MINUTES OF A PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1994 AT 7:30 P.M.

Mayor Broun called the meeting to order. Council Members in attendance were Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Pat Evans, Lee Pavão, Jim Protzman, and Rosemary Waldorf. Council Member Barbara Powell was absent excused. Also in attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Manager Sonna Loewenthal, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Planning Director Roger Waldon, and Assistant to the Manager Greg Feller.

Item 1 Rocky Hill SUP Abandonment & Request for New High School SUP

Persons wishing to testify in the matter were sworn.

Mr. Waldon stated that there was a need for a new high school. He said that the present school was overcapacity in terms of population and design. Mr. Waldon said that the School Board had been involved for several years in searching for new sites and had ultimately selected the parcel on Weaver Dairy Road for development of a new high school.

Mr. Waldon explained that the Council would be looking at two simultaneous requests this evening, the first being an abandonment of the Rocky Hill Special Use Permit and the second a request for a Special Use Permit for the new high school. He stated that a Master Plan was approved several years ago for the Rocky Hill site, and a portion of this site including the proposed site for the new high school. He said the plans for the new high school called for 280,000 square feet of floor area with a capacity for 1,500 students, a football field, tennis courts, and a parking area.

Mr. Waldon said one of the key issues was the points of access into the site. He stated that the staff proposed a bus-only entrance from the Cedar Falls Park entrance. Mr. Waldon said the school building itself would look out onto four very large trees that would be preserved as a lawn area. He said the initial phases of the school plan was to house 1,000 students and a later phase included an additional facility which would house an additional 500 students. Mr. Waldon said the two existing ponds on the site would be preserved. He said pedestrian points of access included sidewalks proposed beside the main entrance and also at the other bus-only entrance. Mr. Waldon said there was a creek called Dry Creek which was planned as a future link to the Town's greenway system. He also said there was a pedestrian path coming off of Sunrise Road and connecting to the other pedestrian paths. Mr. Waldon said staff was proposing that a spur of that path come down to Weaver Dairy Road. He noted that the staff proposal also required the widening of Weaver Dairy Road which would accommodate an eventual five-lane road with curb and gutter, bikelane and sidewalk, which would require that a right-of-way be dedicated along Weaver Dairy Road.

Mr. Waldon stated that one last key feature was that staff believed that a traffic signal was needed on Weaver Dairy Road at the main entrance and main pedestrian entrance. He said the Town could not guarantee that a signal would be installed there because Weaver Dairy Road was a State road and the N.C. Department of Transportation would have to approve placement of the signal. Mr. Waldon said the Town had had encouraging discussions with NCDOT staff that the prospects for this traffic signal would be viewed favorably. He said that based on these preliminary discussions, the Town was requiring in the Special Use Permit that a traffic control device of some kind must be in place before the high school opened.

Mr. Waldon said that the Manager's preliminary recommendation was that both requests, the abandonment of the Rocky Hill Special Use Permit and the Special Use Permit for the new high school,

be approved.

Neil Pedersen, Superintendent of Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public Schools, stated that the site was selected because of its access to public transportation, its location on a major artery, its accessibility to several neighborhoods, and its natural beauty. Mr. Pedersen said school officials had met on at least six occasions with interested parties to discuss this proposal, and had

responded to the concerns expressed by area residents. He said that in response to these concerns, the main entrance to the facility had been relocated. Mr. Pedersen said the Board of Education was led to believe that the new entrance location was acceptable to the residents until the Planning Board meeting earlier in February. He noted that the school district had agreed to relocate all the athletic fields, provide more than the required buffers, erect a fence to enhance security for Chandler's Green subdivision, and the number of student parking spaces were increased to decrease the likelihood of students parking in adjoining neighborhoods. He said the school district had also agreed to install almost a half mile of sidewalks, provide a transit stop, install fences, install public access to the greenway, and provide a traffic signal.

Ken Redfoot, the project architect, said the design of the facility gave paramount consideration to safety. He added that the natural site plan provided an appropriate balance between the site and nearby neighborhoods. Mr. Redfoot said the school district was concerned with separating traffic and pedestrians, providing adequate student parking, and retain the area in its most natural state for the community's enjoyment.

