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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20020430APPROVED 10/15/02 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Work Session April 30, 2002 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. at the government Services Center in Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Margaret W Brawn, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordan (arrived at 8:10 p.m.) and Stephen Halkiatis COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill and S. Sean Borhanian COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod Visser and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below} NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. 1. Justice Facilities Development; Expanded Master Plan Presentation Purchasing and Central Stores Director Pam Jones said that the Board has previously received information on various design options for the Hillsborough court facilities and the associated parking. This presentation will be made by Freeman-White Architects and is intended to include the Expanded master Plan. There will also be a brief elaboration regarding how the implementation of the expanded plan might impact the expansion of the Government Services Center as proposed in the 2000 space study. The agenda abstract included three parking options, which have been identified. They are listed below as a point of reference for Board discussion: :• Parking facilities integrated into each phase of courthouse expansion, beginning with the Phase I I (Phase I includes only underground secured parking for judicial officials and was referenced as Option B in the original master plan report). • Separate parking deck situated in the approximate location of the existing Sheriff's office. (Referenced as Option A in the original master plan report. Commissioners have previously supported leaving the Sheriff's building intact and not placing a freestanding deck on this site.) • Separate parking deck situated in the approximate location of the existing Government Services Center Annex parking lot. (Included in the expanded master plan.} Lane Baldwin from Freeman-White Architects made a PowerPaint presentation. This presentation is hereby incorporated into these minutes by reference. He said that the revised Master Plan Concept was developed as a response to issues raised during the review of the 2000 Hillsborough Court Campus Master Plan. These included: • Providing increased visual connection, in addition to pedestrian access, between East Margaret Lane and River Park • Anticipating replacement of the existing Government Services Annex building with construction of a 30,000 square foot addition to the south end of the existing Government Services Center • Documenting current traffic conditions in the downtown Hillsborough area, and providing projections for future conditions The revised Master Plan Concept addresses the issues raised by previous studies, while maintaining the original Master Plan concept •:• Maintains the original Master Plan concept of staged Courts expansion along East Margaret Lane • Reduces building mass on East Margaret lane • Allows the existing Sheriff's Department building to remain a part of the government campus • Takes advantage of the maximum potential for an-grade parking, while relocating the proposed parking deck to reduce visual impact on Courts buildings • Provides the most efficient vehicle access for both staff and public, within the constraints of the site :• Provides better visual connection between East Margaret Lane and River Park, with increased pedestrian access NOTE: The next part of this presentation consisted of drawings with different options and stages. Commissioner Brown asked how much of the park would be taken by additional parking required behind the Sheriff's Office and Lane Baldwin said that 20 feet would be used but that it does not infringe on the woods in any way. Pam Jones said that there would be two entrances on either side of the Sheriff's Office. There would still be pedestrian access to the courthouse via the front entrance off of Margaret Lane. Judge Joe Buckner emphasized that to be sure that all buildings are secure and safe, that some decisions on ingress and egress from the court buildings will be made in concert with the Sheriff's department. There would be a transitional area, which could be used as a waiting area - corridor between the four buildings in the lower area. Lane Baldwin said that the thinking today for government buildings is to reduce the ingress and egress to one area for security reasons. A single point of access is recommended. Commissioner Carey asked if there would be a way for the Sheriff to take prisoners to and from court without going through a public area. Lane Baldwin said that there would be a separate way far the Sheriff to transport prisoners and for the judges to enter their offices. There would be separate access for judges, inmates and the public. This will be developed in the next phase of this master plan. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the Johnston County court facility and the security they provided with separate entrances. Recently he was in Greensboro's court and he said that the lobby area was the terminal area for elevators, bathrooms and other functions. In answer to a question about elevators, Lane Baldwin said that there would be elevators in all buildings with more than one floor. Commissioner Halkiotis asked if they are thinking about a tunnel under Margaret Lane and Lane Baldwin said that they were looking at the possibility of developing an underground link. Judge Joe Buckner said that one thing they tried to take into consideration was the fact that they have thirteen different types of courts held in Hillsborough. One thing they hope will come out of the builtout of this campus is that they, the judges, would have the ability to handle any situation that may arise like a high profile case. It is not needed for every courtroom they have but is certainly necessary for some of the courtrooms. They are looking far the flexibility of handling the different types of cases in a secure environment. They will decide what they need in the first phase -traffic court or other court facilities or a Sheriff's department. NOTE: At this point of the meeting Commissioner Gordon arrived (8:10 p.m.). Commissioner Carey asked haw many years the first phase would take care of before another facility would be needed. Judge Buckner said that they don't know about the court staff needs. They do know that they need another Superior Court Judge. They don't really know what the court activity will be in future years. When Chapel Hill launched their traffic squad, there were one third more tickets given out which increased the volume of activity for the courts. Lane Baldwin pointed out that the building projects would be dependent on needs. Lane Baldwin talked about the parking study and future issues with increased traffic volume downtown even without new construction. The recommendations are listed below: • Optimize traffic signal timing for and phasing; add loop detectors to allow signal light operation to respond to actual use conditions • Remove on-street parking along East Margaret Lane • Restrict parking along Churton Street during peak use periods. May involve limiting on-street parking during busy periods • Acquire additional on-grade parking at other locations in Hillsborough -may be possible? • Alter traffic flaw to one-way around government campus -East an East Margaret Lane, West on King Street • Since parking requirements are driven by Hillsborough zoning requirements, County and City should work to reduce on-site parking requirements if possible •'• Other? Commissioner Brown said that people drop off and pickup people in front of the courthouse and noted that the plan has no drop-off area. She suggested having two lanes that turn into the facility. Also no public transportation area is available. Pam Jones said that there might be an opportunity to provide adrop-off, pick-up area in front of the new buildings on Margaret Lane. Chair Jacobs said that to same extent we need to look at the parking problem like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did and make a decision about providing parking for everyone or asking people to use other farms of transportation to the area. Clerk of Courts James Stanford noted that people come to the courthouse at all times during the day. It is usually not everyone showing up at 9:00 a.m. and then leaving at the same time. They come and go all day long. Commissioner Gordon said that this is an incredible development plan with multistory buildings packed into an area that is really hard to access. These structures will be the largest in the Town of Hillsborough. Lane Baldwin said that it would be the responsibility of the architect to break up the area so that it is not one large mass. The scale in the front of these buildings would be broken up to make it appear as if it will fit into a small town atmosphere. Commissioner Halkiotis said that we have discussed over the years the issue with parking as it involves people working in the Government Services Center. It seems that you almost have to farce employees to park other than the closest place to where they work. Lane Baldwin said that their challenge was to develop an area with as much space as possible. They have to accommodate the cars because of the Hillsborough Zoning rules and regulations. Commissioner Brown said that as part of the first planning group far this area, she gets the sense that this plan is not sustainable for the town or community. This plan does not seem to be sustainable for downtown Hillsborough that is a very historic town. The sheer hugeness of this development is unreal. She does not feel that the County should have to provide all the parking. Chair Jacobs said that one thing to consider is whether or not we want to expand this building and take some of the parking away. We may not want to expand the Government Service Center. Judge Buckner said that people da move in and out fast during some courts. He will have 1,000 people in the morning and they will all be out by noon. He has to cancel civil court tomorrow because he has no room. Commissioner Carey said that we are starting with the premise that everything must be here in Hillsborough which is the least likely because of the space and the people in Hillsborough probably don't want this either. Why squeeze it all in an area that is already full. Why can't we put it someplace else. Judge Buckner said that having everything in one location helps with staff coordination far the Clerk of Courts, utilization of existing resources and having the Sheriff and his staff in one location. The statutory issue is that the North Carolina general assembly has said that the courts must be located in the County seat. He does not have a problem with being in Chapel Hill. Part of the problem is that the County Commissioners are charged with providing for the courts in the County. Commissioner Gordon said that we do have buildings scattered everyplace in the County. We need to think about coordination of functions when expanding County facilities. There are more than just judicial facilities here. John Link suggested that we select two or three of the major thoughts expressed tonight like Sustainability and continue to work with the historic groups in Hillsborough to determine how much we want to sustain here in Hillsborough and how much building in the next ten years do we pursue in Hillsborough. Another factor is cost. How much can we afford in the next ten years and how much of the growth in these functions is in Chapel Hill. Commissioner Halkiotis said that we have a meeting coming up with Hillsborough and this would be something we could discuss with them. We need to talk with them about doing something jointly because the Town of Hillsborough also need parking. We cannot put everything here. We need to look at other locations. Chair Jacobs said that he would like to see what we could sustain without a parking deck. This could mean deleting the expansion of the Government Service Center. It was the third phase that kicked us into the parking deck. He suggested that the County do phase I and phase II (54,000 square feet) without a parking deck. John Link noted that the Manager's office does not need to stay in the Government Service Center. If Personnel and Finance are relocated, the Manager's office could be relocated also. Commissioner Gordon said that further discussion needs to take place on which functions need to be together. John Link asked that instead of sharing this with Hillsborough at this time, to let the consultant work on this again to focus on the sustainability issue. Commissioner Brown made reference to parking and said that it is not just parking but parking and traffic. She said that one time when she and Commissioner Gordon were working on this project with Pam Janes, they tried to think of other locations for expansion of County office space. Chair Jacobs asked that this same presentation be made on Monday night during the meeting with the Town of Hillsborough but preface the presentation with remarks that we are focusing on sustainability and feel this plan does not meet that criteria. It could be a shortened version focusing on the assumptions it was based on and the problems with the traffic. Commissioner Gordan voiced doubt about sharing this presentation with the Town of Hillsborough since we do not agree that this is the plan. Pam Jones said that they could provide an update to the plan that Hillsborough has already seen and give them some additional detail about the sustainability and the problems with traffic. 