MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, MONDAY, MAY 22,
1995 AT 7:00 P.M.
Mayor Broun called the meeting to
order. Council Members in attendance
were Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Pat Evans, Lee Pavão, Barbara
Powell, Jim Protzman and Rosemary Waldorf.
Also in attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers
Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Planning Director Roger Waldon and Town
Attorney Ralph Karpinos.
Ceremony
Mayor Broun thanked participants in
the Town's recent Gun Buyback ("Buy Back the Hill") Program,
including law and undergraduate students, Chapel Hill High School students and
Town Police Officers. He noted that
over one hundred guns had been collected and made inoperable to ultimately form
a piece of sculpture. Mayor Broun also
commended members of the Buy Back the Hill Task Force for their efforts. Task Force Chairperson Allan Baddour thanked
all of the Task Force members and the Council for their efforts. He noted that contributions to the program
would be greatly appreciated.
Item
3 Petitions
Council Member Evans said she would
be willing to serve on the Orange County Economic Development Commission's
Strategic Plan Committee. Council
Member Brown also said she was interested in serving on this committee. Mayor Broun suggested that Council Members
Brown and Evans get together to further discuss the matter.
Phil Post, representing Blue Cross
and Blue Shield of North Carolina, requested the Council's assistance in
determining whether or not a future interchange would be required by the Town
along the U.S. 15-501 corridor. Council
Member Brown inquired about the status of phase II of the US 15-501 corridor
study. Mayor Broun said this was very
much in the preliminary stage. He also
said it was unlikely that the study would yield anything definitive for a
number of months. Mayor Broun requested
a staff report on the petitioner's request.
Council Member Brown suggested receiving public comment on the proposal.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHILTON MOVED,
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PAVAO, TO RECEIVE AND REFER MR. POST'S PETITION.
Council Member Capowski inquired when
an answer was needed. Mr. Post said a
response was needed by the end of June, but hopefully sooner. Council Member Capowski said he would vote
against the motion because he did not think it was possible to provide a response
by the end of June. Mr. Horton said he
believed staff could report back at the Council's June 12th meeting. He added that it might be possible to reach
a realistic conclusion on the matter given the inadequacy of information about
interchange-related options.
THE MOTION TO RECEIVE AND REFER WAS
ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 8-1, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAPOWSKI VOTING NO.
Susan McClanahan, a volunteer for
KidScope, an Orange County program for children with emotional and behavioral
problems, said her organization was interested in the potential use of the
former library building for program activities and administrative offices. She noted that the Human Services Advisory
Board had identified these types of services as a priority in its
recommendations to the Council.
Mayor Broun suggested that the
Council consider this option as one possibility for reuse of the former library
building.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHILTON MOVED,
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PROTZMAN, TO INCLUDE KIDSCOPE'S PROPOSAL IN THE LIST
OF POSSIBLE REUSES FOR THE FORMER LIBRARY BUILDING. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
Carole Hazard urged the Council to
initiate steps to have a traffic signal installed at the intersection of U.S.
15-501 and Mason Farm Road. She said
neighborhood residents would greatly appreciate efforts in this regard. Mayor Broun said Town staff would continue
to work with State Department of Transportation officials on this matter.
Chris Carlson said she opposed a
change in position reclassification for Town EZ-Rider drivers from grade 16 to
grade 15. Stating that EZ-Riders served
a largely ability-challenged clientele, Ms. Carlson said EZ-Rider drivers had a
greater level of responsibility than drivers of other small buses which were
used for purposes of position classifications.
Laurie Mitchell asked the Council to
review an employee appeal to the Town Manager concerning proposed
reclassification of the EZ-Rider driver position title from grade 16 to grade
15. Ms. Mitchell said the drivers
encountered hazardous situations each day, including the frequent handling of
body fluids. She urged interested
Council Members to ride with an EZ-Rider driver for a day. Stating that he had met with the EZ-Rider
drivers on Friday, Mr. Horton said he expected to reach a conclusion concerning
their position reclassification appeal in the near future. Council Member Brown requested a report on
the Manager's conclusions.
James Goldstein expressed concern
about increases in line item spending between 1992-93 and 1995-96 for business
meetings and training and dues and subscriptions. He urged the Council to reduce both line items as soon as
possible. Mr. Goldstein also said he
believed that the staff's report indicating that salaries for Town employees
were not competitive was seriously flawed.
Item
4 Consent Agenda
COUNCIL MEMBER PAVAO MOVED, SECONDED
BY COUNCIL MEMBER PROTZMAN, TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING VARIOUS MINUTES
AND RESOLUTIONS (95-5-22/R-1)
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the
Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby adopts the following minutes and
resolutions as submitted by the Town Manager in regard to the following:
a. Minutes of April 7, 10, 17, 20, 24, 26 and
May 1.
b. Cable television rates for basic service,
service calls and converter box rental (R-2).
c. Accepting Greenways Commission's
recommendations and deferring consideration of Triangle Land Conservency's
proposal to May 31st Council budget worksession (R-3).
d. Renewal
of Teen Center lease (R-4).
e. Application
for library capital (LSCA) grant (R-5).
f. Merritt
Mill Road sidewalks and curbs (R-6).