Mr. Redfoot said the School Board also provided guidelines in designing the building, such as utilizing energy conservation and incorporating the most up-to-date educational technology in the design of the building. He said the site consisted of 72 acres with two ponds that were located on the northern edge of the property. Mr. Redfoot said the site had natural drainage areas and these natural drainage channels fed into the upper pond which in turn fed into the lower pond and ultimately, Dry Branch Creek. He said this natural drainage dissected the site into two buildable areas. Mr. Redfoot stated that the site had a cluster of large mature oaks and cedar trees which were proposed for preservation.

Mr. Redfoot also stated that the safety of the students on the site was very important. He said the school building had been designed in a manner similar to a home. Mr. Redfoot stated that the parking areas and entrances were placed so that no driveways would have to be crossed to gain entrance to the building, and that all other driveways were located on the perimeter of the site.

Mr. Redfoot commented that traffic, parking, and pedestrian safety along Weaver Dairy Road were paramount concerns to the residents near the proposed site. He said the school district agrees that a safe pedestrian crossing should be located on the south side of the school. Mr. Redfoot said the school district had also attempted to design good vehicular entrances to the site from Weaver Dairy Road. He noted that a bus ingress and egress was proposed at the rear of the school. Mr. Redfoot estimated that approximately 600 students per day would enter the school site from this entrance.

George Lacehue stated that he performed traffic analysis for the site. He said there were five main points to consider: on-site access and the associated roadway, internal vehicle circulation, pedestrian circulation, bus provisions, and parking requirements.

Mr. Lacehue stated that two access points were proposed, the main access for all auto traffic and a bus access. He said that NCDOT had reviewed the latest site plan and approved the layout and the proposed access for both entrances. Mr. Lacehue stated that both of these access points satisfied or exceeded the vertical and horizontal site requirements and safety standards used by NCDOT. Mr. Lachehue said he believed that signalization should be pursued and would likely be viewed favorably by NCDOT. He added that NCDOT would not consider signalization until the school was opened and traffic patterns had been defined. Mr. Lacehue said the location of the main entrance was 1200 feet from Sunrise Drive, leaving more than adequate spacing for traffic signalization.

Mr. Lacehue said the widening of Weaver Dairy Road to the school site could accommodate a turning lane to Sunrise Road. Mr. Lacehue said this would allow for traffic to enter and exit the school safely and also provide for a five-foot bikeway. He added that internal vehicle circulation had been designed to permit parents to drop off or pick up students, providing ample stacking area without blocking traffic on Weaver Dairy Road.

Mr. Lacehue noted that the site would be served by public transportation. He said it was proposed that a bus stop be provided in front of the site which would allow for future service to the school. Mr. Lacehue also expressed concern about the number of parking spaces and possible parking by students in adjoining neighborhoods. He said the proposal provides for 580 spaces, while only 450 spaces were required.

Mike Hammersley of Hakan-Corley Architects said questions had been raised about whether or not ponds on the site should be left in their existing state. He said the school district felt that the ponds should remain in their current state. Mr. Hammersley said they could be used by the students for outdoor nature studies. He also said the ponds provided a buffer with adjacent properties. Mr. Hammersley said attention had been paid to building the facility in a manner that the ponds and adjoining areas would remain undisturbed. He noted that some property owners had questions about whether or not the ponds were safe. Mr. Hammersley said his studies had concluded that the ponds would not be in jeopardy or cause safety problems with routine maintenance.

Kenneth Touw, Chairperson of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board, said the most important point was that the School Board completely supported the Manager's preliminary recommendation. He said the school district's goals were to maximize the use of the site while minimizing the impact on surrounding neighborhoods. Mr. Touw said the location of the entrances was a major concern to area residents. He said the present high school would be 400 students above its capacity this fall, and the School Board appreciated the expedited review and the hard work so that the school could be opened on schedule in the fall of 1996.

Wayne Hadler, Chairperson of Planning Board, stated that the Planning Board met on February 1 and spent 3 1/2 hours reviewing the plan and listening to neighborhood representatives. He said that even though alternative entrances were proposed, the Board concurred with the alignment of the entrance with Cedar Falls Park. Mr. Hadler said the Board believed that there was more continuity with this entrance with Cedar Falls Park. He said there had been a lot of discussion about parking on site, and the Board's recommendation was to add 120 more spaces on the site immediately, in part because the Board believed that regardless of their desire to promote non-auto traffic to the high school, these spaces would likely be needed immediately. Mr. Hadler said the Board's recommendation also included the inclusion of a sidewalk so that those who wanted to walk to school could do so safely.

