AGENDA #5e
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Procedural Memorandum – Europa Applications: Modification of Existing Special Use Permit and Application for New Special Use Permit
DATE: March 4, 2002
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum describes the status of work on transportation studies in the US 15-501 corridor, and suggests that consideration of the Europa applications for Modification of an Existing Special Use Permit and for a New Special Use Permit be deferred. We recommend that additional time be provided for advisory board review of the Traffic Impact Analyses.
Background
On February 11, 2002, the Council continued the Public Hearings for the Europa applications to a specific date: March 25, 2002. The Council also requested that a recently prepared Traffic Impact Analysis related to the Europa applications be referred to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, the Planning Board, and the Transportation Board.
A full chronology of the consideration of these applications follows:
May 14, 2001 Public Hearings held on the Hotel L’Europa Special Use Permit Modification application and the Europa Office Building Special Use Permit application. Public Hearings recessed to June 25, 2001.
May 21, 2001 Citizen petition requesting the Council consider enacting a moratorium on development in the U.S. 15-501/Erwin Road/Sage Road corridor.
June 25, 2001 Continuation of the May 14th Public Hearings. Memorandum included the May 21, 2001, citizen petition and petitions from the Transportation Advisory Board and Community Design Commission requesting that a moratorium be called while a study is conducted to address growth in northeast Chapel Hill. Council decided to respond to the petitions prior to continuing the Public Hearings on the two applications. Public Hearings on the applications recessed to November 11, 2001.
September 24, 2001 Council responds to the petitions requesting enactment of a moratorium in the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Sage Road areas. The Council chose not to enact a moratorium in the area, but instead to schedule a Work Session for January 23, 2002, for the purpose of further discussing the existing and projected conditions in the northeast section of Chapel Hill. Council agreed that processing and consideration of the Europa L’ Hotel Special Use Permit Modification and Europa Office Building Special Use Permit applications could proceed. Public Hearings on the applications recessed to November 12, 2001.
November 12, 2001 Public Hearings began with the Council discussing the applicant’s 1996 Traffic Impact Analysis. Council adopts resolution directing the applicant to submit a revised and updated traffic impact analysis. Public Hearings recessed to February 11, 2002, in order for the applicant to revise and update the Traffic Impact Analysis and to allow time for Town staff to review the information and report back to the Council.
February 11, 2002 Council reviews revised Traffic Impact Analysis. Citizen comments focus on an intersection that was not studied in the Analysis, the intersection of Europa Drive and a Service Road. Responding to a request from the Transportation Board to be able to review any new traffic information, Council refers the applications with the new Traffic Impact Analysis to the Transportation Board, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, and Planning Board.
We note that, as part of an unrelated application for renovations and expansions at Ram’s Plaza, a separate Traffic Impact Analysis is being prepared that includes study of the Europa Drive – Service Drive intersection. That Analysis is expected to be complete by mid-March, and the consultant who prepared the Europa Analysis has agreed to incorporate data from that intersection in a revised Europa Analysis.
DISCUSSION
Given the interest in the operation of the Europa Drive/ Service Drive intersection, we believe that it would be useful for a Traffic Impact Analysis to include analysis of this intersection as the Europa applications are re-considered by the Transportation Board, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, and Planning Board.
There is a scheduling problem, however. If the three Advisory Boards wait until the new information is in hand, in approximately three weeks, to re-open consideration of the Europa applications, those reviews will not be completed in time to allow comments to return to the Council on March 25, the date that the Council has established to re-open the Public Hearings.
We believe that it would be desirable to have this additional information as part of the review by these advisory aoards. Accordingly, we suggest that the Council on March 25 open the Europa Public Hearings and immediately recess, continuing the hearings to April 22. We believe that this will allow time for the three advisory boards to review the applications with all related information, and be in a position to offer comments to the Council on April 22.
It is our intent to recommend on March 25, 2002, that the Council open the Public Hearings associated with these two applications and continue the Hearings to April 22, 2002, to allow additional time for the three advisory boards to review the Traffic Impact Analysis data. It is our intent not to include any substantive information in the agenda item for March 25, but to include instead a procedural resolution.