AGENDA #6

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Consideration of Petition and Resolution regarding South Columbia Street

 

DATE:             April 8, 2002

 

At the March 25 meeting, the Council received the attached petition and resolution from the South Columbia Street neighborhoods.  At that meeting, the motion for adoption failed on a tie vote and is submitted for the Council’s consideration at tonight’s meeting. 

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

  1. Petition and Resolution from the Greater Westwood Neighborhood Association and the Westside Neighborhood Association with support from the Timberlyne Neighborhood Association, Citizen Action for Responsible Roads, residents of Purefoy and Mason Farm neighborhoods, and the Orange-Chatham Chapter of the Sierra Club (p. 1).
  2. Statement by the Westwood/Westside Neighborhood Association (p. 4).
  3. Notes from meeting between UNC Health Care and Neighbors interested in the proposed widening of South Columbia Street (p. 6).

 

 

 

 

ATTACHMENT 1`

 

Petition to the Chapel Hill Town Council

 

From the Greater Westwood Neighborhood Association and the Westside Neighborhood Association with support from the Timberlyne Neighborhood Association, Citizen Action for Responsible Roads, residents of Purefoy and Mason Farm neighborhoods, and the Orange-Chatham Chapter of the Sierra Club.

 

March 25, 2002

The South Columbia Street neighborhoods have fully participated in the public debate about improvements to South Columbia Street since 1989. We feel that the Council made the right decision with the agreement of IJNC and NC DOT by its approval on October 12, 1998, to add select turn lanes, sidewalks and bike lanes to South Columbia. We also appreciate that this has been the Town Council’s number one Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) road improvement priority since that time. We feel that any delay in this project as it is presently configured and presented to the public on November 9, 1999, would compromise safety for pedestrians and bikers. We therefore request that the Chapel Hill Town Council pass the following resolution, which we feel outlines the most important points. This resolution is supported by neighborhood groups, Citizen Action for Responsible Roads, and the Orange-Chatham Chapter of the Sierra Club

 

A RESOLUTION REGARDING SOUTH COLUMBIA STREET SUBMITTED TO THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL (2002-04-08/R-6)

 

WHEREAS, the Town Council of Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the NC Department of Transportation have previously agreed to a plan for the modification of South Columbia Street between Mason Farm Road and Highway 15-501; and

 

WHEREAS, the aforementioned plan designates structural changes to Columbia Street to include bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways, curb, gutter and appropriate turn lanes; and

 

WHEREAS, these agreed upon modifications would enhance pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, and public transportation movement along the southernmost extent of South Columbia Street; and

 

WHEREAS, the agreed upon modifications appear to represent the least expensive and most expedient alternative among the numerous proposals discussed, both before and since the agreement, which satisfy the needs of pedestrian safety, bicycle safety and public transportation movement along the southernmost extent of South Columbia Street; and

 

WHEREAS, As originally agreed, these modifications would proceed in a timely manner from the present date; and

 

WHEREAS, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of North Carolina Hospitals have requested that NC Department of Transportation delay the implementation of the aforementioned plan, and, further, have requested that the Town of Chapel Hill join in proposing a new study of traffic along the southernmost extent of South Columbia Street by NC Department of Transportation; and

 

WHEREAS, The University and University Hospitals provide no data to buttress their claim that the previously agreed modifications (paragraph 2, above) are inadequate;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill, that we reaffirm our support for the South Columbia Street improvements as approved on October 12, 1998 with agreement from UNC and NC DOT; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and Town Council respectfully request NC DOT to proceed with the improvements for South Columbia Street within the time frame currently listed in the NC Transportation Improvement Plan.

 

This the 8th day of April, 2002.