Richard Franck, Chair of Transportation Board, stated he was present at the February 1 Planning Board meeting. He said the Transportation Board then had a separate meeting to make their recommendations. Mr. Franck said the Board found the general layout and site selection appealing, as well as the pedestrian paths and circular vehicular plan on the site. He said the Board also favored separate vehicular and bus traffic. Mr. Franck said the desire to eliminate parking by students in the adjacent neighborhoods could be controlled by the use of on-street parking permits, similar to that used by the University. He said the Board also believed that a signalized main entrance was preferable. Mr. Franck said the Transportation Board disagreed with the provision for additional parking on the site.

Mr. Franck said the Transportation Board felt that in order to have an effect on the number of students driving to school, the number of parking spaces available to students should be limited. He said the Board also felt that the Erwin Road entrance to Weaver Dairy Road should have been studied in greater detail. Mr. Frank said it was the Board's belief that there would be a significant impact on that intersection. He said the Transportation Board recommended that the proposal not be approved as proposed.

Planning Board Member Marianna Chambless spoke regarding parking at the high school. She said the proposal called for 448 spaces for faculty, visitors, and students. Ms. Chambless also said that at build-out an additional 500 additional spaces were proposed. Ms. Chambless said she believed that this was excessive, even though neighborhoods were very concerned about overflow parking. Ms. Chambless suggested signing area streets to prohibit parking, or drastically reducing the number of autos permitted on campus. She noted that since a cafeteria was provided on site, there was no reason to leave the campus for lunch. Ms. Chambless also said the site would be served by public transit.

Ms. Chambless asked whether the Town could establish a link between the high school and Cedar Falls Park and other transit lines. Ms.Chambless said it would not be a hardship to have to take two different buses to get to school. She said that by reducing the number of students driving to school, the number of spaces needed would be reduced. Ms. Chambless asked the Council to consider having a closed campus, which would mean that students would not be allowed to leave during school hours.

Pat Rhodes stated she was opposed to moving the entrance to Cedar Falls Park. Ms. Rhodes said she felt it would back traffic up at the site, and that it should remain where the School Board recommended it.

Charles Pulliam said lived a quarter mile from the school site on Weaver Dairy Road and was delighted that the high school was to be in this area, but wanted maximum attention given to safety on and off the site. Mr. Pulliam said it was in everyone's best interest to install a traffic signal at the school's main entrance.

Charles Ziger, a professional engineer, said he was concerned with placement of the main entrance. He said the ideal location would be directly across from Cedar Falls Park. Mr. Ziger said this location was much better aligned and provided more sight distance. He suggested adding "Walk - Don't Walk" signs with push buttons for pedestrians. Mr. Ziger also said he believed that the maximum amount of sidewalks and walkways should be provided, with a walkway or sidewalk the length of Weaver Diary Road, from Erwin Road to Airport Road. Mr. Ziger stated that this would enhance the number of students who walked to school.

Bruce Stancil, representing the Chesley Homeowners' Association, said he chaired a committee which studied the proposal. He said the committee has several recommendations including: the need for a traffic signal be recognized as a critical need, require the developer to provide the signal, and that sidewalks on Weaver Dairy Road be a top Town priority.

Jane Williams spoke about the proposed location of the main entrance. She said the site plan should provide the safest entrance possible. Ms. Williams stated that the Cedar Falls Park entrance would be the safest. She also said that a traffic signal must be provided in order to provide optimum safety for students crossing Weaver Dairy Road. Ms. Williams said many children would walk and bike to school and must be provided with safe access to the school.

Donna Rutala said she believed that the entrance proposed at Cedar Falls Park was problematic due to sight distance considerations. She said the entrance was 550 feet from Cedar Falls Park which put the proposed entrance at the beginning of an S curve which would greatly reduce the sight distance.

Mark Williams said he was troubled by the applicant's apparent lack of concern for the safety of students. Mr. Williams stated that the current plan did not provide the safest entrance to the school. He noted that Sunrise Road would provide an excellent entrance for buses into the site. Mr. Williams stated that this effectively isolated bus and vehicular traffic and that the Sunrise Road entrance might keep some of the buses off Weaver Dairy Road entirely. Mr. Williams said this entrance could also be used for emergency vehicles if Weaver Dairy Road was blocked for some reason.