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING
ORDERS REGARDING CERTAIN CABLE TELEVISION RATES UNDER FEDERAL REGULATIONS
(95-5-22/R-2)
BE IT RESOLVED by the
Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council adopts the rate orders as
submitted to the Council by the Town Manager on May 22, 1995 and as prepared by
the City of Raleigh staff in documents dated April 28 and May 1, 1995 regarding
basic, equipment and installation-related rates.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
A RESOLUTION
ACCEPTING THE GREENWAYS COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND DEFERRING CONSIDERATION
OF THE TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY PROPOSAL TO THE TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION OF
MAY 31, 1995 (95-5-22/R-3)
WHEREAS, the Town Council requested the Greenways
Commission to review a proposal from the Triangle Land Conservancy; and
WHEREAS, the
Greenways Commission has reviewed the proposal and has made its recommendation;
and
WHEREAS, the Town
Council will review the proposed budget at its budget work session of May 31,
1995;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby
accepts the Greenways Commission's recommendations concerning the Triangle Land
Conservancy's proposal to use Town funds to assist in the implementation of the
New Hope Corridor Master Plan.
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that consideration of the Triangle Land Conservancy's proposal is
deferred until the May 31, 1995 Council work session.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
A RESOLUTION RENEWING
A LEASE FOR A PORTION OF THE POST OFFICE/COURT BUILDING FOR USE AS A TEEN
CENTER (95-5-22/R-4)
WHEREAS, the Council
of the Town of Chapel Hill, on May 16, 1994, pursuant to G.S. 160A-272,
authorized the Manager to enter into a lease for a portion of the Post
Office/Court Building for a Teen Center; and
WHEREAS, the term of
said lease was for one year, beginning on April 16, 1994, and ending on April
16, 1995; and
WHEREAS, Franklin
Street Teen Center, Inc. entered into a lease with the Town for approximately
2,400 square feet of space in the basement of the Post Office/Court Building on
April 16, 1994, and has requested that the lease be renewed;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council approves
of, and authorizes the Town Manager to enter into on behalf of the Town, a
renewal agreement for the lease to the Franklin Street Teen Center, Inc. of approximately
2,400 square feet in the basement of the Post Office/Court Building, at 179 East
Franklin Street, for the operation of a Teen Center, for a term of one year
commencing on June 1, 1995, said agreement to contain language substantially
the same as contained in the attached lease agreement.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
A RESOLUTION
AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO SUBMIT A LIBRARY SERVICE AND CONSTRUCTION ACT
(LSCA) GRANT APPLICATION FOR AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT AND TO CONTRACT FOR SERVICES
IF THE GRANT IS AWARDED (95-5-22/R-5)
WHEREAS, the current
library automation system's central processing unit needs to be replaced with
one of greater capacity, and
WHEREAS, award of an
LSCA Automation grant could provide up to 50% or $41,500 of the Town's
anticipated cost of equipment replacement,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager be
authorized to submit a Library Service and Construction Act grant application
for automation equipment.
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Town Council authorize the Manager to contract for services
if the grant is awarded.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
A RESOLUTION
AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO PETITION THE CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN FOR
THEIR AUTHORIZATION TO CONSTRUCT CURB AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE
CARRBORO TOWN LIMITS AND TO COORDINATE STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING RESOURCES FOR
CONSTRUCTION OF CURB AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS ON MERRITT MILL ROAD AND AT
LOCATIONS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA (95-5-22/R-6)
WHEREAS, the Chapel
Hill Town Council has expressed its desire to have sidewalk constructed along
one side of Merritt Mill Road between Cameron Avenue and West Franklin Street;
and
WHEREAS, the Council
has received a petition requesting that sidewalk and street improvements on
Merritt Mill Road be extended from West Franklin Street to Rosemary Street; and
WHEREAS, local
funding is available for sidewalks and State funding is available for street
improvements;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is
authorized to petition the Carrboro Board of Aldermen for their authorization
to construct curb and sidewalk improvements within the Carrboro Town limits;
and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Town Manager is authorized to coordinate the use of State and
Local funding in conjunction with design and construction work by Town forces
for street and sidewalk improvements on Merritt Mill Road between Cameron
Avenue and Rosemary Street and at locations in the downtown area.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
Information
Reports
Council Member
Capowski said a traffic signal was definitely needed at the intersection of US
15-501 and Mason Farm Road. He also
noted that the accident frequency rate at US 15-501 and NC 54 was very high.
Item 5 Boards and Commissions
COUNCIL MEMBER
CAPOWSKI MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN, TO NOMINATE ALL APPLICANTS
FOR APPOINTMENT CONSIDERATION TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
COUNCIL MEMBER PAVÃO
MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, TO NOMINATE ALL APPLICANTS FOR
APPOINTMENT CONSIDERATION TO THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY
(9-0).
COUNCIL MEMBER
CAPOWSKI MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, TO NOMINATE ALL APPLICANTS
FOR APPOINTMENT CONSIDERATION TO THE PLANNING BOARD. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
Board of
Adjustment
Council Member Evans
said the Council's Screening Committee recommended the appointment of Thomas
Carson and Mary Jo Bateman as full members and William Fleming and Richard
Westland as alternate members.
MARY JO BATEMAN AND
THOMAS CARSON WERE APPOINTED AS FULL MEMBERS AND WILLIAM FLEMING AND RICHARD
WESTLAND WERE APPOINTED AS ALTERNATE MEMBERS.
