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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 199411031 APPROVED 12/5/94 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND HILLSBOROUGH TOWN COMMISSIONERS NOVEMBER 3, 1994 The Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Town of Hillsborough Commissioners met in joint session at 7:30 p.m. on November 3, 1994 in the Planning and Agricultural Center, 306 Revere Road in Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Stephen H. Halkiotis, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Mayor Horace Johnson and Commissioners Allen L. Lloyd, Evelyn Lloyd, Catherine Martin, Richard Simpson and Remus Smith ATTORNEY PRESENT: Doug Thoren COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager ,John M. Link, Jr., Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe, Planning Director Marvin Collins and Planner Mary Willis TOWN STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Eric Swanson and Planning Director Margaret Hauth Chair Carey welcomed everyone to the meeting. Introductions were made. Mayor Johnson said that this is a continuing effort to formulate a plan for the surrounding area of Hillsborough. He hopes that a plan can be developed jointly with Orange County for providing infrastructure, utilities and zoning to make it easier for developers who may want to locate in that area which will eventually be annexed by Hillsborough. He would like to see it developed to Town standards. 1. COOPERATIVE PLANNING AGREEMENT Background Information: On May 9, 1994, the Town of Hillsborough adopted a resolution withdrawing from the Cooperative Planning Agreement, with Orange County. Per the Agreement provisions, the withdrawal became effective June 29, 1994, 30 days after receipt of notification of withdrawal by Orange County. To be considered is the future direction of Cooperative Planning between Orange county and the Town of Hillsborough. Mayor Johnson said that the action taken in May to drop out of Cooperative Planning allowed Hillsborough the option to annex University Station. He sees a need for the County and the Town to again work together for planning in that area. The consensus of the Town Board is to sit and listen until after the public hearing on November 30 and then to take a serious look at what is proposed. They have no desire to provide utilities past Davis Road but want to leave it open as an option. He made reference to the map that was distributed which is on page 8 of the agenda. He would not 2 want to see package plants or septic tanks in the Secondary II area. Commissioner Willhoit explained that the plan that will be presented at the Quarterly Public Hearing will be a phased plan where water and sewer would not be extended until a specified threshold is reached. He questioned why Hillsborough would want to wait to provide these services if they had a developer who wanted to locate in this area. Town Commissioner Remus Smith stated he is very much in favor of cooperative planning with Orange County. They only got out of the agreement so they could consider University Station. Chair Carey asked that the two Boards focus on where they are and where they want to go. He would like for them to plan for the entire area and not just the I-40/Old 86 area. He asked Hillsborough to consider getting back into the joint planning process so that a Land Use Plan can be developed. Town Commissioner Smith said he wants to get back into the whole process except for a couple of points. He wants the agreement to be changed to allow annexation. Town Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd agreed with this change. He also would like a definition of "Open Space". Chair Carey suggested that a subcommittee review the agreement for changes that need to be made. These recommendations would then be reported back to each Board for consideration of approval. This subcommittee will include two people from each Board, the two Managers and Planning Directors. John Link made reference to the small area planning process and indicated that the County Commissioners have a goal to pursue this concept. Perhaps as this group reexamines the agreement, they can look at each area in the small area planning process. Marvin Collins noted that each spring the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill seek class projects. Professor David Godschalk contacted him about such an opportunity with the County. One suggestion would be to have this class do a small area plan for the area southeast of Hillsborough which is actually part of three small area planning areas. The students will prepare a report which will be presented to the two governing boards. They would start in January and finish in May. A work group could include two County Commissioners, 2 Hillsborough Commissioners, 2 from each Planning Board, members from the two Planning Departments, a representative from the Triangle Conservancy, county and city residents or any composition agreed upon by the two Boards. The starting point would be with the two board members from Orange County and Hillsborough. It was the consensus that County Commissioners Halkiotis and Willhoit and Town Commissioners Evelyn Lloyd and Martin would serve on this committee. Commissioner Gordon feels it is important that this group try to define some common underlying principles and then develop a Land Use Plan and a boundary for water and sewer. She