Virgil Torbert, representing the Chesley Homeowners' Association Board, said she wanted to address providing adequate student parking on the site. She said that the spaces provided were not adequate and that on-site parking should be provided so that students would not attempt to park elsewhere. Ms. Torbert also said that teenagers would drive to school in any event and that the site plan should reflect this reality and provide the necessary spaces.

Jim Richmond, a resident of Sweeten Creek Road in Chandler's Green subdivision, stated that safety was the major concern. Mr. Richmond said he feared that the safety of his neighborhood would be threatened. Mr. Richmond said Sunrise Road was never intended to handle a large amount of traffic and the new high school would produce a large amount of additional traffic. He said the entrance on Sunrise Road would produce more traffic through his neighborhood by providing a backdoor entrance to the new high school. Mr. Richmond said he believed that a safer option would be to provide a bus-only entrance across from Cedar Falls Park and the main entrance 550 feet from the bus entrance.

Sherry Breaux, a resident of Amesbury Drive, said she was concerned about pedestrian access through Chandler's Green subdivision. Ms. Breaux said she felt that there was already an adequate access for the students in Chandlers Green to reach the new high school site through the common area of the development, but for their students only. Ms. Breaux said she felt that opening up the pedestrian path to all others would produce unacceptable levels of pedestrians in her neighborhood.

Sandra Pickering, a resident of Chandler's Green, said she was concerned about the Transportation Board's proposal to have direct access to the school through their neighborhood. Ms. Pickering stated that she believed it would encourage high school students to drive through their neighborhood and would cause unsafe conditions. Ms. Pickering said the School Board and Town should not be negligent by placing direct access into the Chandler's Green neighborhood.

Sandra Cummings, also a resident of Chandler's Green, said her major concern was access to the Chandler's Green neighborhood from the high school. Ms. Cummings stated that she felt that there was no need for this access, and would only create traffic in her community from parents using this area to get their children to school. She said that the entrance from the school into this area would create unsafe conditions for children at play and would increase traffic to unsafe levels. Ms. Cummings said she strongly recommended that the Council not consider any vehicular access to the school from Sunrise Road since this road was too narrow and any additional traffic would create gridlock conditions during peak hours.

Sandra Roberts, a resident of Justin Place, expressed her concern that the high school was completely surrounded by densely populated neighborhoods and the proposal would completely shatter the neighborhoods as they currently existed. She said the patterns that would be established when the school opened would be of the utmost importance and must be carefully studied. Ms. Roberts said she believed that overflow parking would encroach into the surrounding neighborhoods unless adequate measures were taken now. She said the safety and security of the students as well as the neighborhoods were at stake.

Joseph DeVeaugh-Geiss, a resident of Chandler's Green, asked that any plan consider a fence between the two ponds, protecting the rest of the community. Mr. DeVeaugh-Geiss said it was important to remember that the students would be in the neighborhood during the day when residents usually were not, so it was important to restrict access to the neighborhoods. He said it was also very important that the ponds not be damaged during construction. He also emphasized the overall importance of environmental protection.

Suzanne Haff, a resident of Sweeten Creek Road, said her property abutted the lower pond and school property. Ms. Haff said she supported the Transportation Board's recommendation that the Special Use Permit be denied. Ms. Haff said she thought the proposal should be re-evaluated. She stated that the ponds should be protected and that the school population should be limited to what was now projected so that traffic problems would not increase in later years.

Liang Li, also a resident of Chandler's Green, said she chose to live there because of the peace and quiet in the neighborhood. Ms. Li said she understood the urgent need for a new high school and was not opposed to it being on this site. Ms. Li said she was concerned that there was only 50 feet of buffer proposed between the athletic fields and her neighborhood. Ms. Li also expressed concern about the noise during athletic events, such as band music, and asked that the buffer be increased to 70 feet or more.

Joanne DeVeaugh-Geiss, a resident of Sweeten Creek Road, said the provision of a fence was very important to adjoining property owners. She added that the current design would not provide the security she felt was needed.

Michael Roberts of Chandler's Green said he felt that concerns of adjoining property owners were being ignored by the Planning Department and Town staff.

Ralph Abrahams of Chandler's Green stated that the Transportation Board had raised some important safety issues concerning pedestrians and vehicular traffic around the new high school. Mr. Abrahams said he shared these concerns. Mr. Abrahams asked the Council to consider if the plan presented was the best possible. He said if the Council had any doubts, then additional time should be taken to do things right. Mr. Abrahams said the corner of Sunrise and Weaver Dairy Roads would experience a potentially dangerous increase in traffic, and asked that no auto or bus entrance be provided on Sunrise Road in the initial phases of the school and that a new analysis be conducted after Phase I was in operation. Mr. Abrahams said he felt that adding additional entrances would only encourage students to park in the adjoining neighborhoods. Mr. Abrahams also said he hoped that the ponds and buffer would not be jeopardized. Mr. Abrahams noted that he supported the school board's plan, specifically the proposal to locate the main entrance 550 feet to the east of Cedar Falls Park and the "bus only" entrance at Cedar Falls Park. He asked that the Council help protect the integrity of their neighborhoods.

David Lacy, representing Carol Woods Retirement Community, said Carol Woods was home to approximately 400 residents and 200 staff members. He said although they fully supported the construction of the high school, they were concerned about public safety and traffic. Mr. Lacy said Carol Woods residents and staff supported a signalized entrance across from Cedar Falls Park and the intent to get this signal in place before the school was opened. Mr. Lacy said Carol Woods residents and staff also felt that the Sunrise Road intersection should not be allowed to become a service level "F" intersection. Mr. Lacy also said he hoped that the Council would consider requiring the applicant to come back when they were ready to place an entrance on Sunrise Road so that traffic flow could be restudied. Mr. Lacy said Carol Woods residents were also concerned about the lighting of the athletic fields. Mr. Lacy requested that the Special Use Permit require that no additional lighting would be provided in future years.

Council Member Waldorf inquired how much analysis had been done on the safety of the site, the possibility of event control, and safety of the adjoining neighborhoods. She also inquired about the heights of the proposed fences and any proposed lighting. The applicant stated that a six foot high chain link fences surrounding the ball field, around the buffer, and curling due north to the edge of the upper pond were proposed. Council Member Waldorf asked how much clearing would take place on the side of the road when the entrance was cut. She said it would be helpful if the area could be marked to show the proposed clearings. The applicant responded that they would be happy to mark the visibility lines and mark the trees that would have to be removed.

Council Member Capowski thanked all the residents who attended the meeting. Council Member Capowski said he had visited Chandler's Green and felt it was a good neighborhood for children, and he would like to keep it that way. Council Member Capowski said it was his understanding that only one athletic field, the football field, would be lighted. He asked how many hours per week these lights would be lit. He also asked for a topographic map which would show the height of the light towers and the distance the lights from the ballfield would be visible to the neighborhoods. The applicant said he would provide this information. Council Member Capowski asked if information could be provided by the applicant on why other entrance alternatives were no longer under consideration. The applicant stated this information would also be provided.

Council Member Capowski noted he had visited the property where the athletic fields would be located and did not feel that adequate buffering existed. He asked staff to come back to the Council with information about any commercial activity that might take place if the new high school were built. He also inquired what was happening to the 40-acre tract to the east of this site. Council Member Capowski asked if the tract would be available to the School Board for future expansion of the new high school. He also asked if it was legitimate for the Council to require that the school only provide parking permits for the exact number of students who could park on site. Council Member Capowski expressed his belief that other students would simply park illegally. Council Member Capowski stated that staff reports noted that for 1000 students, 320 parking spaces should be provided. Council Member Capowski said he did not understand how this figure had been derived. He also asked how many emergency calls originated from the current high school.

Council Member Brown asked for a schedule of when the answers to these questions would come back to the Council. Mr. Horton said March 16th. Council Member Brown said she saw many conflicts that which needed to be resolved and felt that a March 16th date did not provide sufficient time to resolve these conflicts. Council Member Brown said she felt it was in the best interest of everyone to have the best options available so that the best decisions could be made, and suggested that more time be devoted to this project. Council Member Brown said she wanted to see the Transportation Board, the architect, transportation experts, and the School Board work together to come up with a proposal that truly addressed transportation management concerns. Council Member Brown also said she thought it was necessary to examine more stringent measures to control the number of single occupant vehicles and potential illegal parking in surrounding neighborhoods.

Council Member Brown also asked whether NCDOT would provide some sort of rebate to pay the school back for providing traffic signalization. She also requested that staff look into traffic calming techniques in this area so that traffic could be slowed down. Council Member Brown said she would like to have a provision for some sort of reassessment in this area after the high school was built and desired additional emphasis on energy conservation so that the facility could be as energy efficient as possible.