ORIGINAL (SIGNED) VOTING BALLOTS ARE ON FILE IN THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
Council Member Evans
noted that one alternate seat in Orange County's planning jurisdiction remained
unfilled.
Human Services
Board
CANDACE
ASHTON-SHAEFFER, JOHN BIRKHOLZ, MILDRED COUNCIL AND SARAH KOGUT WERE APPOINTED
TO THE HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD.
ORIGINAL VOTING BALLOTS ARE ON FILE IN THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
Parks &
Recreation Commission
GARY BARNES, HAL
COOPER, MARTIN FEINSTEIN, MARJORIE GORDON AND DEAN WEISENSTEIN WERE APPOINTED
TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION. ORIGINAL VOTING BALLOTS ARE ON FILE IN
THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
Appointments to
Transportation Board
Council Member
Capowski said he recommended appointing the University Parking Director,
Michael Klein, to the Transportation Board.
Council Member Brown noted that Mr. Klein had been offered an ex-officio
membership on the Board. She noted that
Mr. Klein had declined this offer in his capacity at the University's Parking
Director. Mr. Horton noted that
University Associate Vice-Chancellor Bruce Runberg had served as an ex-officio
member of the Board.
Council Member
Chilton said he strongly recommended appointment of Jeffrey Obler to the
Board. He noted that Dr. Obler was a
frequent rider of the local transit system.
TIMM CROWDER, STEVE
MANTON AND JEFFREY OBLER WERE APPOINTED TO THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD. ORIGINAL (SIGNED) BALLOTS ARE ON FILE IN THE
TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
Item 6 East Entranceway (NC 54) Comprehensive Plan
Component
Mr. Horton stated
that at the Council's request, staff had prepared some revisions to previous
language concerning the NC 54 entranceway corridor.
Noting that some
citizens had signed up to speak on the item and that the Council had previously
announced its intention to hold a work session this evening, Mayor Broun said
citizens would be able to address the Council at another meeting in the future. He suggested that the Council consider
reviewing Council Member Brown's proposal line by line as a starting point for
discussions.
Council Member
Protzman inquired whether the recently completed report on sustainability had
been incorporated into the Town's Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Horton said the Council had not taken any action in this
regard.
Mayor Broun said
although he liked the overall approach taken by Council Member Brown, it
appeared some items might be too specific to fit well into a comprehensive
plan. He added that many of the ideas
were very sound and could perhaps be included in a more general form. Council Member Brown inquired about the
possibility of reviewing the report section by section. Mayor Broun said he had no problem with this
approach. Stating that many citizens
had worked for a long period of time on the East Entranceway Report to the
Council, Council Member Protzman inquired why this document should not be used
as a starting point for discussions.
Council Member Brown stated that her proposal provided a broad view and
encompassed many of the items in the East Entranceway Task Force's report to
the Council.
Council Member
Chilton said he had read through both documents and was much more drawn to
Council Member Brown's proposal as a starting point for discussions. He stated that this document was generally
more specific and clearer. Council
Member Chilton suggested that the Council receive public comments on the
proposed document at the June 12th regular Council meeting. Council Member Capowski expressed his
general concurrence with Council Member Chilton's remarks. He also said Council Member Brown's document
was better in terms of providing intensity and balance.
Council Member Evans
said although she was a strong advocate of many sustainability principles
outlined in a recent report to the Council, there had been no Council public
hearings on the subject
of sustainable
development.
Council Member Brown
said she found it ironic that concerns were being expressed about the use of
the term "sustainable". She
expressed hope that the Council would not get caught up on words in reviewing
the documents before the Council this evening.
Council Member Pavão
expressed concern that casting aside the East Entranceway Task Force's report
might set a precedent which could potentially make boards and commissions
ineffectual. He also said it was unfair
for the Task Force to provide guidance to the Council without the Council
reviewing these recommendations and information in detail.
Council Member Powell
said she believed that Council Member Brown had done a very good job of
outlining topics item by item for discussion by the Council.
Council Member
Waldorf said both documents needed to be discussed this evening, with special
attention being paid to the East Entranceway Task Force report. She suggested that the Council's key
objectives to preserve and protect the entranceway, to provide some flexibility
for the Council in what could be done with the entranceway and to decide on a
desirable mix of uses for the area.
Mayor Broun said he
believed that the three points suggested by Council Member Waldorf were a good
starting point for discussions.
Council Member
Protzman said it might be best to discuss matters in the most open-ended manner
possible. He noted that the use of
terms such as "hotel" when discussing possible uses along the
entranceway could serve as a lightning rod for many different responses.
Council Member
Capowski said each person had their own definition of words such as
"balance" and "scale".
He also said a matter for the Council to consider was whether or not to
have sufficient non-residential uses for immediate residents only or for
citizens from a much broader area.
Council Member Brown
said both language and definitions were very important. Citing the fifth item in the first section
which used the term "primarily", Council Member Protzman said this
was an example of a word which could be construed in a number of different
ways.
Mayor Broun asked
whether there was Council consensus concerning Council Member Waldorf's initial
propositions. Council Member Brown said
this depended on how mixed uses were developed. Council Member Capowski said he
also desired a refinement of the term of mixed use. Council Member Waldorf said she believed this was spelled out
conceptually in the two draft documents.
Mayor Broun said he believed it would be beneficial to discuss the term
"mixed use" in terms of providing greater specificity to this term.
