AGENDA #7c

 

MEMORANDUM

 

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:            Response to Petition from Sierra Club Regarding University Development

 

DATE:            April 9, 2001

 

 

On February 12, 2001, Mr. Dan Coleman, representing the Orange-Chatham Group of the Sierra Club, presented a petition to the Town Council.  A copy of the petition is attached.  The Council referred the petition to the Manager for comment.

 

PETITION

 

The petition puts forward 13 principles, and urges the UNC-CH Board of Trustees “to attach these principles to any planning documents and to ensure that they are fleshed out in a meaningful way by responsible University administrators prior to the approval of any overarching plan for either the Main Campus or the Horace Williams property.”  The petition goes on to ask the Town of Chapel Hill to incorporate these environmental principles in its negotiations with UNC.  The full petition is attached.  The 13 principles are:

 

  1. Provide Transportation Choices
  2. Involve Citizens
  3. Promote Regional Cooperation
  4. Protect Streams and Water Quality
  5. Invest in our Urban Areas
  6. Protect our Pocketbook
  7. Promote and Build Walkable, Affordable Communities
  8. Take a Holistic Approach
  9. Save Energy
  10. Adopt Green Building Principles
  11. Minimize Waste
  12. Include Nature
  13. Be Your Own Laboratory

 

DISCUSSION

 

The first request in the petition is directed to the UNC-CH Board of Trustees, and it is not appropriate for the Town to comment on that.  It is our understanding that the specific request to the Town Council is that the Town include attention to these principles as discussions with the University continue.

 

Our general comment is that these 13 principles are consistent with current Town policies, as articulated in the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan.  As such, they are already part of the ongoing dialogue with the University.  Many of the principles are specifically called out in the proposed “Statement to the University,” which is an accompanying agenda item on tonight’s Council meeting.

 

We also note that some of the 13 principles are described in detail in the petition, while others are more general.  We offer comments on all 13 as follows:

 

  1. Provide Transportation Choices:  Reducing dependence on the automobile is a cornerstone of Chapel Hill’s Comprehensive Plan, and the Council has promoted this objective at every opportunity.  The draft “Statement to the University” suggests increased attention to transportation issues and traffic impacts.  A summary of fiscal issues accompanying the statement details the need for the University and the Town to increase transit and park/ride options.  As a part of articulating this principle the Sierra Club petition asks questions about future configurations of Mason Farm Road, Manning Drive, and Cameron Avenue.  We note that discussions about those roadway configurations continue.

 

  1. Involve Citizens:  Citizen involvement is a cornerstone of all Town plans and processes.  The petition urges the University to inform and solicit input from a variety of constituencies. 

 

3.      Promote Regional Cooperation:  We agree, and note that the Town’s Comprehensive Plan contains extensive discussion on this point.

 

  1. Protect Streams and Water Quality:  We agree with this objective.  We are not convinced that is realistic to do as the petition asks, “Adopt a standard of zero additional run-off from any new buildings.”  However we do believe that it is realistic and reasonable to call for a standard of zero additional runoff for a large property (such as the main campus and the Horace Williams tract).  This is a key objective that will be discussed with the University.  The Town Council continues its discussions about how to best manage stormwater runoff, and includes this as a key point in the accompanying “Statement to the University.”

 

  1. Invest in our Urban Areas:  We agree, and appreciate the support of the Sierra Club in encouraging the University to consider making UNC-owned property on West Franklin and West Rosemary Streets available for private development or for housing.

 

  1. Protect our Pocketbook:  A simple objective is stated here:  “UNC Growth should not have any net cost to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, or Orange County.”  We note that, attached to the accompanying “Statement to the University” is a detailed list of fiscal issues that relate to University development, all of which need to be addressed.

 

  1. Promote and Build Walkable, Affordable Communities:  We agree with the principle.  The specifics offered by the Sierra Club focus on Town-Gown cooperation in a housing initiative downtown, and a working group appointed by the Council is actively pursuing such a program.  The statement also includes reference to UNC-OWASA negotiations about utility rates for affordable housing.

 

  1. Take a Holistic Approach:  We agree.  The key point in the accompanying “Statement to the University” is that community impacts need to be considered.

 

  1. Save Energy:  The design of new University buildings is in the hands of University officials.  It has been Town Council policy to encourage energy saving design, and we are pleased that the Sierra Club is suggesting this to the University.

 

  1. Adopt Green Building Principles:  This principle is in the form of a general statement:  “Use environmentally sustainable building and landscaping practices.”   Without further detail about what is intended with this statement it is difficult to comment specifically; however, the general concept is consistent with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. 

 

  1. Minimize Waste:  The statement reads:  “All demolition and construction activities should maximize the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials.”  We agree.

 

  1. Include Nature:  The statement reads:  “The plan should preserve and, where possible, create continuous woodlands and wildlife habitats and corridors.”  We agree that preservation of existing vegetation should be an objective, where feasible.  We do not believe it is feasible to create new woodlands and wildlife habitats on the existing main campus.  Preservation is a key concept on the Horace Williams tract.

 

  1. Be Your Own Laboratory:  This statement, “Challenge all UNC departments to help the University embody best sustainable development practices in all future campus growth,” is directed to the University.

 

SUMMARY

 

We believe that the 13 principles articulated by the Sierra Club are good, reasonable, and desirable.  We note above that most are already incorporated into existing discussions with the University, and will continue to be points of emphasis in these discussions.