SUMMARY OF A WORK SESSION HELD BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1996

Mayor Waldorf called the work session to order at 7:31 a.m. Council Members in attendance were Julie Andresen (arrived at 7:43 a.m.), Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Pat Evans, Richard Franck, Lee Pavao and Edith Wiggins. Council Member Mark Chilton was unable to attend. Also in attendance were NC Department of Transportation Representative Dr. Gorman Gilbert, Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Manager Florentine Miller, Engineering Director George Small, Senior Planner David Bonk, Planning Director Roger Waldon and Town Clerk Peter Richardson.

Mayor Waldorf briefly reviewed a list of possible discussion topics for the work session, including: South Columbia Street, the median cut at NC 86 and Westminster Drive, taking Pittsboro Street Extension off the Thoroughfare Plan, the status of the U.S. 15-501 corridor study, phasing of U.S. 15-501 South, Weaver Dairy Road and the status of Triangle Transit Authority regional transit. Council Member Evans suggested discussion about asking DOT to provide a portion of right-of-way between access roads and thoroughfares in which to plant trees. Council Member Capowski suggested a discussion of State maintenance of local roads.

South Columbia Street

Mr. Horton presented an overview of the Council’s discussions relative to South Columbia Street. He noted that the Council did not feel it was necessary to expand South Columbia Street to four or five lanes, as proposed by the Department of Transportation. Council Member Capowski said that a number of private property owners on the west side of the southern portion of South Columbia Street were putting needed property improvements on hold, pending assurances from the Department of Transportation relative to the future of South Columbia Street. Council Member Capowski said it was important that this situation be stabilized as soon as possible. Council Member Brown said it was important for a decision to be made and for this information to be conveyed about how individual property owners might be affected. Council Member Evans stated that an estimated one million people per year used the Ambulatory Care Facility on South Columbia Street.

Dr. Gilbert inquired about the Council’s feelings about a four-lane facility on this portion of South Columbia Street. Council Member Brown said during her seven years on the Council, this option had been consistently rejected. Council Member Capowski said that a previous Council, by a vote of 6-3, had walked away from the availability of several million dollars to widen South Columbia Street. Council Member Capowski also said it was desirable to save the existing stone walls on the west side of South Columbia Street, rather than making this roadway a four or five-lane wide strip of asphalt.

Dr. Gilbert inquired about the Town’s willingness to take over this portion of roadway. Council Member Franck inquired whether the State would permit such an arrangement. Council Member Brown said the possible rerouting of NC 86 had come up in the past. Council Member Franck said it was worth the Town’s while to consider taking over the roadway if the State were willing to permit such an arrangement. Council Member Evans inquired how the Town would pay for taking over this responsibility. Council Member Pavao inquired whether or not staff had an estimate of costs for such an eventuality. Town Engineer George Small said staff could generate such an estimate, including costs for maintenance responsibilities.

Stating that many different permutations for the future of South Columbia Street had been studied, Dr. Gilbert said he would be willing to examine the staff’s cost estimates for taking over the roadway. Dr. Gilbert also indicated that he would see what he could do to help out relative to paying for possible transfer of this responsibility.

Council Member Franck said this project had been number one on the Council’s priority list for about five years. Council Member Pavao said the project had been on the Council’s “wish list” for a long time. Mayor Waldorf said that staff could report back to the Council on options available to the Town.

Median Cut at NC 86/Westminster Drive

Dr. Gilbert thanked Dr. Gilbert for his assistance in securing a traffic signal and median cut at NC 86 and Westminster Drive, in accordance with the Council’s wishes. Dr. Gilbert said he was also seeking installation of a traffic signal at NC 86 and Stateside Drive. Mr. Horton inquired whether or not it was all right to announce the median cut and signal at NC 86 and Westminster Drive. Dr. Gilbert said yes, noting that he could provide the Town with a written follow-up on this matter. Mayor Waldorf also expressed the Council’s thanks to Dr. Gilbert for the traffic signal at the recently opened East Chapel Hill High School on Weaver Dairy Road. Dr. Gilbert noted that a number of other traffic signals were also planned for installation including one near the Chapel Hill High School off Seawell School Road.