believes that the agreement on the land use plan and the water and sewer boundary should be inextricably linked,, and included in any resulting cooperative planning document. She does not 3 feel that the annexation issue is as important as the land use planning issue, and Chair Carey agreed with this point. Commissioner Willhoit feels that the annexation issue is important. However, it should not be a significant point in the planning and the utility service district should not be a stumbling block. After a Land Use Plan is agreed upon and the types of development are determined, the infrastructure to support that type of development can be planned. Mayor Johnson made reference to their 2010 Vision Plan and emphasized the importance of working with the County to be sure these areas are suitable for annexation. It was decided that the Managers and the Planning Directors will make recommendations concerning the details of forming this committee, and report back to the two governing boards. 2. I-40/OLD NC 86 WORK GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS (Attachment #2) Background Information: Since July of 1994, a Work Group comprised of Town of Hillsborough and Orange County Commissioners and Planning Board members, and Economic Development Commission members has been meeting to prepare plans for a proposed Economic Development District at the intersection of I-40 and Old N.C. Highway 86. The recommendations of the Work Group as they pertain to Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance and Atlas amendments were considered by the Board of Commissioners at its November 1 regular meeting. The amendments are recommended for a November 30 public hearing, at which time public comment will be received. Marvin Collins made reference to page 4 of the agenda and briefly outlined the recommendations. He emphasized that the district boundary remains unchanged except for the west side of NC 86. Property owners in that section asked that they be included in the district. He reviewed the options for the extension of water and sewer as listed in the agenda. Chair Carey said that the next step is for the County to hold a Quarterly Public Hearing at which time the public will have an opportunity to make comments about this area. He invited the Town Commissioners to attend the meeting. He again commended the Work Group on this project. He feels that if the Town and the County work cooperatively, they can do quality things for the citizens. The main objective is to enhance the tax base and provide quality jobs. In answer to a question from Commissioner Gordon about the Town adopting the same standards that .the County has in their Economic Development Districts, Mayor Johnson said that they are in agreement with adopting those standards. Commissioner Willhoit feels that what is being proposed is compatible to what the Town has set forth in their Vision 2010 report. He still questions why if somebody wants to locate in the Secondary I area, that annexation is necessary for them to locate in that area. He feels that they should not have 4 to be annexed in order to receive water and sewer. Mayor Johnson said that when someone comes to the Town and asks for water and sewer, they have them sign a voluntary annexation authorization. Eric Swanson said that there are two reasons someone wants to be annexed. One is to receive utilities and two is so they can be in the Hillsborough planning jurisdiction. If the Joint Planning Agreement is put in stone, the only reason for someone wanting to annex would be for water and sewer. Commissioner Willhoit feels it is important to decide on the type of utilities required in that area and that this is something that can be decided by the two Boards later. Commissioner Halkiotis emphasized the importance of the two governing boards working together on Joint Planning. He feels everyone is committed to what they want Hillsborough and the County to look like. Chair Carey explained that the County will have a public hearing, refer the item to the Planning Board for a recommendation to come back to the County Commissioners early in 1995. Eric Swanson stated that the City of Hillsborough would have a public hearing on the standards the end of January. Mayor Johnson emphasized that they do want to protect the Rural Buffer but they do not want to rule out any business that may want to locate in the Economic Development district. Eric Swanson said that they want to attract low water users -- those that would not use more than 30,OOOgpd. A shorter planning process is also desirable. Town Commissioner Smith said that the Town does want to guard the area south of the Prison Camp. They want to preserve that as a beautiful entranceway to Hillsborough. This plan would achieve that goal. He is willing for the Utility Boundary Committee to work out the water and sewer boundaries and he is greatly in favor of allowing future development to extend water and sewer to the entire EED. Mayor Johnson made reference to the agenda and stated that deleting d(1) and d(2) of the Joint Planning Agreement would allow them the option of extending water and sewer to this area. ADJOIIRNMENT With no further discussion, Chair Carey adjourned the meeting at 9:00. The next regular meeting of the County Commissioners will be held On November 15, 1994 at 7:30 p.m. at the OWASA Meeting Room in Carrboro, North Carolina. Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk