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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 02-23-2017 1 APPROVED 3/21/2017 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HILLSBOROUGH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JOINT MEETING February 23, 2017 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Meeting with the Town of Hillsborough Commissioners on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., in the Whitted Building, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Dorosin and Commissioners Barry Jacobs, Mark Marcoplos, Earl McKee, Renee Price, and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Burroughs COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy Manager Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Mayor Tom Stevens and Commissioners Kathleen Ferguson, Mark Bell, Brian Lowen, Evelyn Lloyd, and Jenn Weaver HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: HILLSBOROUGH STAFF PRESENT: Margaret Hauth, Planning Director HILLSBOROUGH TOWN STAFF ABSENT: Town Manager, Eric Peterson Chair Dorosin called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks Chair Dorosin said the goal of this evening is to have a dialogue between the two boards, asking questions, and raising ideas. Mayor Stevens said there is a long track record of meetings, and of strong mutual interests, between the County and the Town of Hillsborough. He thanked the Board of County Commissioners for the use of the Whitted facility by the Town, and other community groups. He said Hillsborough has a small staff that accomplishes a lot, and he commended the staff's efforts. Chair Dorosin said Commissioner Burroughs would be unable to attend tonight. Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:06 p.m. 1. Residential Growth/Affordable Housing a) Overview of approved/pending Hillsborough residential growth** b) Affordable housing in conjunction with approved or pending residential growth** c) Potential Orange County Bond/Additional Affordable Housing Opportunities (e.g., Orange County owned parcels*, Housing Choice Vouchers, land banking, Habitat for Humanity, safe housing and minimum standards) 2 d) Infrastructure/Utility Issues and Limits; (e.g. water/sewer capacity*, service boundary agreement, annexation of existing neighborhoods*) Waterstone deeded 2.25 acres in the townhome neighborhood to The Community Home Trust for development as affordable townhomes. The Trust has since deeded the property to Habitat for Humanity. The town expects to receive a Special Use Permit modification for its April Public hearing to review the development plans for Habitat to construct 24 senior targeted affordable units on this parcel. Waterstone is also committed to provide $5,000 per affordable unit to the property owner at the time of building permit issuance for each affordable unit. Collins Ridge has committed to the gift of 3 acres to CASA for that organization to develop 60- 88 affordable rental units. The property must be transferred no later than 30 days after receiving the first building permit. Mayor Stevens said he wanted to do a high level overview of the past, as well as looking forward. He said the Town created a strategic plan over 10 years ago, as to how it wanted to see Hillsborough develop, which included the development of housing between downtown and 1-40. He noted the biggest constraint for development is water, followed by the traffic. Mayor Stevens said when Hillsborough did a 2030 plan and revised its Unified Development Ordinances (UDOs), he was impressed by his Town Board's thoughtfulness in planning for development. He said there has been a lot of development that has been approved, but just as much that has not been approved. Mayor Stevens referred to Forest Ridge, and said people raised concerns, to which the Board listened. He said the Town has worked collaboratively with the community and developers. Mayor Stevens said looking forward he knows people are very concerned about explosive growth, and his perspective is that Hillsborough is growing, but at a more reduced rate than people assume. He said there is a lot of growth in the near term, as compared to down the line. He said the Town looks for connectivity, diversity of housing stock, etc. Chair Dorosin asked if details of the water constraint could be provided. Eric Peterson said water analysis studies have been conducted since the late nineties. He said, as of today, the amount of water being used is at 27% of the maximum yield. He said it is at a 36% capacity of a safe yield, coming out of the Eno River at normal times. He said the goal is not to be too conservative or too liberal. He said stage 5 restrictions are used during analyses, and based on a stage 5 situation; the usage is at 44% of average day capacity. He said phase 2 of the reservoir construction will start this summer. He said there is a land use plan connected to the budget, and water usage is conservative. He said the current capacity could be eaten up if the philosophy towards Town development were to change. Commissioner Rich asked if the daily gallon usage could be identified. Eric Peterson said the gallons usage per day is 1.3 mgd. He said the water plan is currently 3 mgd capacity, and will be upgraded in a few years to 4.5 mgd. Eric Peterson said the Town's wastewater treatment plant is the cleanest in the country in terms of nitrogen discharge. He said this was a $20 million plan upgrade. He said water is an easier hurdle to overcome than sewer. Commissioner Jacobs said when Hillsborough and Orange County did the joint plan, a traffic consultant was hired who tried not to direct traffic through