2. Proposed Contract with Haden-Stanziale far Conceptual Design and Site Planning at Little River Regional Park The Board considered awarding a contract to Haden-Stanziale, P.A., Planners and Landscape architects, for developing a conceptual design and site plan for the Little river Regional Park and Natural Area. Establishing the new Little River Regional Park and Natural Area is a cooperative project among the partners Orange County, Durham County, the Triangle Land Conservancy and the Eno River Association. The 391-acre park will be jointly awned and managed by Orange and Durham counties. Environment and Resource Conservation Director David Stancil made this presentation. He said that one of the things the Board suggested last fall was to get together with Durham County and talk about the plan. Before the plan gets on its way, he suggested that representatives from the two Boards meet and talk about any issues they may have. He has also been working on an interlocal agreement for the park's operation and maintenance, which he hopes to share with the Boards in the near future. The deadline for using the grant money is September and they know they will need to ask for an extension but they need to show some progress on the plan in order to have a chance of getting an extension. David Stancil said that the next important action for Board consideration is hiring a firm to develop a conceptual design and site plan far the construction of the park facilities. Orange County recently solicited proposals for a qualified and experienced firm to conduct the work. Four firms submitted responses and the County interviewed three firms on March 13. Based on criteria as listed in the agenda, the selection committee chose Haden-Stanziale to perform the requested services. They have 20 years of experience with creating recreational facilities throughout the state and have done several park design projects in the Triangle region. The project would be designed within 90- 120 days after which construction bids would immediately be solicited. Funding for the park designlsite plan {and development) comes from a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund awarded to Orange and Durham counties for developing the Little River Regional Park. The grant ($262,000) is due to expire on September 30, 2002. Staff intends to request an extension once the design firm is hired because that would help demonstrate progress on the project for which grant funds will be used. Commissioner Brawn made reference to horseback riding and said she thought that they were going to allow horseback riding. David Stancil said that is correct. The only outstanding issue is haw much room we will provide for parking horse trailers. Everything else has been resolved. The camping will be resolved when they have a meeting with Durham County officials. David Stancil said that another outstanding issue is the caretaker. Chair Jacobs asked if this would come back before the County Commissioners adjourn in June and David Stancil said that they would bring back a concept plan before the summer break but the interlocal agreement would not come to the Board until after the summer break. A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to award the proposal and approve and authorize the Chair to sign the contract for Haden-Stanziale, P.A. in an amount not to exceed $27,120, plus reimbursable expenses as they may occur. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 3. EflandlBuckhorn EDDICheeks Small Area Planning Study The Board heard a report from Planning Director Craig Benedict on the EflandlBuckhorn EDD/Cheeks small area planning area issues including a process to complete the 1997 bond aspects of public sewer commitment in the Efland area. Craig Benedict listed the planning initiatives in the EflandlBuckhorn EDDICheeks area as included in the agenda materials. The Planning staff will be evaluating issues regarding the Efland sewer operation. The rules were originally adopted in the mid 1980's with several amendments thereafter. Conditions may have changed which may warrant further amendments and policy considerations. The agenda listed five staff recommendations. For the purpose of Board discussion, these recommendations are listed below with the colors indicating areas on a map used far illustration: :• Determine Urban Service Line in and around Phases 1A (red, existing}, 1 B (peach}, 2 (yellow), 3 (green}, and 4 (blue} • Bid final design of 1997 Bond Area with urban service area noted above in mind for potential future expansion • Examine Urban Service Line in Buckhorn EDDICheeks area :• Continue more formal discussions with City of Mebane in Study Map areas 1, 2, 3 • Consider changes to land use designation in all study areas as part of Comprehensive Plan to be consistent with Village Growth Boundary Craig Benedict made reference to a map showing the potential phases to the Efland Sewer line. He noted that there is not a sewer system plan for the EDD area. He made reference to page 12 in the agenda and listed the six goals for this study. County Engineer Paul Thames talked about what services we have in this area now as far as the sewer system and what we plan to do in the next phase. He made reference to a map and indicated the areas far which the 1997 bonds were intended. He noted that in general you have seven years to sell the bonds without asking for an extension. This period will run out in 2004. If we start now with developing a plan, it would take at least 24 months. That is an issue we need to be thinking about in terms of development of this sewer line. We have $3 million in bond money and other monies set aside in the budget far planning this project. He suggested we use some of this money to formulate a plan to finish out the project. The County has a contract with the Town of Hillsborough to treat 330 gallons of waste per day. When Richmond Hills comes on line, we will be treating 50 gallons of waste per day. Even with phase I and II, the total amount of water being treated would