AGENDA #4L
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Status of Locating Durham Technical Community College Campus in Orange County
DATE: July 2, 2001
This memorandum responds to a petition from the Town’s Transportation Board regarding the status of locating a Durham Technical Community College campus in Orange County.
The attached resolution would request that the Orange County Commissioners include transportation and other impacts and the provision of public transportation services in the selection of a site for a satellite campus.
At the Council’s April 9, 2001 meeting, the Town’s Transportation Board requested the Council open discussions with the Orange County Board of Commissioners on the development of a satellite campus for Durham Technical Community College in Orange County. The Transportation Board expressed the need for the Town Council to provide input on public transportation issues to the County, particularly since the Board believes a majority of students attending Durham Technical Community College live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area.
On November 21, 2000, the Orange County Commissioners discussed the possible development of a Durham Technical Community College satellite campus in Orange County (please see Attachment 1). The Community College Task Force, appointed by the Commissioners, reported that more than 6,500 Orange County residents take one or more courses at a community college each year. The Task Force reported that approximately 2,327 (22% of overall enrollment) Orange County residents registered for Durham Technical Community College courses in 1999. An additional 1,041 Orange County residents took courses at other community colleges.
The Task Force suggested that the ideal site for the satellite campus would be:
· Close to an interstate highway
· 20 acres or more for current and future needs
· Near businesses or business park
· In neutral territory
· Located in a safe, well-lighted area
· New public facilities (utilities)
· Near good roads
· Possibly near public transportation
· Accessible to fiber optic lines
The Task Force also reported on results of focus group surveys of various potential user groups. The survey results from 148 respondents reported that 84 or 57% were residents of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. The survey also included information on anticipated mode of travel to a satellite campus. 110 or 75% of the respondents indicated that they would drive, while 12 or 8% reported they would take public transportation.
On April 25, 2001, the Commissioners were provided additional information on the possible development of a Durham Technical Community College satellite campus in Orange County (please see Attachment 2). Durham Technical Community College had earmarked $4 million dollars in the 2000 statewide bond referendum for the development of an Orange County campus. Orange County would be required to provide an additional $4 million dollars to develop the satellite campus. The County Commissioners agreed to continue to discuss the potential development of a community college campus in Orange County
We believe that the development of a satellite campus for Durham Technical Community College in Orange County would have significant benefits for Chapel Hill residents. We also believe the development of a satellite campus offers Orange County an opportunity to promote smart growth principles and encourage alternative modes of transportation.
More information is needed to fully analyze the potential locations for a satellite campus and assess the potential transportation impacts. We believe that additional focus groups, representing more diverse groups of potential community college students should be conducted. These additional groups should include public housing residents, persons who receive public assistance and persons who reside in Section 8 or other subsidized housing.
Although 57% of the respondents in the focus groups lived in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area, additional information on the residence of Orange County students currently enrolled at Durham Technical Community College or another area community college is needed. If the focus group place of residence percentage is accurate, then 3,705 of the estimated 6,500 potential students would come from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. Estimates of projected daily attendance should also be developed.
Both the location of the satellite campus and design of the site will have a direct impact on travel behavior. A location oriented towards the largest concentration of students would minimize travel to the campus. Although a location along an interstate would provide more direct access, both Chapel Hill and Orange County have rejected efforts to widen I-40 in Orange County. Additional traffic generated by a satellite campus would increase congestion along this corridor. We believe that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee could include the possible development of a satellite campus in Orange County into the analysis of the regions 2025 Transportation Plan.
Although the criteria set out by the Task Force suggests that the location of the satellite campus should be “possibly near public transportation” we believe that access to public transportation should be a primary consideration in choosing a site for the satellite campus. While transportation impacts of developing a satellite campus would be minimized through a firm commitment to public transportation, access to a satellite campus for low-income students would be enhanced through public transportation services. We recommend that the process for selecting a satellite campus site should include consideration of public transit services provided by the Triangle Transit Authority and Chapel Hill Transit.
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution providing comments to the Orange County Commissioners concerning the selection of a Durham Technical Community College satellite campus in Orange County.
The resolution requests that the Commissioners consider smart growth and transportation issues in the selection of a satellite campus location. The resolution also requests that a representative of the Chapel Hill Transportation Board and Triangle Transit Authority be appointed to the Community College Task Force.
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS AND PROVISION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES IN THE SELECTION OF A SITE FOR A SATELLITE CAMPUS FOR DURHAM TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN ORANGE COUNTY(2001-07-02/R-8)
WHEREAS, the Orange County Commissioners have begun discussions with Durham Technical Community College about the possible development of a satellite campus in Orange County; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Commissioners have appointed a Community College Task Force to provide recommendations on the development of a satellite campus; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that 6,500 students are projected to be enrolled in an Orange County satellite campus; and
WHEREAS, survey data indicates that 57% of the these students would live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area; and
WHEREAS, the development of a satellite campus would have significant transportation impacts and provide an opportunity to encourage alternative modes of transportation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council requests the Orange County Commissions consider the following issues:
· Include consideration of transportation impacts, particularly access to public transportation, in the decision to select a site for a Durham Technical Community College satellite campus.
· Gather additional information from focus groups representing more diverse groups of potential community college students, including public housing residents, persons receiving public assistance and persons living in Section 8 or other subsidized housing.
· Collect additional information about the location of residence of existing Orange County community college students.
· Minimize travel to the campus by locating it close to large concentrations of potential students.
· Include smart growth considerations in the selection of a site for the satellite campus, including limiting parking areas, to reduce stormwater runoff and encourage the use of alternative transportation.
· Include representatives of Chapel Hill Transportation Board and the Triangle Transit Authority in the process for selecting a site.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council requests that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization include the potential development of a satellite campus in Orange County in the development of the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan.
This the 2nd day of July, 2001.