Churton Street. He said while compared to other municipalities Hillsborough's growth was small, but the Town's growth from 6,000 to 12,000 is still 100%. He said his concern is that development will impact not only South Churton Street, but also the secondary impacts such as Orange Grove Road, Mayo St. 3 and Eno Mt. Road. He urged the Town to phase in the larger developments, in order to merge in the traffic and streets via a more phased in approach. He said people are concerned about the Collins Ridge development, and its effect on traffic, and people wanted a secondary entrance in the beginning. Commissioner Jacobs said he wanted to know the Town's reaction to the Orange County Schools' (OCS's) concerns about the Collins Ridge development. He said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) raised this issue at the joint meeting in 2016, and the Manager was asked to contact planning directors to have a meeting about this. He said he believed that OCS was in the dark about the planning for this influx of students. Margaret Hauth said there has been no change between the Master Plan and the Special Use Permit (SUP), in terms of the road network for Collins Ridge. She said the Town approved the master plan, requiring the second road to be opened prior to the Town issuing the 451st certificate of occupancy. She said this condition remains intact, and the SUPs match this. She said the plans for Collins Ridge have been shared with the OCS Board of Education (BOE), and said she shared OCS's letter of concerns with the developers, and she believed that the issue had been resolved. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there was a letter to that effect. Margaret Hauth said an email was sent today from the Applicant to the BOE, on which she was copied. She is awaiting a response from the BOE. Mayor Stevens said there is a balance in finding the kind of development that is sought, and how it will contribute to the community. He said the Town would like to see things move a bit more slowly. Mayor Stevens said the Town would like to weigh what they are working with, and not just be arbitrary. He said the Town wants to avoid simply saying no, or putting a moratorium on development. Mayor Stevens said part of the point of the long term plans and conditions is to allow for multi-modal transportation. He said the Town wants to insure there is room for bus stops, school buses, bikes, pedestrians etc. Commissioner Price referred to Churton Street, and asked if there are plans, in coordination with Collins Ridge, to redo Churton Street. Margaret Hauth said at the two intersections on Churton Street, both the master plan and SUP address the traffic improvements. She said the developers will also be making the improvements at the 1-85 interchange. She said the widening of the 1-85 interchange has to come prior to Churton Street being widened. Commissioner Price asked if, whether 1-85 is done or not, can Churton Street take all the bearing. Margaret Hauth said the developers do not control the frontage areas, and if there were need for an additional right of way dedication, the developers would not be able to give it. Mayor Stevens said the connection from Orange Grove to highway 70 is part of the plan. Margaret Hauth said the Orange Grove extension project is on target to be funded to extend the road east to US 70-A. Mayor Stevens said the Town is eager to see the connection from Mayo Street to Eno Mountain Road, as it will alleviate traffic. He said traffic will always be a problem in Hillsborough. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if it is known when Orange Grove Road will be connected to 70 Margaret Hauth said 2021. 4 Commissioner Weaver said her Board always starts with asking how will this benefit the community, and the traffic issue will be an issue to deal with going forward with any project. She said equity is important, and Hillsborough is the only municipality without a major affordable housing component. Commissioner Ferguson said while affordability is not a current issue, it is very near. Commissioner Rich said there will be about 3,000 units in the Collins Ridge development, and asked if it is known how many students this will mean. Margaret Hauth said she does not know, but all projects go through the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) and get CAPS (Certificate of Adequate Public Schools) prior to getting permits. Commissioner Rich asked if there is a way that the Board of County Commissioners should plan for the 3-5 years outlook for additional buses, per pupil funding, etc. Margaret Hauth said the memo from the OCS indicates 266 students per 1,000 units. She said this it is not an accurate number, as student generation rates are different based on number of bedrooms etc. She said she does not track those numbers, only the number of dwellings and then gets back the CAPS. Commissioner Rich asked if anyone tracks this projected student number, because it looks like a new school is being triggered. Bonnie Hammersley said students are tracked through the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO), and as the 5-year financial forecast is considered more detail will need to be added. She said growth and services are not affected on a one-to-one basis, nor is it a simple equation to calculate. Commissioner Ferguson said when this master plan was approved two years ago, OCS sent a letter about SAPFO. She asked if it was shared with the Board of County Commissioners. Chair Dorosin said he did not recall such a letter. Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director, said when a project is proposed the school board looks at existing capacity, and whether there is enough. He said two years ago there was capacity, especially at the elementary level. He said the quirk in the adequate public facilities system is that all elementary schools are added up together. He said the school that would service Collins Ridge is near over-capacity, but the adequate public facilities system would not rate it as such. He said the letter referred to a possible redistricting, which would have to be evaluated. He said the most recent letter from the BOE indicated that it is unclear where students will be placed, but did not mention capacity concerns. Margaret Hauth said the letter expressed a desire for the development to proceed, without a designation as to which schools the students would attend. Chair Dorosin asked if, when the CAPS get issued and development is assessed, is there a formula that says these types of units generate this number of students; and of those one can presume a certain percentage are elementary, another percentage middle school, and another percentage high school. Margaret Hauth said there is a student generation rate for each level of school (elementary, middle and high), for each dwelling unit type. She said there is a matrix of 12 numbers that are applied to the development as appropriate, and thus determine the total number of students. Chair Dorosin said unit x has a generation rate for each educational level, and asked if the CAPS counts all three levels. Craig Benedict said a single-family unit usually generates 0.6 children on average, and of that, 0.3 is usually elementary age, and 0.15 and 0.15 are middle and high school age. He said if any one of those capacities is not adequate, then the bell rings and the project must be delayed until capacity is made available. He said there are two parts of the system: the CAPS 5 (Certificate of Adequate Public Schools), and the other is the projection methodology. He said as new developments come on line, and children end up in the schools, the projection is reevaluated in order to identify a school 3, 5, or 7 years out. He said the hope is to see capacity issues coming. He said it has been close in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS), and there has had to be a time out in development. He said OCS has had capacity at the elementary level, and it has been a bit tighter at the high school level. He said this is reviewed and updated every year. Margaret Hauth said the boards should get an updated report soon, and under the thresholds now there will be no need for new schools. Commissioner Jacobs referred to Churton Street, and said he recollected that the reason that this street was delayed was because it costs close to $50 million. Margaret Hauth said she recalled a number closer to $27 million. She said the reason for the delay is because the Department of Transportation (DOT) did not assign any priority points to this project, and this was in an effort to spread the projects around throughout the division. She said Hillsborough has a number of funded projects. Commissioner Jacobs said there was a similar conversation at the Burlington-Graham MPO about breaking up large projects in small pieces in order to get funding more easily. He asked if the Churton Street project could be done in phases. Margaret Hauth said the funding of the interchange is exactly that, but there could be further discussion with DOT. Chair Dorosin said all of the issues on the agenda overlap, and the conversation is not bound by the agenda outline. Chair Dorosin asked if a brief update on the County bond project could be given, as well the properties in Orange County identified as sites for affordable housing. Travis Myren said the request for proposals for bond funds and ten parcels of County owned property were released on Monday. He said four of those parcels are in the northern part of Hillsborough. He said proposals are expected back at the end of March, at which point there will be a scoring process, and the proposals will be given to the BOCC in June, with projects being awarded by the end of July. Commissioner Ferguson asked if the parcels released for affordable housing will be perpetually affordable. Travis Myren said the parcels will carry the standard 99-year affordability. Commissioner Weaver asked if the location of the parcels in Hillsborough could be identified. Travis Myren said in the northwestern corner of Hillsborough. Margaret Hauth said the parcels are zoned single family, but some are larger than the minimum lot size, or could be subject to rezoning in order to accommodate additional units. She said questions are already coming in about these parcels. Commissioner Ferguson referred to the Odie Street parcel, and asked if this will be part of the overall Habitat for Humanity redevelopment. Margaret Hauth said it is not part of what Habitat had under contract, but Habitat is interested in buying additional lots. Commissioner Rich said Forest Ridge has payment in lieu, which she supports; but is concerned that payment in lieu (PIL) does not support affordable housing, as it does not build units. She would not want to see payment in lieu done too often. Chair Dorosin asked if$240,000 will be received as PIL. Margaret Hauth said yes. Mayor Stevens said when Waterstone was approved, there was a plan to have affordable housing, but that site went to something else. He said Forest Ridge is the next big 6 development, which received PIL. He said with Collins Ridge there is a CASA project for rentals. Commissioner Rich referred to the economic development section about senior housing on 271 acres off of 1-40, and asked if any of this will be affordable