Pittsboro Street Extension

Mayor Waldorf requested that the Manager present an overview of history of the Pittsboro Street Extension. Mr. Horton presented an overview of the proposed Pittsboro Street Extension, noting that the proposed roadway would directly impact any development related proposals in the vicinity of Airport Road and the 100 block of West Franklin Street. He noted that the key effect of the possible roadway was the need to preserve right-of-way for this potential corridor. Council Member Capowski said the Council would be considering an informal development proposal in this vicinity at its next regular business meeting. Mr. Horton said the proposal was a petition relative to the possible purchase of a portion of Town Parking Lot Number Five.

Council Member Brown noted that the last time such a proposal came before the Council, the owners of Walker’s Funeral Home had asked for the Council’s assistance in not moving ahead on this proposal, due to the direct impact on the Walker property. She also stated that a large segment of the community opposed the Pittsboro Street Extension due to its devastating impact on this older portion of the Town. Stating that the splitting of the Town by roads was very detrimental, Council Member Brown said it was very important to have Pittsboro Street Extension removed from the Thoroughfare Plan.

Council Member Evans noted that her husband had served on a committee relative to the downtown area and traffic concerns. Council Member Andresen inquired whether this was a Consultation and Coordination Committee (CCC) established effort. Council Member Evans said it was a Mayor’s Committee. Dr. Gilbert suggested that the Council adopt a resolution requesting removal of Pittsboro Street Extension from the Thoroughfare Plan and forward it to him for his follow-up.

Mr. Horton inquired whether or not it was practical to terminate NC 86 earlier than its present terminus. Dr.Gilbert said yes, adding that he would be pleased to explore possibilities in this regard. Council Member Brown inquired where NC 86 currently terminated. Mr. Horton said near Merritt’s Pasture.

Proposed Pedestrian Tunnel at Meadowmont

Mr. Horton said the developer of the proposed Meadowmont master plan was requesting an open cut for a pedestrian tunnel on NC 54 to connect the north and south sides of the development. After briefly describing details of the “cut and cover” method, Mr. Horton said that Department of Transportation staff objected to his method, possibly due to the interruption of traffic patterns on NC 54. Dr. Gilbert said he would check on the status of the Department of Transportation’s concerns on this matter. Town Engineer Small said this matter was likely at the division level of Department of Transportation staff.

Weaver Dairy Road

Mayor Waldorf thanked Dr. Gilbert for his assistance in getting the Weaver Dairy Road project moved up to a seven year time frame. Dr. Gilbert noted that $5.8 million had been programmed for the estimated $10 million Weaver Dairy Road project. He stated that money was allocated to

do the eastern third of the project first. Dr. Gilbert said he would be willing to help if it was the Council’s wish to undertake the western third of the project first, rather than the eastern third.

Noting the advent of the proposed Lowe’s and other developments in the Sage Road area, Dr. Gilbert said he believed that the Town would get “more bang for the buck” by doing the eastern part of the project first. Mr. Horton said it would be workable to start on either end (eastern or western end) of Weaver Dairy Road. Dr.Gilbert said he hoped to be able to secure all $10 million in funding for the Weaver Dairy Road project.

Council Member Andresen inquired whether or not the proposed five-lane cross-section for Weaver Dairy Road Extension was as wide as the present five-lane section of Sage Road. Mr. Horton said this was correct. Council Member Franck inquired about the possibility of having a four-lane, rather than a five-lane, cross section. Council Member Evans said a number of large subdivisions were proposed for the area. Mr. Horton inquired whether or not Mr. Waldon recalled whether or not there were any connections on to Sage Road. Stating that the number of connections was minimal, Mr. Waldon said the Town’s efforts had focused on dedication of right-of-way in this area. Mr. Horton noted that Weaver Dairy Road would ultimately continue on into the Carrboro Town limits. Stating that a massive number of turning movements was not likely, Council Member Franck said he thought that having a fifth lane would be a waste of pavement.

