dense configuration of buildings on the south side of 15-501. The mix of uses, proposed scale and configuration of internal streets, and the preservation of a vegetative buffer along Old Durham Road are desirable elements. The density that is proposed is likely higher than could be accommodated on this site.
Jury Comments: Good location for the transit station, at a central part of the site. This is a low-density option for this site. Placement of the two signature buildings as the key visual focus offers both advantages and disadvantages in setting a tone along this entrance to Chapel Hill.
Jury Comments: Highly creative and visually interesting presentation. A unique feature is a proposal to bring 15-501 below grade for a portion of the site’s frontage, to allow connection of the two parts of the site with an at-grade, auto-free plaza for pedestrians.
Jury Comments: Futuristic, visionary entry. Unique among the entries in its depiction of future development forms, both in terms of architecture and site planning. Extensive use of underground vehicle storage. Highly conceptual. Little detail about actual locations of uses.
Jury Comments: Least dense of all the submittals, with mostly single-family layouts for residential areas, and limited commercial and office areas. Community features that are proposed as part of the site design would be desirable. Most of the northern part of the study area would be left natural. Entry points of the transit corridor into and out of the site may be difficult to coordinate with ongoing regional transit plans.
Jury Comments: Pedestrian bridge is a desirable entranceway landmark, in addition to providing for pedestrian/bicycle access. The expanse of open space in a “quadrangle” configuration would both tie the components of the site together and be a striking visual component of this Chapel Hill entranceway. Good mixing of uses and locations of buildings.
On October 16 Town Staff arranged for the drawings to be on display for an Open House. Notices were sent to owners of property within the study area, and owners of property in the surrounding area, along with all who had expressed interest in this Design Competition. Approximately 30 members of the public came to view the submittals; roughly one-third of those were owners of property within the study area. All were invited to offer comments, and the comments we received are included here as an attachment.
After study of all entries, review of the design objectives that were approved by the Town Council, and in consideration of public comment that has been offered, the Jury recommends that the Council select Entry #144 as the winning entry in this competition. Council approval of this recommendation would mean that the designer for Entry #144 will be asked to complete one more drawing, in exchange for the $5,000 award.
Our reasons for recommending selection of this entry are based on the site design that is presented, and the extent to which it addresses (best of all the entries, in our opinion) the design criteria outlined in the Competition’s program statement. We note the following features of this site design that we find desirable:
This Competition has been structured such that the winning entry would produce one follow-up drawing. The Jury suggests that the Council ask that the supplementary drawing be a revision to the proposed site plan to allow the designer to elaborate on the following point(s):
The Jury further recommends that the Council ask the Town Manager to prepare a draft statement articulating design goals for the development of these key properties at the Northeast Gateway location. This draft statement should draw upon the design features contained in the winning entry, plus individual ideas from other entries that Council members find to be desirable, plus policy statements contained in the new Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of such a statement would be to indicate to property owners in the subject area and to the development community what the Council’s expectations are with respect to development of these properties. We recommend that the Council ask the Manager to bring this draft statement to the Council for consideration in November.
Adoption of the attached resolution would accomplish these recommendations.
We note that the names of the individuals/firms associated with the six entries will be made available following the Council’s decision.
A RESOLUTION SELECTING A WINNING ENTRY AND ALTERNATE IN THE NORTHEAST GATEWAY COMPETITION, AND DIRECTING THE TOWN MANAGER TO PREPARE A DRAFT STATEMENT OF DESIGN OBJECTIVES (2000-10-23/R-7.1)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council has initiated a Design Competition, as described in a memorandum dated June 26, 2000; and
WHEREAS, the Council has received a recommendation from a Competition Jury and considered this recommendation along with public comments on the entries;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Council selects Entry #144 as the winning entry in this competition, and requests that the designer of Entry #144 prepare an additional drawing in exchange for a $5,000 award.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council asks that the additional drawing include attention to the following points:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Council asks the Town Manager to prepare a draft statement articulating design goals for the development of properties at the Northeast Gateway location. This draft statement should draw upon the design features contained in the winning entry, plus individual ideas from other entries that are desirable, plus policy statements contained in the new Comprehensive Plan. The Council asks the Manager to bring this draft statement to the Council for consideration during November 2000.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Council commends all six entrants for excellent and creative work in preparing site designs for this set of properties, and expresses its deep appreciation for the contribution of these designers in promoting the community dialogue about possibilities for development in this key part of Chapel Hill.
This the 23rd day of October, 2000.