AGENDA #11a(3)

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            Council Member Joyce Brown

 

SUBJECT:       Request for an agenda item for a Council discussion of Chancellor Moeser’s March 7^th proposals to the Town and related matters.

 

DATE:             March 26, 2001

 

This is in response to reports in the local newspapers of reactions from various members of the Council as well as citizens to Chancellor Moeser’s March 7^th letter outlining the University’s proposals to the Town of Chapel Hill as a result of discussions between the Town and the University.

 

My request is for an agenda item at the next regular business meeting for a Council discussion of what we have learned so far from the meetings between the Town and the University regarding the University’s Master Plan, what further information we need, and the proposals from the Chancellor dated March 7^th.  This discussion would then be the basis for a response from the Town to the University’s proposals.  This would also allow us the opportunity to discuss the vote by the UNC-CH Board of Trustees on the Master Plan that will have been taken by March 26^th.  The Chancellor’s proposal of March 7^th has such significant ramifications regarding one of the basic powers granted to municipalities by the State of North Carolina, that is the power to zone, as well as our own ability to deal with growth within the Town, that it would help to have the whole Council involved in a public discussion of these matters before formulating the Town’s response.

 

At the same time the University has not responded to requests for information regarding impacts of the University’s plans for expansion.  The presentations by University consultants and officials of both the Master Plan and the plan for the Horace Williams tract have given some information, but left the Town’s questions (which have been very well stated by the Mayor) unanswered.  The presentations have in fact raised additional questions regarding both the University’s Master Plan, as well as the plans for the Horace Williams tract and the impacts these plans taken together will have on Chapel Hill.

 

In spite of the best efforts by both the Town and the University, we might not be able to reach an agreement on these important issues.  We need to discuss that possibility as well.

 

 

Cc:  Town Manager