AGENDA #6b
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Transfer of Floor Area from Meadowmont Park to Meadowmont School
DATE: June 11, 2001
The attached resolution would authorize the Town Manager to take steps necessary to work with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education and East West Partners to effect the transfer up to 55,986 square feet of floor area specified and limited by the deed covenants from the Meadowmont park site to the Meadowmont school site.
This memorandum presents information not included in the May 7 memo of the same title regarding how the Board of Education might be able to increase the amount of floor area currently available for the school building.
In 1995, the Town Council approved a Master Land Use Plan for Meadowmont. That plan stipulated a maximum amount of floor area that could be built in the entire 435-acre development.
In 1997, the Town Council approved a Special Use Permit for the Meadowmont Park and School Site, including a stipulation that:
“The entire 92.04 acre Park and School site shall be deeded to the Town. The Town shall then subsequently coordinate deeding of land for the school site to the Chapel Hill Carrboro City /Schools. Twenty-two of the acres are to be reserved as a future school site, with playing fields...”
In 2000, East West Partners, the developer of Meadowmont, deeded the 92 acres to the Town. Included in the deeds were stipulations regarding maximum amounts of floor area allowed on each of the several parcels that made up the full 92 acres:
37,531 square feet for the school site
60,086 square feet for the park site
On February 12, 2001, the Council authorized the Town Manager to sign a deed on behalf of the Town to transfer the 22-acre site to the Schools, and to participate in the application for a modification of the Special Use Permit to allow the permit to be divided into separate permits for the school and the park.
The park site is almost completely in the Resource Conservation District (RCD) and the 100-year floodplain, and largely in the flowage easement for Lake Jordan. Therefore, we do not propose the construction of many buildings. In fact, the Special Use Permit for the Park and School Site includes only the existing log cabin, a small restroom facility, a picnic area with a shelter and small utility building.
The school site, which includes the land outside the RCD, needs to accommodate an elementary school building. The deed covenants restrict floor area on this site to only 37,531 square feet, and the school building is proposed to be about 95,000 square feet.
We understand that the agreement of East West Partners, the grantors of the land to the Town, would be needed to make this transfer. We also understand that East West Partners is willing to give that agreement.
The Board of Education has requested the transfer of 57,608 square feet from the park site to the school site. With a slight modification based on the numbers taken directly from the deed covenants, we believe that this is a reasonable request.
Projected floor area on the park site:
Picnic shelter/toilet building 1,400 SF
Maintenance Building 800 SF
Existing Log Cabin 600 SF
Contingency 1,300 SF
TOTAL 4,100 F
Subtracting 4,100 square feet from the 60,086 allowed by the park deed covenants, would leave 55,986 square feet available to be transferred.
Subsequently, after the Board of Education’s plans for the school and potential additions were developed, the Board requested an additional 10,000 square feet. This sum would accommodate potential additions of classroom space as well as a community gym. The designer have said that the additional floor area would still be below that allowed by the zoning of the site.
We believe that this increase in permitted floor area for the school could be accomplished in the following manner: East West Partners could apply for a modification of the Meadowmont Master Land Use Plan that would increase the total floor area allowed in the entire development and would direct that addition to the school site. Roger Perry of East West Partners has indicated his willingness to make such an application. Then it would be up to the Town Council to act on the application. It would be possible for a Special Use Permit to be granted before such a process had been completed, as long as the additional floor area were conditioned on the modification to the Master Land Use Plan.
Because site conditions should limit construction on the park site, and because the needs of an elementary school can reasonably exceed 38,000 square feet, we recommend that the Council adopt the following resolution which would authorize:
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO TAKE STEPS NECESSARY TO TRANSFER FLOOR AREA PERMITTED BY DEED COVENANTS ON THE MEADOWMONT PARK SITE TO THE MEADOWMONT SCHOOL SITE (2001-06-11/R-9)
WHEREAS, the Town Council approved a Special Use Permit in 1997 for the Meadowmont Park and School Site; and
WHEREAS, this Special Use Permit stipulated that the developers deed 92 acres to the Town and that the Town shall coordinate deeding of the 22-acre school site to the Board of Education; and
WHEREAS, the deeds transferring the 92 acres include covenants that limit the amount of floor area to be built on any one parcel; and
WHEREAS, the park site will not use all the floor area included on its parcels and the Board of Education needs more floor area than permitted by deed covenants on its parcels;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill authorizes:
This is 11th day of June, 2001.