Council Member Pavão said he shared the same concerns of many of this evening's speakers. He suggested that the process be slowed down and the Special Use Permit not be approved at this time.

Council Member Protzman agreed that the traffic on Weaver Dairy Road would be greatly increased by the proposed new high school. Council Member Protzman said he believed that the transportation issues were complex and that they should be studied in detail. Council Member Protzman said he was alarmed about the discussion that the students should be segregated from the surrounding area. Council Member Protzman asked the applicant if there was a plan beyond this project and how students would get to the school.

Council Member Chilton stated many students would prefer to drive to school. He said it was not realistic to assume that they would not. Council Member Chilton also asked where solid waste containers will be placed on the site.

Council Member Evans asked whether variances to the Resource Conservation District were necessary. She also asked if parking on Weaver Dairy Road might be provided in the future. Council Member Evans inquired whether Cedar Falls Park was intended to be used for overflow parking during the school day. She asked if the site entrance were to be changed, how would this effect the movement of traffic on the site. She also stated that she would like to know how much it would cost to provide a sidewalk from Erwin Road to Airport Road.

Mayor Broun stated he felt that NCDOT would provide a signal at this location to address safety issues. He said he did not know if it would be possible to provide a sidewalk from Erwin Road to Airport Road, but would like to see where it could fit in in the Town's Capital Improvements Plan. Mayor Broun said he would like to be certain that the dams on the ponds were adequate and they would be properly maintained. He also requested an analysis of the possibility that the Council could issue the Special Use Permit but require an updated analysis of the parking lot off Sunrise Road. Mayor Broun also inquired about the possibility of including in the Special Use Permit a requirement for no lighting on the playing fields.

With regard to timing, Mayor Broun asked Mr. Horton whether the March 16th follow-up date could be delayed. Mr. Horton responded that considering the questions that need to be addressed, the staff could report back to the Council by March 28th. He said that if the applicant had any hesitancy to work this quickly, they could report back in April. The applicant responded they preferred the March 28th date.

Council Member Waldorf asked whether the issue of signalization would be clarified and wondered how plans could be made when there were no guarantees that a signal would be provided by NCDOT. Mayor Broun said he shared her concerns. Mayor Broun stated that the questions that had been asked could be answered, and hoped that they could make a decision on March 28th.

Council Member Brown asked how the Council and applicant felt about getting together with the Transportation Board to come up with some approaches to reduce traffic. Council Member Waldorf said she believed this should only be done if the School Board was really willing to close the campus and severely limit the number of students who drove to school. School Superintendent Neil Pedersen said the school district was certainly willing to meet with the Transportation Board to address these issues, but said he did not believe it was realistic for the School Board to make decisions on a closed campus or restricted parking when there was already a local high school which operated without those restrictions. He said that normally the School Board would allow the school to make many, if not all of those restrictions, and since the government of the school was not in place, they should not be made independently of them.

Council Member Capowski asked whether an open campus were proposed. Mr. Pedersen stated that this was correct. Council Member Capowski said based on this, he did not see how they could deal with a transportation management plan when these issues had not been resolved. Council Member Capowski also said he felt these decision were being made too quickly. Council Member Protzman said he would like to see some innovative, bright thinking done on the transportation management issues so that these issues could be handled intelligently.

Council Member Evans said that it might be a good idea to have some students consulted as to their feelings about the issues of parking and closed campuses.

Council Member Protzman emphasized the need to address what the current plan meant to Weaver Dairy Road. He said the Council also needed to decide how many parking places would realistically be needed for students. Mr. Horton responded that he could not speak for the applicant.

Mayor Broun asked Mr. Pedersen if he would be willing to work with staff in investigating some other concepts to deal with the parking problem. Mr. Pedersen responded yes, noting that it might be difficult to come up with plausible scenarios.

Council Member Waldorf said this would not be viable unless the School Board were willing to have a closed campus with severely limited parking as a real option. Mr. Pedersen said the new school was designed to be a closed campus, so technically students would not need to leave to eat lunch, but he said they could not guarantee that the School Governance Committee of this new school would decide for a closed campus when the existing high school enjoyed an open campus.

Council Member Capowski said the Council had to make some really hard decisions in the next few weeks, such as if Cedar Falls Park could be used as an auxiliary parking area, if the 120-space parking lot would be located off Sunrise Road, and if the campus would truly be a closed campus. He asked if the School Board were willing to say that parking stickers would be issued for only the number of parking spaces available. The applicant said that would be his choice, but it would be up to the School Governance Committee of the new school when it was in place.