housing. Margaret Hauth said as of now, she did not see that in the plan. Commissioner Rich asked if there is a way to request that this type of housing be included in the plan. Margaret Hauth said it is an application under Orange County Planning review, so one would need to request more information as this application is brought forward. She said the application has only just been submitted, so it may not be ripe for BOCC discussion yet. Chair Dorosin said he was encouraged to see all of the affordable housing coming into the developments in Hillsborough. Mayor Stevens said Town board is very concerned with substandard housing in Hillsborough. Commissioner Ferguson asked if there is a way to work with the County's apparatus in helping residents moving out of housing that contains mold or animal feces. She asked if this would involve the Health Department, the Non-profit sector, etc. She said habitable homes are needed in many areas, and the renters cannot speak up for fear of eviction. Commissioner Jacobs said Orange County has an urgent home repair program, but the property owners would have to be involved. He said Habitat for Humanity has a similar program. Commissioner Ferguson said painting over black mold is not an appropriate solution, and there has to be a solution for these types of problems. Commissioner Price said some people own their homes, and few know how to access help. Margaret Hauth said most of the programs in the Town requires that the property owner to be income eligible, which is not often the case. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a way to determine the number of homes that are in disrepair. Margaret Hauth said there is no systematic method for this, as people do not want to be evicted. She said knowing about all these homes would warrant a reaction, and it may be too large a problem to fix. Commissioner Marcoplos said he delivered meals on wheels for years, and he could have recorded these types of homes. He said most were seniors. Commissioner Price said if renters report issues, they are at at risk of losing their housing. Chair Dorosin said a better job must be done with the voucher program, which could perhaps incentivize the homeowners to improve the rental homes. Chair Dorosin said there are apps that can be used to report homes. Chair Dorosin said Orange County has put money aside in their Capital Investment Plan (CIP) to look at manufactured housing. 2. Economic Development a) Downtown Improvements and Redevelopment (update of downtown improvements**, downtown redevelopment opportunities*, former Colonial Inn update* b) Economic Development District (EDD) Development and Infrastructure* (update on sewer extension**; commercial development recruitment*) 7 Mayor Stevens said the Town is committed to a commercial base, and is concerned about keeping what already exists, while increasing it. He listed different areas around Town. All needed NCDOT approvals are finally in-hand for the downtown access project. The Town has a contractor and is finalizing the contract details so that work can begin when weather allows. The east side work adjacent to the courthouse will be done first, and then work will move to Tryon Street and move south. Staff expect to hold a public information meeting very soon to keep the merchants involved. There is also an email list for merchants and other to receive regular updates. Work will continue through the summer. Once the sidewalk work is completed, NCDOT will have to schedule resurfacing of Churton Street. Once that is scheduled and complete, the stamped crosswalk improvements will be the final step. Stephanie Trueblood is the primary contact for this project and all communications with merchants and the public will route through her. Orange County, in conjunction with Town of Hillsborough Planning, has amended land uses and zoning within the Hillsborough Area Economic Development District. This area is under County planning jurisdiction but subject to the coordinated planning agreement. An interlocal utility agreement that will set forth utility extension provisions if installed or paid by the county is under review by joint staffs. This agreement is intended to focus and facilitate future economic development by preinstalling infrastructure under 1-40 which often is a critical decision point for site selection. Monies have been budgeted for primarily sewer extensions but a partnership with the Town of Hillsborough for a water main loop outside of the EDD could augment pressures in the larger zone. Orange County will be advertising a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for engineering design services for this Capital Investment Plan (CIP) project in the coming weeks including Town of Hillsborough participation. A 271 acre development proposal was submitted for the southeast and southwest quadrant of 1-40 using a conditional zoning district. The majority of the project is planned for light industrial/research and commercial/retail/service with a component of senior housing. This is under sufficiency review by staff and will be shared with the Town of Hillsborough consistent with the joint courtesy review agreement. Commissioner McKee said he is glad the County and the Town are working together on the water and sewer around the Hillsborough Economic Development District (EDD). Commissioner Jacobs asked if Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the EDDs included the Cornelius Road Area. Steve Brantley, Orange County Economic Development Director, said they have put out to bid for consultants, and will get a review of these properties around the 1-40 exchange during the spring and the summer. He said it would be simple to add some additional properties for review. Commissioner Lowen asked if this area can be added, and if it would be a targeted district. Steve Brantley said the targeted regions were put in the RFP, and did not include the Cornelius area; but once a consultant is hired it would be possible to add this area and others. He said the goal is to focus on the properties that have the potential to attract non-residential development. 