still only be 100 gallons of waste per day, so there is plenty of space in serving whatever area it is determined should be served. Jahn Link said that there will be some bond sales during the next two years sa there is no reason to wait until 2004 to sell the bonds. However, in order to move forward on this project, he needs the County Commissioners to provide same guidance. He suggested that they could hire a consultant within the next six months to design sections 1 B and 2 and at the same time have a consultant do a master plan for the entire area. This six-month timeframe would allow the planning staff adequate time to resolve same of the planning issues. Hopefully, the design will give us an idea of how the line will be extended and the capacity of the line. Paul Thames said that everything that can ever be served is essentially what is shown on the map. The area further north, which includes the EDD and the Buckhorn area, may be difficult to serve. Chair Jacobs said that when he approached Congressman Price about getting some grant money for this project it included design work on the master plan. In answer to a question from Commissioner Gordon about how developing a master plan would be funded, Paul Thames said that historically the way the County went about developing the portions of the Efland Sewer System was that it created some expectations for many of the residents in that area of law cost sewer. Beyond that service area, there are no expectations for expansion. His assumption is that if we do expand the sewer into the area where there are no expectations that the cost of this extension would be paid for by those who receive the services. Commissioner Gordon said that she thinks it is important to spell out the purpose of the plan and the expectations about funding it. Paul Thames said that the intent would be to be very clear about the objective of the master plan and haw it would be funded. In answer to a question from Commissioner Brown about asking Congressman David Price to get Orange County some money for the Efland sewer project, Chair Jacobs said that he had reported to the Board several weeks ago that he, Commissioner Halkiotis and John Link met with Congressman Price on several issues. Congressman Price indicated that he could probably get same money for the farmers market facility and for the Efland sewer project. He feels the farmers market is more promising but that the Efland sewer project would also have a chance of getting some funds. Commissioner Brown said that she does not understand why the EDD area is being considered in the master plan. She is interested in providing services to the citizens first before considering services for the EDD. She thought that the County was going to explore the possibility of Alamance County providing water to the EDD area. Commissioner Carey said that he remembers the 20-year time period also for developing this particular EDD. He asked how much we have asked Congressman Price for and Paul Thames said that we have $100,000 set aside for this master study and have asked Congressman Price for $50,000. Paul Thames noted that this study would show the different drainage basins in the Efland area. The system that would serve the Efland area would also serve the EDD area. Commissioner Carey feels we need to be clear about the message we send to the people in this service area. He supports developing a plan. John Link said that the area the bond addresses is because of a public health issue. This was clear as they pursued this bond and the reason we are providing services to that particular area. Decisions need to be made on what we do with the EDD area and haw far this sewer system should be extended. If we can get some additional money, the County Commissioners would have same options on what to do in this area. The plan will help us determine how much more we can do beyond the public health area. He emphasized that the County is not in the water business and is not a utility. The utility would make a decision an how far to extend beyond that area which is being addressed because of a health issue. Another thing we need to consider is how to expand sewer beyond this area and how it will be funded. The County needs to address the public health issue as well as comprehensive planning for this area. Chair Jacobs feels that we can state the objective and make it clear that the County's Land Use Plan is what directs the enterprise fund. The Land Use Plan directs the growth and that is what we are discussing. Geoffrey Gledhill said that a point to be made about doing a master plan is that the County Commissioners would make the decision on what and where to extend. It is extremely valuable because it will say if you do it, this is how you da it. Jahn Link suggested that staff bring back for Board consideration the time frame whereby we would be able to by 2004 have the plans ready that will address the public health issue for the area. The bonds will be sold prior to 2004 so that the project can move forward without delay. He will also bring back information an how to address the remainder of the area. A motion was made by Commissioner Carey ,seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to authorize the County Manager to bring back a definite timeframe for obtaining consultants to do a plan far the area covered by band monies to address the public health issue and a timeframe for a consultant to do a master plan to include the EDD. This information will include a strategy far handling expectations as well as the scope of work for both projects. This will come back to the Board the second meeting in May ar first meeting in June. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 4. Chapel Hill Township Park and Educational Campus -Master Plan Process Postponed 5. Draft County Park Facility Planning iPFP1 Process Postponed 6. Closed Session At 10:10 p.m. a motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Carey to go into Closed Session "to consult with an attorney retained by the Board in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the Board," pursuant to G.S. 143- 318.11(a)(3) in the case of Orange County versus Nuclear Regulatory Commission. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7. Adjournment With no further items for the County Commissioners to consider, a motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to adjourn the meeting at 11:10 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 2002 at the Friday Center on NC54 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Barry Jacobs, Chair Beverly A. Blythe, CMC