Mayor Waldorf asked whether there was any agreement by the Council on the question of phasing. Council Member Brown inquired about the possibility of making this project into a four lane road. Dr. Gilbert said this was a debatable matter. Mr. Horton said there was no closure on this matter since the project was currently only in the design stage. Council Member Brown asked if project funding would be jeopardized if the Council chose to switch ends of the project’s priority. Dr. Gilbert said the present timeframe called for project construction to start in 2003. Dr. Gilbert also stated that although he could attempt to move the project timeframe up, he could make no promises in this regard. Council Member Andresen said she favored starting on the eastern end of the project. Council Member Franck said he agreed with Dr. Gilbert relative to the desirability of starting on the eastern end of the project.

Dr. Gilbert inquired what the Council wanted in terms of phasing. Council Member Evans said she favored completing the eastern end of the project first. Stating that she wanted the whole project done, Mayor Waldorf said she did not have any strong feelings about which end to complete first. She suggested that if it were Dr. Gilbert’s sense to do the eastern end of the project first, this was the manner in which to proceed.

Estes Drive Bicycle Lanes

Council Member Andresen inquired about the possibility of getting less bicycle lanes constructed on Estes Drive. Mr. Horton noted that the estimated cost of this project, including right of way acquisition, was $1.8 million. Dr. Gilbert asked whether the Council felt that the project was overdesigned by the Department of Transportation. Mr. Bonk said that there were significant concerns about utility relocation, the presence of bedrock and other factors which contributed to the relatively high estimated pricetag for the project. Mr. Horton said that the subject corridor was a difficult one to work in. Dr. Gilbert inquired what assistance the Town was seeking for this project. Mr. Horton said another possibility would be for the Council to seek a road project with excellent bicycle lanes. Council Member Franck said there were other more important roadway projects than this one. Council Member Andresen said if the Department of Transportation were willing to be flexible, costs might be reduced. Council Member Franck said a large portion of the project costs were related to utility relocation and other technical matters. Dr. Gilbert said he was not sure what the Council wanted to do relative to this matter.

Council Member Capowski said it would be possible to have a bicycle lane with gaps. Mr. Horton said the project could be accomplished using Town funds, therefore not requiring that any State or Federal standards be met. Mayor Waldorf said there was no obvious solution to this matter.

Mayor Waldorf said she would like to try to persuade the Department of Transportation to do the portion of U.S. 15-501 to Dogwood Acres Drive first. Dr. Gilbert said he would look into this possibility.

Noting the importance of working with Chatham County on traffic impact matters, Council Member Evans said the overall traffic situation was chaotic and getting worse. Referencing a recent newspaper article, Council Member Brown said a portion of the proposed Chatham Connector would go through Durham County. She stated that it was important to work with Durham and Chatham Counties on this matter. Noting her agreement on this point, Mayor Waldorf said this matter could be worked through with the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC).

Transit 2001 Committee

Dr. Gilbert stated that a draft report had recently been issued by the Committee. He added that the next meeting of the Technical Committee would take place in Charlotte on November 25^th and 26^th. He added that there would likely be many changes to this rough draft report.

Council Member Franck said a lot of important issues needed to be considered by the committee. Stating that there was presently no overall multi-modal division to look at everything, Council Member Franck said it was important to put transit on an equal footing with highways.

Dr.Gilbert said approximately $320 million per year of the Department of Transportation’s budget was expended on Highway Patrol, Driver Education and other similar programs. He stated that two possibilities relative to increased funding for transit were raising the gas tax or giving more flexibility to local governments relative to taxes.