Council Member
Chilton said he believed the Council should review Council Member Brown's draft
document line by line.
Council Member Evans
said she generally concurred with Council Member Waldorf's three proposed
objectives. Council Member Evans also
said she preferred to incorporate some of Council Member Brown's language into
the Task Force's proposal.
Mayor Broun suggested
deleting the word "particularly" from the first paragraph of Council
Member Brown's draft document. Council
Member Brown expressed her concurrence with this suggestion. Mayor Broun suggested that the term "in
fine grain" might be misinterpreted by some persons. Council Member Protzman suggested removing
the entire sentence containing the words "in fine grain" from the
document. He stated that being so
specific might exclude the possibility of specific types of buildings such as
hotels. Council Member Chilton said he disagree with this to a certain extent,
since some tracts of land might be so small that they could not accommodate
some types of mixed-use development.
Mayor Broun said it might be useful to use qualifiers in some parts of
the draft document. Council Member Protzman concurred saying this would provide
some control and flexibility.
Council Member Powell
said she thought it would be desirable for commercial and retail uses and
housing to be in joint areas, rather than having large separate zones. Council Member Protzman asked whether a one
block area would be considered a zone.
Council Member Powell said this would have to be decided by the Council.
Council Member
Capowski said that NC 54 would be a barrier between portions of a large
development. He said this would pose
special challenges for bicyclists and pedestrians to get between the parts of
the development across NC 54. Mayor
Broun noted that NC 54 was not on any highway improvement program lists in the
near future. Council Member Capowski
inquired about the possibility of a tunnel under NC 54 for bicyclists and
pedestrians. Mayor Broun noted that the
State of North Carolina was open to projects not involving State funding.
Council Member Brown
said there appeared to be general agreement with the concepts in her draft
plan.
Council Member
Chilton suggested prefacing all items in the second section on the first page
with the qualifier "where practical and appropriate to the
site". Council Member Waldorf
said she agreed with taking a more general approach since the Comprehensive
Plan was a guideline rather than a code book which gave clear direction.
Mayor Broun said he
concurred with Council Member Chilton's suggestion. Council Member Chilton suggested that the third item in the
second section be change to "office' instead of "commercial".
Council Member
Protzman inquired about Council Member Brown's definition of the term
"neighborhood" in the document.
Council Member Brown said it was her intent to allow flexibility for
different types of neighborhoods.
Council Member Evans inquired whether or not the third item in the
second section was contingent upon the size of development. Council Member Chilton suggested adding the
words "for example" to the fourth item of the second section. Mayor Broun said there appeared to be
Council concurrence on this point.
Council Member
Chilton said he concurred with Council Member Protzman about the use of the
term "primarily" in the fifth item of the second section. He stated that mixed-use developments
reduced the need to go to other parts of Town to receive services.
Mayor Broun inquired
whether it would be acceptable to locate a hotel in the area. Council Member Chilton said this would
depend upon the scale of the hotel.
Council Member Evans said people could possibly walk from meetings to
the hotel. Council Member Chilton noted
that the Friday Center was within reasonable walking distance of undeveloped
property in the area.
Mayor Broun noted
that it might not be commercially feasible for certain retail establishment to
only accommodate neighborhood needs.
Council Member Protzman noted that merchants at establishments such as
Fearrington Village were dependent on outside traffic beyond residents of the
village.
Council Member Evans
asked whether the definition of mixed use would include facilities such as a
hospital administration (office) building.
Mayor Broun said he hoped the plan could provide the Council with a
maximum of flexibility in determining the mix of buildings.
Referring to the
fifth item in the second section, Council Member Capowski said
"primarily" referred to where the bulk of tenants and customers would
originate. Council Member Chilton
suggested that the item be modified to indicate that there would not be major
office and retail developments located along the NC 54 East Entranceway
corridor. Mayor Broun inquired whether
there was Council consensus that the desirable scale for retail and commercial
was similar to establishment in the Fearrington Village area. Council Member Evans said it would be
necessary to have a different scale for office development in order to make
this element economically viable.
Council Member Protzman expressed his concurrence.
Mayor Broun said he
had problems with the term "every street" in the draft document. Council Member Chilton suggested inserting
the modifier "where practical and appropriate".
Council Member
Capowski said he did not want developments along the corridor to be strip
centers serving traffic along NC 54.
Mayor Broun suggested
removing the words "which will limit the number of parking spaces"
from item 4 in section b. Council
Member Brown suggested that the Council carefully consider the concept of
limiting the number of parking spaces.
Council Member Chilton said he also believed that limiting the number of
parking spaces was a relevant issue.
Mayor Broun also said
he was concerned about whether a street grid pattern was practical, given the
area's topography. Council Member
Waldorf said the language offered in the entranceway report on this matter was
quite good. Council Member Chilton
suggested that grid patterns could be developed which were appropriate to the
area's topography.
Mayor Broun noted
that the fourth item in the third section appeared to address concerns about
cut-through traffic. Council Member
Brown said she was emphasizing the importance of not destroying existing
neighborhood patterns. Council Member
Chilton noted that he continued to oppose a possible connection to Pinehurst
Drive.
Council Member
Capowski said although Estes Drive had originally been designed as a
neighborhood street, it was now used as a major cut-through street. He stated that the Council wanted to
strongly discourage major cut-through streets through neighborhoods.