8 Commissioner Lowen said Cornelius Street is the highway 70 bypass through Hillsborough. He said it is an entranceway into Hillsborough, and commercial or light industrial development here would be great. Steve Brantley said there is a good relationship and communication between the Town's staff and Chamber. Mayor Stevens said in the last year, the Town hired a designated economic development and tourism employee, named Shannon Campbell. He said she is working with Steve Brantley and the other towns. Commissioner Price asked if there is an update on the Old Maxway area. Margaret Hauth reviewed some highlights from West Hillsborough: • they have been referring interest to the new owners of this strip mall (Northside) • there is no activity on the Gateway restaurant project, although the property has been acquired • the parcel next to Walgreens is for sale • Bellevue construction is going well • Cotton Mill • Redeye acquired a southern season warehouse, and had it rezoned to accommodate more mixed uses • Mystery Pub expansion just reopened • interest in Village Diner site Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is an update about the curb on parking across form the commercial area in West Hillsborough Margaret Hauth said after downtown is finished, they hope to put out to bid some sidewalk projects. She said most approvals from DOT are in place, and the funding is in place for this area. Commissioner McKee asked if any thought has been given to how much water capacity can be given the commercial sites, since these would be higher users. Mayor Stevens said water would conceptually be allocated as needed, but it would exclude some high level users commercially. Commissioner McKee said it would be helpful to have an idea of how many gallons a day could be tolerated, so that the economic development department can recruit appropriate businesses. Eric Peterson said he could share this information with staff. Commissioner Price referred to the Sheetz business that is coming in, and asked if there will be more development in the same area. She said this company is a truck stop, and asked if the old bridge in that location is cause for concern. Craig Benedict said that is in the Orange County planning jurisdiction, and the only reason a Sheetz or a restaurant will be located there is because that was what was on site originally. He said the bridge is a limiting factor, and capacity is limited to what was there before. He said the intersection needs to be widened, which would open up capacity because there is over 30 acres there. c) Other Economic Development Updates (US 70/Cornelius Corridor, West Hillsborough, 85/NC 10 area**) Staff has been working with the Sheetz gas station for close to 2 1/2 years to get a new gas station permitted on an approximately 1 acre portion of the old Paliouras truck stop property across from Home Depot. Site plan and building plans have been approved for some time. The 9 Town provided courtesy review comments on the site plan and approved the use of existing utility infrastructure (i.e. water and sewer) in support of the proposed gas station. NC Department of Transportation has also been involved in reviewing/approving the site plan. Delays on the commencement of construction of Sheetz are related to the property owner's lack of progress on completing required grading/infrastructure installation (i.e. stormwater systems) including allowing permits, most notably erosion control and grading permits, to lapse. Staff has remained in contact with Sheetz officials to offer assistance as needed and Orange County Erosion Control has worked with the property owner to keep the project moving forward. It is hoped construction on the Sheetz facility will begin soon. There are rumors of a restaurant being located adjacent to Sheetz but no formal site plan has been submitted denoting same. A food truck has taken up operation(s) on the Paliouras property consistent with the County's recently adopted food truck ordinance. d) Tourism and Arts (in coordination with Orange County Visitors Bureau/Hillsborough Visitors Center/Tourism Board/Arts Commission/etc.) Commissioner Rich said Orange County sent a letter to the legislature about the number of losses Orange County has suffered due to HB2, and requested its repeal. Chair Dorosin asked if there is an update on the Colonial Inn. Mayor Stevens said it is in the process of imminent domain, and mediation is likely in the next 30 days. Commissioner Rich asked if the building will hold up during this wait time. Mayor Stevens said professionals are telling the Town that the building can be restored. He said the Town is going through a process of due diligence, and the top goals is to make sure this landmark can be preserved for posterity. He said the secondary goal is to see it be put to use, hopefully in a way that engages the public. Commissioner Jacobs said he asked that the Cornelius area be included in the SWOT analysis, but he was the only one making this request. He said if any other County Commissioners are interested in this as well, to please tell the Manager to include this in the SWOT analysis. Chair Dorosin said this could be treated as a petition at the next