Stating that the Council had raised bus fares and the transit tax rate last year, and that the continued operation of the local bus system was crucial, Council Member Capowski said he had a gnawing concern that the Triangle Transit Authority would siphon funds off from Chapel Hill Transit in the future. Dr.Gilbert said he was aware that this was a matter of big debate for Chapel Hill and Durham. Mr. Bonk said the current year during which Section Nine transit funds were split between Chapel Hill Transit, Durham Transit and the Triangle Transit Authority. Mr. Horton said he thought that Council Member Capowski was correct about his observation relative to Triangle Transit Authority funding. Council Member Franck said he thought that the western half of the region had a lot of clout on the Triangle Transit Authority Board of Directors. Mayor Waldorf said it was important for the Town to be aggressive in seeking transit funding.

Council Member Evans inquired about the status of a transit tax from rental cars. Dr. Gilbert said this had been proposed but was never implemented or adopted by the General Assembly.

Dr. Gilbert said he encouraged all Council Members to continue writing letters on transit issues to State legislators and other key elected officials such as the Governor. Mayor Waldorf inquired about the status of the U.S. 15-501 corridor study. Dr. Gilbert said the study committee had not met in quite some time and consequently there was nothing new to report on this matter.

Transportation Improvements Program (TIP) Process

Mr. Horton inquired whether there was any particular recent background information which the Council would find useful relative to the overall TIP process. Dr. Gilbert said that the Draft Transportation Improvements Program was issued annually in May, following one-on-one staff negotiations. He noted that there appeared to be a fair amount of concern regarding the time period between issuance of the final draft and actual adoption of annual TIPs. Mayor Waldorf said it was important for the Town to continue to get good projections of cost estimates for individual projects as early as possible in the process.

Stating that the most crucial activities were at the front end of the process, Council Member Franck said it would be desirable to see a merged project priority list which was a truly cooperative effort, rather than a trading off of projects. He also stated that the overall current process was not very functional for metropolitan areas. Council Member Franck expressed concern that the current process led to poor decisionmaking.

Dr. Gilbert said he would be pleased to provide the Council and the Town with more information about what was going on relative to actual project priorities. Council Member Brown expressed appreciation to Dr. Gilbert for his willingness to provide updated information. Council Member Brown also stated that there appeared to be some friction and uncooperativeness between the Department of Transportation’s staff level and the staff of local governments. Mr. Gilbert said he did not perceive there being such a problem or friction.

Council Member Brown inquired whether or not the Department of Transportation was planning to change its current structure regarding the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). Dr. Gilbert said although he was not aware of any such plans, this possibility could be discussed in the future. Council Member Brown said she wanted to put the matter on the table for discussion in the future. Mr. Bonk noted that the existing structure had been established by legislative action. Mayor Waldorf noted that a change in structure would therefore require a change in existing laws. Council Member Brown inquired whether or not the DOT Board could have a strong impact on such a requested change in structure. Council Member Franck said it was possible that the Board could take the lead in such a matter.

Stating that there was still a number of accumulated sandpiles on area bridges from last winter’s snow and ice events, Council Member Capowski said he believed that the State and Town were doing a poor job of maintaining and cleaning roads in the Town. He inquired what the Town could do to improve this situation. Dr. Gilbert said he would be pleased to help resolve this concerns if he were provided a list of problem locations.

Council l Member Evans said the Town would be appreciative of having the Department of Transportation’s cooperation relative to requiring developers to plant trees between rights-of-way and access roads. Dr. Gilbert said the Department of Transportation would be pleased to assist with tree planting arrangements at a number of locations if the Town could provide a list to him.

Council Member Evans said she could provide a list of some future tree planting projects which might be joint efforts between the Department of Transportation and the Town. Dr. Gilbert noted that the Department of Transportation had spent about $50,000 for the landscaping at intersection of NC 86 and Interstate 40. Mayor Waldorf suggested that Council Member Evans prepare a list of such projects to bring before the Council in the near future.

Mr. Small stated that historically one of the biggest problems with tree plantings had been the rigidity of Department of Transportation District and Division office standards in carrying out such plantings. Council Member Evans said that roadside plantings generally served as an aid in slowing traffic down on roadways.

Dr. Gilbert said he was open to meeting with the Council in the future. Council Member Brown said she thought that this morning’s session had helped a lot.

The meeting concluded at 8:50 a.m.