Council Member Powell
said she strongly favored including language about protecting the tranquility
of neighborhoods. Council Member
Protzman suggested adding the word "unduly" to the fourth item in the
third section, between the words "to" and "impinge". Council Member Brown said it was important
for the Council to have sufficient flexibility to move forward.
Council Member
Protzman stated that it was a good idea to reiterate the concept that retail
and commercial developments should not serve as magnets for commuters as was
the case for the Fearrington Village development. Council Member Brown said Fearrington Village was not a mix of
office, residential and retail uses.
Council Member Protzman said many citizens felt that Fearrington Village
would be an appropriate development scale for the NC 54 entranceway. Council Member Chilton suggested striking
out the words "not serve as magnets for commuters" from this item. Council Member Capowski suggested inserting
the word "primarily" between the words "serve' and
"as".
Mayor Broun inquired
about the Council's wishes concerning limitations on the number of parking
spaces. Council Member Chilton said
providing limited parking would assist in lessening the volume of motor vehicle
traffic. Council Member Brown expressed
her concurrence.
Council Member
Capowski inquired whether the Council wished to insert an item to indicate the
undesirability of multiple traffic signals along the NC 54 entranceway
corridor. Council Member Chilton said
the anticipated development of a collector road north of NC 54 might address
this somewhat. Council Member Capowski
asked whether the Council wished to address the possible connector road between
NC 54 and US 15-501 in the document.
Council Member Chilton said this was referenced on page three of the
document.
Mayor Broun inquired
whether the Council's desire was to have no building occur on meadow lands
along the entranceway corridor.
Council Member Brown
said she was recommending language suggested by the Sierra Club, to
"Maintain and reinforce ridge lines and edges of the meadows" and to
"Preserve the meadows and green space on both the north and south sides of
NC 54". Council Member Protzman inquired
whether developers would be required to restore meadows if development was
proposed in these areas. Mayor Broun
suggested that the plan have a goal of meadows restoration. Noting that there were no meadowlike lands
currently along the corridor, Council Member Protzman inquired about the goal
of this language. Council Member Brown
said the word "meadows" was being used for a general identification
of land bordering the entranceway.
Council Member Chilton said it would be desirable to have a pastoral
landscape area along the east entranceway corridor. Council Member Chilton also said he supported language to
preclude development in meadows and green space along the south side of NC
54. Council Member Capowski expressed
his concurrence that this scenic vista to the south of NC 54 should be
preserved.
Council Member
Waldorf inquired about the Council's wishes concerning the interplay between
buildings and greenery along the entranceway corridor. Council Member Chilton suggested deleting
the item to preserve meadows and green space on the north and south sides of NC
54. Council Member Capowski noted that
about $400,000 of taxpayer's money had been expended to buy meadow land in the
southern part of the Town. Council
Member Capowski said he thought it was important to note the desirability of
preserving green space on the south side of NC 54.
Council Member
Chilton suggested removing the section concerning sustainability from the
planning document and discussing this matter separately at the June 12th
meeting. Council Member Brown said it
was important to begin to develop a base of information about sustainable
development. Mayor Broun said the
Council could discuss sustainability at the June 12th Council meeting.
Council Member
Waldorf suggested adding language about the desirability of developing a public
park along the entranceway.
Mayor Broun inquired
about the Council's comments on the concept of "fine grains". Council Member Chilton said he preferred
that uses be mixed in fine grains, rather than having large separated
zones. Council Member Capowski said he
liked the concept of "fine grains".
Mayor Broun inquired
whether Council Member Brown was proposing having separate neighborhoods within
developments. Council Member Brown said
this was correct, adding that this concept would play a role in reducing
traffic volume.
Mayor Broun stated
that a draft of the revised draft comprehensive plan for the east entranceway
could be distributed to the Council on May 23rd. He also said boards and commissions could present their comments
on the east entranceway comprehensive plan at the June 12th meeting. Mayor Broun also stated that it was
important to have work sessions on the proposed Meadowmont development
application in the near future.
Council Member
Capowski said it was important for the Council to take all necessary steps to
minimize automobile traffic along the east entranceway corridor. Council Member Chilton said it was
appropriate to avoid placing drives on main collector roads.
Mayor Broun noted
that a draft of the revised plan would be circulated based on this evening's
Council discussion, with the Council to receive comments from boards and
commissions, staff and citizens by or at the June 12th Council meeting. Council Member Brown said it was important
for the public to receive documents in sufficient time for adequate
review. Mayor Broun said the document
would be circulated as widely as possible within one week. He also suggested that it would preferable
to hold one or two work sessions with the Meadowmont applicant prior to the
Council's summer break.
Council Member
Waldorf said this made sense, since no final decision would be made prior to
the Council's summer break. Mayor Broun said the Council could hold a public
hearing some time after the summer recess.
Council Member Protzman suggested holding two work sessions, rather than
one. Council Member Pavão expressed his
concurrence.
Mr. Horton said staff
would begin notifying boards and commissions of their need to review the draft
document as soon as possible. He also
stated that drafts of the revised document would be distributed to the Council
and other interested parties as soon as possible. Mayor Broun thanked the Council for a good work session.
