MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Review of Status of Comprehensive Plan Implementation
DATE: January 17, 2003
The attached materials provide the Council with information to assist in its review of the status of implementing actions listed in the Town’s 2000 Comprehensive Plan:
· Attachment 1: Comprehensive Plan Implementation Summary and Worksheet
· Attachment 2: Detailed Review of Short-Term Actions (0-2 Years)
· Attachment 3: Detailed Review of Mid-Term Actions (2-5 Years)
· Attachment 4: Downtown Small Area Plan Implementation (Part 1, Part 2)
· Attachment 5: Action Plan from the 2000 Comprehensive Plan.
BACKGROUND
The Town Council adopted a new Comprehensive Plan on May 8, 2000. A key emphasis of that plan was the desire of the community to improve implementation of the Plan after adoption. In a departure from previous Comprehensive Plans for Chapel Hill, each section outlined a set of specific actions to be taken along with a timeline for accomplishing priority tasks. An implementation chapter summarized what needed to be done and laid out a timeline for action.
The implementation program acknowledged the Town lacks the resources to implement all of the strategies simultaneously. Therefore, the Plan described an Action Plan that identified short-term (0-2 years), mid-term (2-5 years), and long-term (5-10 years) priorities for implementation. We are now in year three since Plan adoption.
DISCUSSION
As noted in the Comprehensive Plan, the Action Plan is a guide to decision-making that sets priorities and identifies the general phasing of the Comprehensive Plan recommendations.
In Attachment 1, Comprehensive Plan Implementation Summary and Worksheet, we list each action item from the Short, Mid-, and Long Term Actions, defined as:
· Short-Term (0-2 years): 2001 and 2002
· Mid-Term (2-5 years): 2003, 2004, and 2005
· Long-Term (5-10 years): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
We also provide our summary assessment of the progress on each item using the following categories:
· Not started
· Progress
· Substantially Complete
· Complete
Attachment 1 also provides a worksheet to assist the Council in making an assessment of how the Action Plan might be changed to reflect past progress and the Council’s present priorities.
Attachments 2 and 3 provide detail on the actions taken to date to implement an item, and notes what is left to do for each, by Short-Term and by Mid-Term Actions.
Attachment 4 includes supplementary information on implementation of the Downtown Small Area Plan, designed to assist in your review of the action steps in the 2000 Comprehensive Plan related to the Downtown Small Area Plan.
The 2000 Comprehensive Plan’s Action Plan is included as Attachment 5.
Monitoring
The Comprehensive Plan calls for a monitoring program to track progress made in implementing the Action Plan and to provide a mechanism to make needed “mid-course” adjustments. To date, we have:
· provided the Council with annual reviews of progress in October 2001 and October 2002 on the Action Plan;
· published the Data Book annually, with a section analyzing the indicators of the Comprehensive Plan; and
· published the first Growth Management report in June 2002.
This report provides a comprehensive review of the status of implementation, and an assessment of what remains to be done to accomplish the action items.
Evaluation
The Comprehensive Plan also calls for periodic plan evaluation, through the Growth Management Report, and periodic adjustments to the Action Plan. Action Plan components are also programmed in to the Town budget, Capital Improvements Program, and the work plans of affected departments. In addition to evaluations, the Plan calls for the Town to undertake a major revision of the Comprehensive Plan five years following Plan adoption.
FORMAT FOR TODAY’S WORKSESSION
The Council has allocated two hours for a review of the status of implementation. The Mayor will act as facilitator for the session.
The goal of the session is to review status, and identify areas where adjustments need to be considered in the Action Plan.
To assist with accomplishing this goal in a limited time period, we have two suggestions:
· Council members may wish to bring to the meeting their ideas on which items are priorities for them, using the Summary and Worksheet in Attachment 1. We have provided space for notes, and an area to indicate where you would categorize the item as either a Short, Mid-, or Long Term Action. In this exercise, the revised timeframes would become:
o Short Term (0-2 Years): 2003, 2004
o Mid-Term (2-5 Years): 2005, 2006, 2007
o Long Term (5-10 Years): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
· At the meeting, if the Council desires, Council members could choose to place dots on the action items they feel are of the highest priority for discussion. Each Council member would receive 10 dots to “budget” in whatever manner they choose. A list of the action items will be posted in the meeting room on which the Council members would place the dots.
We propose that discussion would then proceed first on the items the Council members have selected using the dot system. If time remains, the other also could be discussed.
Potential Additions to Action Plan
Over the past several months, the Council has discussed potential initiatives arising out of work on the Land Use Management Ordinance, or as a result of regional planning discussions. Below, we list the potential initiatives and note any relationships to items currently in the Action Plan.
Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance: The Council has expressed intent to adopt and implement a Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. This initiative relates to actions listed under 3. Regional Cooperation, and 6. Land Use and Development. The Council could add a strategy related to implementing this ordinance.
Neighborhood Conservation District: The new Land Use Management Ordinance includes provisions for creation of overlay zoning districts for older neighborhoods and several neighborhoods have expressed interest in pursuing such a designation. This item relates to action 1.5 under Community Character, Mid-Term (2-5 Years). The action contemplated that a neighborhood conservation district could be prepared and adopted as part of a residential small area planning process.
Design Manual: Following of the new ordinance, the Town’s Design Manual will need to be updated. This item relates to actions under 6. Land Use and Development. The revision of the Design Manual is the next logical step to take to implement the new Land Use Management Ordinance. In addition, revisions to the manual would assist with several specific action recommendations of the Plan, such as 8.7, adopt roadway standards.
Development of Parking Lots 2 and 5: The Council has expressed intent to explore the development of Town-owned downtown surface parking lots. This ongoing project relates to action 1.1, implementation of the Downtown Small Area Plan.
Duplex Study: On October 21, 2002, the Council took a temporary action to prohibit new duplexes in certain zones, with a sunset date for the prohibition. The Council asked the Manager to study the duplex issue further and propose changes prior to June 2003. This potential initiative relates to actions under 1. Community Character.
Parking Study: The Council asked the Manager to prepare a study of current parking practices and policies, and propose a set of new requirements during 2003. This potential initiative relates to actions under 8. Transportation, or under 1.1, relating to the Downtown Small Area Plan.
Use Patterns: Consideration of Article 2 of the new Land Use Management Ordinance was deferred, pending further study which the Council asked the Manager and Planning Board to undertake. This potential initiative relates to action 6.1 under Land Use and Development, as well as 4. Economy and Employment.
Joint Planning with Durham: This new effort results from adoption by Durham and Chapel Hill of a new Joint Planning Agreement, calling for mutual courtesy review of projects. An implementing action could be listed under 3. Regional Cooperation.
NEXT STEPS
At the conclusion of the session, the Council likely will have a list of adjustments to the Action Plan, for referral to the Manager to develop a draft revised Action Plan. We would prepare a report and present a draft to the Council for consideration. At that time, the Council may wish to refer the proposal to the Planning Board and other advisory boards for comment, before considering adopting a revised Action Plan.
ATTACHMENTS