AGENDA #1

 

MEMORANDUM

 

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Public Hearing on Fourth Draft of Land Use Management Ordinance

 

DATE:             January 6, 2003

 

 

Tonight’s Hearing has been scheduled to receive additional public comment on the proposed Fourth Draft of a Land Use Management Ordinance for Chapel Hill.  This Hearing was originally scheduled for December 9, 2002, but was postponed because of the ice storm.

 

We recommend that tonight the Council hear public comment, and then offer directions to staff and consultant for preparation of a Final Draft for consideration on January 27.

 

BACKGROUND

 

This initiative to revise Chapel Hill’s development regulations began in January 2001.  Two drafts were prepared and reviewed, accompanied by extensive public input and discussion.  A Third Draft was completed in August 2002, and considered at a Public Hearing on September 18.  The hearing was continued to October 21, at which time action was taken on some key provisions and the hearing was then continued to October 28, to allow time for additional Hearings and a citizen workshop.  On October 28, the hearing was continued to November 25.

 

On November 5, the Town Council conducted a Work Session to review the comments from the October 28 Public Hearing on the Third Draft.  After discussion of each item, the Council voted to offer direction to the Town Manager and consultant for preparation of a Fourth Draft.  We prepared and distributed a summary of the Council’s direction, and used that direction to prepare a Fourth Draft.

 

The Council, on November 5, adopted a schedule that called for the Fourth Draft to be delivered to the Council on or about Monday, November 25.  We delivered the document to the Council on November 25, and made it available for public review.  A Public Hearing was scheduled for December 9.  Due to inclement weather, the December 9 meeting was delayed until December 12, at which time the Hearing was opened then recessed until tonight.

 

This Public Hearing tonight offers opportunities for public comment and Council discussion.

DISCUSSION

 

Our December 9, 2002 memorandum is attached, with discussion of key points (Supplement #1, with attachments).  In Attachment 3 of that document, we recommended specific changes to the Fourth Draft.  We continue to recommend those changes.

 

In addition, several ideas have been proposed since December 9, which are included as Supplement #2, dated January 6, 2003.   The first section of that supplement lists specific, non-substantive edits and clarifications.  We recommend that all of those edits should be incorporated into the final draft.  A second section contains substantive suggestions from our Parks and Recreation Department and from our Public Works Department.  We recommend that the Council consider those suggestions and offer guidance on any changes that the Council wishes to make.

 

We also note that, on December 17, the Planning Board completed its discussions on the Fourth Draft.  A Summary of Planning Board recommendations is attached here as Supplement #3.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend that the Council offer specific directions tonight about what adjustments to make in preparing a Final Draft for possible enactment.   It is our intention to have this Final Draft available for consideration at the Council’s January 27, 2003 meeting.

 

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1.      Supplement #1: December 9, 2002 Agenda Item, with Attachments 1, 2, and 3 (p. 1-1).

2.      Supplement #2: Additional Ideas, January 6, 2003 (p. 2-1).

3.      Supplement #3: Summary of Planning Board Action from December 17, 2002 (p. 3-1).

4.   Correspondence (p. 4-1).