Foxhill
Subdivision
Mr. Horton said the
proposal was to subdivide five acres into eleven lots. Mr. Waldon stated that the subject property
was on the outskirts of the developed portion of the community. He noted that in the initial report to
Council, staff had recommended that the applicant provide a number of roadway
improvements. Mr. Waldon said staff had
considered the applicant's request and had revised the staff recommendation to
require the developer to dedicate right-of-way and an extra strip of asphalt
for a bicycle lane.
Phil Post, the
applicant's representative, urged the Council to adopt Resolution A.
Council Member
Capowski said he believed the Council should require the developer to provide
curb and guttering, rather than transferring this responsibility to future area
residents. Stating that there was a
subdivision on the other side in Carrboro's Town limits, Council Member Evans said
she believed curb and guttering could be installed on both sides of the road in
the future.
COUNCIL MEMBER
CHILTON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, TO CLOSE THE HEARING. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
COUNCIL MEMBER
CHILTON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 8A. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
A RESOLUTION
APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR FOX HILL SUBDIVISION (File: 23.C.25A) (95-5-22/R-8a)
BE IT RESOLVED by the
Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that it finds that the Fox Hill Subdivision
proposed by the Thomas C. Tucker on property identified as Chapel Hill Township
Tax Map 23, Block C, Lot 25A, if developed according to the Subdivision Plan
dated September 28, 1994 (revised January 2, 1995), and the conditions listed
below would comply with the provisions of the Development Ordinance. This finding is conditioned on the
following:
Stipulations Specific to the
Development
1. A. That half of an 75 foot right-of-way be
dedicated along the subject property's Rogers Road frontage.
B. That the developer provide a payment-in-lieu
of providing required recreation area, in accord with Section 17.9.5 of the
Development Ordinance.
C. That driveway access directly to Rogers Road
and to Street A be prohibited. All
driveway access shall be to Street B.
2. Required
Improvements:
A. That Rogers Road be improved to add a 5' bike
lane and a sidewalk along the subject property's frontage.
B. That a new fire hydrant be provided at the
northeast corner of Lot 1.
C. That Streets A and B be built to Town
standards with a 27 foot cross-section including curb and gutter and sidewalk
along one side of each street.
D. That a T-turnaround be built to Town
standards at the southern terminus of Street B, and that a temporary easement
for the T-turnaround be recorded on the final plat.
Stipulations Related to State and Federal
Government Approvals
3. State
or Federal approval(s): That any
required State or Federal permits or encroachment agreements be approved and
copies of the approved permits and agreements be submitted to the Town of
Chapel Hill prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.
4. NCDOT
Approval: That plans for
improvements to state-maintained roads be approved by NCDOT prior to issuance
of a Zoning Compliance Permit.
Stipulations Related to Landscape
Elements
5. Landscape
Plan Approval: That a detailed
landscape plan be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning
Compliance Permit. The detailed
landscape plan shall comply with the following landscape buffer requirement:
- Type
C buffer (minimum 20 feet wide) along the subject property's Rogers Road
frontage. The buffer will include a
serpentine, landscaped earthen berm, the design of which is to be approved by
the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.
The
required landscape buffer shall be located within a landscape easement on those
lots with Rogers Road frontage. A note
shall be included on the final plat indicating the presence of the landscape
buffer easement on those lots with Rogers Road frontage.
6. Landscape
Protection Plan: That a Landscape
Protection Plan be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning
Compliance Permit.
Stipulations Related to Water, Sewer and
Other Utilities
7. Utility/Lighting
Plan Approval: That the final utility plan be approved by the Orange Water
and Sewer Authority, the Public Service Company, Duke Power Company, Southern
Bell, the local cable television company, and the Town Manager before issuance
of a Zoning Compliance Permit. The
property owner shall be responsible for assuring these utilities, including
cable television, are extended to serve the development.
8. Utility
Service Laterals for Preliminary Plat applications: That prior to paving streets, utility service
laterals (including cable and telephone) shall be stubbed out to the front
property lines of each lot. Sanitary
sewer laterals shall be capped off above ground.
9. OWASA
Easements for Preliminary Plat applications: That easement documents as required by OWASA and the Town Manager
be recorded before final plat approval.
10. Fire
Flow: That a fire flow report
prepared by a registered professional engineer, showing that flows meet the
minimum requirements of the Design Manual, be approved prior to issuance of a
Zoning Compliance Permit.
Miscellaneous Stipulations
11. Solid
Waste Management Plan: That a
detailed solid waste management plan, including a recycling plan and plan for
management of construction debris, be approved by the Town Manager prior to the
issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.
12. Homeowners'
Association: That a Homeowners'
Association be created that has the capacity to place a lien on the property of
a member who does not pay the annual charges for maintenance of common areas, however
designated. The Homeowners' Association
documents shall be approved by the Town Manager, recorded at the Orange County
Register of Deeds Office, and cross referenced on the final plat.
13. Detailed
Plans: That final detailed site
plan, grading plan, utility plan, stormwater management plan (with hydraulic
calculations), landscape plan and landscape management plan be approved by the
Town Manager before issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit, and that such plans
conform to the plans approved by this application and demonstrate compliance
with all applicable conditions and the design standards of the Development
Ordinance and the Design Manual.
14. Streetlighting
Plan: That a streetlighting plan be
developed in cooperation with Duke Power Company and submitted to the Town for
review and approval prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.