Council Member Brown moved that the School Board, the Council, the Planning Staff, the Transportation Board, the Transportation Planning Staff and the applicant jointly develop a transportation management plan. Mr. Horton said that if this were done, the item could not be scheduled for return in the near future.

Mayor Broun stated that if the Transportation Board wanted to look at the matter again and make a revised recommendation, he would welcome this recommendation, but did not think this item could be delayed any longer than March 28th.

Mr. Horton said he understood that the applicant needed to make the strongest possible transportation plan recommendation possible. Mayor Broun concurred, adding that if the Council was not satisfied at that point, they could asked for additional information at that time.

COUNCIL MEMBER CHILTON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PROTZMAN, TO RECESS THE HEARING UNTIL MARCH 28. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).

Item 2 Eubanks Road Park & Ride Lot Special Use Permit

Parties wishing to testify in the matter were sworn.

Mr. Horton stated that the Town had received federal funding and had provided local matching funds to make it possible to construct a park and ride lot on Eubanks Road near the intersection of NC 86.

Development Coordinator Jennie Bob Culpepper stated that the subject property was a 6.5-acre parcel located on the north side of Eubanks Road approximately 1/2 mile from NC 86 near the United Parcel Service terminal. She said the Town hoped that the proposed park and ride facility would reduce traffic along the NC 86 corridor. Ms. Culpepper said there were two points of access on Eubanks road located 300 feet apart. She added that one-way circular access for all vehicles in the lot was proposed. Ms. Culpepper also said there was a waiting area which would separate the bus pull-off from the parking area.

Transportation Director Bob Godding stated this lot was one of a series of park and ride lots which the Town had in its Capital Improvements Plan since the 1980's. He said this would be the third in a series of four planned lots. Mr. Godding said this lot was rated the number one spot for a park and ride lot in a study of the NC 86 corridor done in 1992. He stated that the lot would encourage car pooling out of Chapel Hill as well as use of the transit system.

David Laudacina said he thought the plan was a good one. He inquired about the proposed traffic signal being placed near the

site. Mr. Laudacina said he felt access to and from the site would be dangerous without one.

Richard Kennedy said he agreed that a traffic light was needed at NC 86 and Eubanks Road. Mr. Kennedy also said that the proposed buffers were excellent except in a few areas. He said the ten-foot buffer on the west side was inadequate. Mr. Kennedy stated that larger buffers were needed to ensure that the area would remain attractive. He also stated that the park and ride lot should have lighting which would be the minimal necessary to provide safety. Mr. Kennedy said the UPS lot was very well-lit and could be seen throughout the area. He also stated his concern about bicycles using the park and ride facility. Mr. Kennedy said that bike lanes might be needed in the area.

Council Member Chilton asked the staff to address lighting concerns and clarify the western property buffer in its follow-up report to the Council.

Council Member Capowski stated that at least for the next few years this will be a very remote lot. He asked what safety measures were proposed. Mr. Godding stated that a public telephone would be installed. Council Member Capowski asked whether a bicycle lane was proposed in front of the park and ride lot. Mr. Godding said yes. Council Member Capowski asked whether UPS could be asked to provide an easement for a bike lane across the front of their property. Mr. Horton responded that this could be handled independently from the special use permit. Council Member Capowski asked what was located in the eastern corner of the lot. Mr. Godding said parking for standard-sized vehicles.

Mayor Broun asked Council Member Evans, as a member of the Northwest Area Plan Planning Group, to comment on the Planning Board's discussions with regard to this area. Council Member Evans stated that it was brought out that the Northwest Area Plan was a long range 20-year plan and that this park and ride lot was a more immediate need. She said that the general consensus was that this would be a valuable park and ride lot to the community.

Council Member Brown asked whether the Appearance Commission would be able to address the concerns about plantings. Ms. Culpepper stated that there was a provision in Resolution A that the plantings had to be approved by the Appearance Commission.

Mr. Godding stated that shoe-box type lights were proposed. He said they were designed to minimize impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. Mr. Godding said the primary desire was to have effective lighting in the park and ride lot.

COUNCIL MEMBER PAVÃO MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, TO RECESS THE HEARING TO MARCH 16. THE MOTION WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 p.m.