AGENDA #5c
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Energy References in the Comprehensive Plan
DATE: April 23, 2001
On March 5, Mayor pro tem Pavăo and Council Member Brown brought a petition to the Town Council. The petition (attached) asks about a statement on energy conservation that was included in the 1989 Comprehensive Plan, but not included in the updated Plan adopted by the Town Council last May. The petition asks that steps be taken to include this statement.
The statement was in a document adopted June 12, 1989, called “Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan Goals, Objectives, and Policies.” There is a section of that document called “Natural Environment.” The Natural Environment Goal is: “Encourage development that protects the natural and built environment and provides for appropriate location of land uses.” One of the objectives under that goal is: “Conserve natural resources and energy to protect sensitive features of the natural environment. Sensitive features include shrink-swell soil, slopes greater than 10%, water quality and quantity, and air quality.” Then, under that objective, a series of policy statements is listed. One of those policies is the statement quoted by the Council members in their petition:
“The Town shall encourage site planning, landscaping, and structure design which maximize the potential for energy conservation by reducing the demand for artificial heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, and facilitating the use of solar and other energy resources”
There is not a parallel statement in the Comprehensive Plan document adopted by the Town Council on May 8, 2000.
The Council may incorporate this statement into the Comprehensive Plan with adoption of the attached resolution.
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution, adding a policy statement on energy conservation to the Comprehensive Plan.
1. Petition by Mayor pro tem Pavăo and Council Member Brown (p. 3).
RESOLUTION INCORPORATING A POLICY STATEMENT ON ENERGY CONSERVATION IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (2001-04-23/R-7)
WHEREAS the Chapel Hill Town Council adopted a new Comprehensive Plan on May 8, 2001 and;
WHEREAS the Council wishes to include a policy statement in that plan regarding energy conservation.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Council adopts the following statement as Town policy, and that this statement be considered to be a part of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan:
“The Town shall encourage site planning, landscaping, and structure design which maximize the potential for energy conservation by reducing the demand for artificial heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, and facilitating the use of solar and other energy resources”
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Manager is directed to add a note referencing this policy statement to the list of “Additional Components of the Comprehensive Plan,” included as Appendix A of the Comprehensive Plan document.
This the 23rd day of April, 2001.