15. Certificates
of Occupancy: That no Certificates
of Occupancy be issued until all required public improvements are completed;
and that a note to this effect shall be placed on the final plat.
If the
Town Manager approves a phasing plan, no Certificates of Occupancy shall be
issued for a phase until all required public improvements for that phase are
complete; no Building Permits for any phase shall be issued until all public
improvements required in previous phases are completed to a point adjacent to
the new phase; and that a note to this effect shall be placed on the final
plat.
16. Sight
Triangle Easements: That sight
triangle easements be provided on the final plat.
17. For
Developments with New Streets-Traffic Signs: That the property owners shall be responsible for placement and
maintenance of temporary regulatory traffic signs including street name signs
before issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy until such time that the street
system is accepted for maintenance by the Town.
18. For
Developments with New Streets-Names, Numbers: That name of the development and its streets and house/building
numbers, be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning
Compliance Permit.
19. Erosion
Control: That a soil erosion and
sedimentation control plan be approved by the appropriate State authority, and
documentation certifying that approval be submitted to the Town, before
issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.
20. Silt
Control: That the applicant take
appropriate measures to prevent and remove the deposit of wet or dry silt on
adjacent paved roadways.
21. Continued
Validity: That continued validity
and effectiveness of this approval is expressly conditioned on the continued
compliance with the plans and conditions listed above.
22. Non-severability: If any of the above conditions is held to be
invalid, approval in its entirety shall be void.
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Council hereby approves the preliminary plat for the Fox Hill
Subdivision in accordance with the plans and conditions listed above.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
Museum Study
Committee
Council Member Pavão
thanked the members of the Museum Study Committee for all of their hard
work. He urged the Council to give
serious consideration to the Committee's recommendations.
Committee Chairperson
Lee Corum introduced Committee Member James Harler to present the Committee's
report.
James Harler said the
Museum Study Committee had been formed in April, 1994 by Council resolution in
order to investigate the possibility of establishing a Town museum in the
former library building on East Franklin Street. He noted that the Committee had submitted its interim report to
the Council in October, 1994. Mr.
Harler stated that the Commission had investigated two organizational models
for museums, those owned and operated by municipalities and museums which were
privately owned but operated as municipal facilities. He noted that the former model offered tighter control but
involved additional costs for staffing.
Mr. Harler said the Committee recommended a six-year, four-phase
overlapping and sequential plan, based on well-defined marketing and
fundraising goals. He noted that
specific details for the plan were contained in the report presented to the
Council this evening.
Mr. Harler said the
Committee felt that the former library building was well-suited for a museum in
many respects, with the two key weaknesses being the lack of on-site parking
and on-site storage.
He stated that a
vibrant, vigorous volunteer program would help to reduce the need for paid
museum staff. Mr. Harler said it was
virtually impossible to pinpoint an exact budget for the proposed museum. He stated that there was a wealth of local
assistance available to start up a local museum. Mr. Harler said the Committee felt that fundraising and marketing
plan strategies were essential to the long-term planning of a museum.
Mr. Harler presented
an overview of the Committee's recommendations, noting that the Committee was
asking the Council to pledge the former library building for a museum
contingent upon successful fundraising.
Mr. Harler stated that the Committee proposed an initial two year
planning phase, with the Chapel Hill Historical Society continuing to occupy
the building during this period. He
said the Committee's main objective was to preserve and present history to
citizens through the establishment of a community museum.
Mayor Broun thanked
the Committee for an excellent presentation and report. Council Member Chilton also thanked the
Committee for its report. Council
Member Chilton said he was certain that Council Members would have questions
once they had an opportunity to read through the Committee's report and
recommendations.
COUNCIL MEMBER
CHILTON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL
MEMBER PROTZMAN, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 9.
Mayor Broun said the
report would give the Council plenty of food for thought. He noted that staff would report back to the
Council in due course. Council Member
Pavão invited Committee members to come back for the Council meeting at which
the report would be discussed.
RESOLUTION 9 WAS
ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
A RESOLUTION
ACCEPTING THE MUSEUM STUDY COMMITTEE'S FINAL REPORT AS PRESENTED AT ITS MAY 22
MEETING, REFERRING THE REPORT TO THE TOWN MANAGER AND THANKING THE COMMITTEE
FOR COMPLETING ITS CHARGE (95-5-22/R-9)
WHEREAS, the Town
Council has established a Museum Study Committee to identify specific issues
and costs associated with a municipal museum at its 523 E. Franklin Street
facility; and
WHEREAS, the Museum
Study Committee has met an average of twice a month over the past year to
gather information and discuss issues associated with the charge put to them by
the Town Council; and
WHEREAS, the Museum
Study Committee has submitted both an Interim Report and a Final Report which
provides both detailed background and recommendations on each charge,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council accepts the
Final Report of the Museum Study Committee and refers it to the Manager for
review.
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Town Council expresses its sincere appreciation to the
members of the Museum Study Committee for their past year of dedicated service
in completing the charges put to them by the Town Council.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
Mr. Corum thanked the
Council for providing Library Director Ms. Kathleen Thompson as the Committee's
staff liaison. He commended Ms.
Thompson for her dedication in helping the Committee complete its report to the
Council in a timely and complete fashion.
Regional Transit
Authority
Mayor Broun noted
that Durham City Council Member and Triangle Transit Authority Chairperson
Sandy Ogburn was in attendance this evening.
Mr. Godding said the
resolution before the Council would support the Triangle Transit Authority's
recommendations and forward Council comments in developing the final plan to
the Authority. Mr. Godding briefly
reviewed the proposed plan and related initial recommendations. Council Member Protzman noted an error in
the staff's memorandum concerning cost projections. Mr. Horton thanked Council Member Protzman for noting this error.
Council Member
Capowski inquired who would ultimately make routing decisions. Mr. Horton said the Council would have a
pre-eminent role in decision making.
Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) Director James Ritchey said he would
not expect the TTA's decision to go against the Council's decisions. He added that all rail corridor options
should be considered as part of the investment study.
Council Member
Capowski inquired about costs for reserving rights-of-way. Mr. Horton said adopted documents would be
the key guide, with there currently being no need to reserve
rights-of-way. Council Member Protzman
asked whether it was correct that there was no plan for cloverleafs relative to
Blue Cross/Blue Shield's plans. Mr.
Horton said there had been no formal Council action to eliminate this
reservation of land.
Council Member Evans
said some citizens had indicated their top priorities were for connections to
the Research Triangle Park and the RDU airport. Mr. Ritchey said the fixed guideway study would attempt to
identify further growth corridors and centers.
He added that expanded, express bus service to the RTP and airport would
likely be recommended over a rail system to these two destinations.
Council Member Evans
said the cost of developing a light rail system would be astronomical. She inquired about anticipated costs to
system users. Mr. Ritchey said although
the TTA Board had not determined specific fares to date, price modeling
suggested that fares would vary between $1 and $3, with passes costing a
maximum of $75 to $80 per month.
Council Member
Chilton noted that "Knightdale" was misspelled in the proposed
resolution. Council Member Protzman
noted that a sentence in the attachment to the resolution erroneously contained
an extra word. Council Member Chilton thanked the Triangle
Transit Authority for all of its work.
COUNCIL MEMBER
CHILTON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 10, AS
AMENDED. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED
UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
A RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING THE PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A REGIONAL TRANSIT PLAN (95‑5‑22/R-10
)
WHEREAS, in 1989, the
NC Legislature, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties, the cities of Durham and
Raleigh and the Towns of Cary and Chapel Hill, created the Triangle Transit
Authority to finance, provide, operate and maintain a safe, clean, reliable,
convenient, energy efficient, economical and environmentally sound public
transportation system, in order to enhance mobility and encourage sound growth
patterns; and
WHEREAS, in 1990,
during their joint meeting, the Greater Raleigh and Durham‑Chapel Hill‑Carrboro
Transportation Advisory Committees adopted a Land Use and Public Transportation
Action Agenda in which the Triangle Transit Authority, in coordination with
local governments and appropriate regional agencies, was directed to evaluate
possible corridors and fixed guideway technologies for potential
implementation; and
WHEREAS, with the
support and funding of the state and the participation of the units of local
government, the Triangle Transit Authority received a Federal Transit
Administration grant and initiated the Triangle Fixed Guideway Study to
determine the desirability, feasibility and location of a fixed guideway transit
system; and
WHEREAS, the Triangle
Transit Authority has worked cooperatively with the public, elected and
appointed officials, managers and staff from Durham, Orange and Wake Counties,
the Cities of Durham, and Raleigh, the Towns of Cary, Chapel Hill, Apex,
Carrboro, Fuquay‑Varina, Garner, Hillsborough, Holly Springs, Knightdale,
Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon, the NC Department of
Transportation, the Triangle Region's Institutions, major employers, economic
and real estate development, financial, transportation and other public and
private sector agencies, business and community groups, on this Study; and
WHEREAS, based on the
Study and input received from the public, elected and appointed officials, and
public and private institutions, the Triangle Transit Authority has developed
Preliminary Recommendations for a Regional Transit Plan;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that:
1. The
Town of Chapel Hill expresses its appreciation to Richard Franck and Rachel
Willis, who are serving as the Town's appointments to the Triangle Transit
Authority's Triangle Fixed Guideway Study Advisory Committee, and for the time
and effort of the Town's staff, who continue to work cooperatively with the
Triangle Transit Authority.
2. The
Town Council has reviewed TTA's Preliminary Recommendations for a Regional
Transit Plan, and requests that the Triangle Transit Authority consider the
attached comments in preparation of a final Regional Transit Plan. The Town supports the adoption of the
Regional Transit Plan as the Long Range Transit Plan and the incorporation of
the Plan in the Long Range Transportation Plan of the Durham/Chapel
Hill/Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee.
3. The
Triangle Transit Authority is hereby encouraged to implement Regional Bus
Service improvements at the earliest possible date.
4. The
Triangle Transit Authority is hereby encouraged to negotiate agreements with
the railroads for access to the right‑of‑way for Regional Rail
operation.
5. The
Chapel Hill Town Manager is hereby directed to work cooperatively with the
Triangle Transit Authority on the coordination of transit routes with Regional
Rail stops and the development of station area plans.
6. The
North Carolina General Assembly is hereby requested to establish a permanent
funding source permitting the long term implementation of the Regional Transit
Plan.
7. The
North Carolina Department of Transportation is hereby requested to provide
state funds, supporting implementation of the Regional Transit Plan.
This the 22nd day of
May, 1995.
There was no need for
a closed session. The meeting concluded
at 11:11 p.m.