BOCC meeting. Mayor Stevens said the Town is constrained budget wise, but is planning to move the fire and police stations, and create a campus area where Town offices can be located. He said this will free up some properties in the downtown area. He said this is in the early stages. He said there has been a great deal of change downtown, and this is likely to continue over the next 10 years. He said the enduring and endearing elements of downtown should always remain. Commissioner Price asked if the Town owns a portion of the Bacon store corner. Mayor Stevens said the Town bought the old Singer building, the doctor and dentist office, the furniture store and the house. He said the commercial area on the corner is still in private hands, but these purchases give the Town an opportunity for fire trucks to be able to go down Cornelius Street, and come out on a driveway on Churton Street without having back in. Commissioner Price asked if there are plans for economic development in this area. Mayor Stevens said it is in private hands except for what the Town is going to develop for fire/police/office space. He said there is no small area plan. He said the Town may be interested in developing the area with sidewalks and other types of connectivity. Commissioner Weaver said the Cornelius area is proximate to the County's parcels for affordable housing. 10 Commissioner Ferguson asked if there is an update on the Mountains to Sea Trail (MTS). David Stancil, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) Director, said the final community meeting will be held on March 6th, and a preferred route has been determined, as well as three alternate routes. He said this will be discussed at the March 6th meeting. He said the focus is on the stretch south from Occaneechee Mountain towards Saxapahaw and the Alamance County line. He said the recommendation is to focus initially on the stretch from Occaneechee Mountain back to the 7 Mile Creek Preserve. He said the goal is to extend the existing trail from where it stops with the River Walk to the 7 Mile Creek Preserve. He said this meeting will be held at the Whitted Building at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Stevens recognized Orange County for their contribution to River Park with the signage, etc. Commissioner Jacobs said there is a public information open house about hydrilla on March 1st, at the Cedar Grove Community Center. Commissioner Marcoplos said when he travels on the cut through from Orange Grove Road to Weaver Street, there is a narrow railroad underpass which is limiting. He said if this were changed, more traffic could use this route instead of Churton Street. Margaret Hauth said the right of way through the underpass is owned by the Carolina Railroad Company. She said some work was done recently to reinforce that trestle. She said one of their engineers will be in town tomorrow to look at the two trestles located there. Commissioner Weaver said the residents on that road want the traffic to go slowly. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a status update on the Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association (HYAA) ball fields. Margaret Hauth said HYAA is welcome to use the fields until the train station is built. Commissioner McKee asked if the Town has any interest in helping to develop new fields. Mayor Stevens said the Town can offer process help, but not monetary help. He said the Town purchased that land in order to land bank it for a potential rail station, but also so the Town could have some control over this land going forward. Commissioner McKee asked if there is room on that property to shift the fields over, or to ask the Collins Ridge developer to donate some property. Margaret Hauth said there is room on the Town's 20 acres to relocate the fields, but the topography may not be accommodating, and it may interfere with the goal for economic development in the area. David Stancil said DEAPR met with Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association leadership, and property options are being considered. He said a partnership with the Town would be welcomed. 3) Transit/Transportation a) Managing transportation/traffic impacts of new growth (Transportation Improvement Plan Churton Street/Orange Grove Road update**; Rail Station update**; circulator route update**; Go Triangle bus routes*; interstate improvements and `by-pass' strategies*, Mayo-Eno Mountain project*; other traffic mitigation projects*) NCDOT has Kimley Horn under contract to design this project. Some preliminary meetings were held last year. The alignment of the road has not yet been determines. The best crossing type and location for the railroad is being evaluated. Once that is determined, the remainder of the project will be more certain. The project reschedule is unchanged in the draft 11 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) with Right of Way scheduled in 2020 and construction in 2023. The rail station remains a committed funded project. There are some studies and computer modelling requested by Norfolk Southern and the NC railroad whenever a new passenger station is proposed to determine the potential impacts on freight. The timing and necessity of these studies has not yet been settled among all the parties. The NCDOT Rail staff have suggested that the two new incoming administrations at the state and federal level get settled in the first quarter of 2017 before any further forward motion on this project occurs. It is expected there will be a meeting with Rail Division staff in March to receive an update. b) Ped/Bike issues and strategies (Hillsborough connectivity plan**; sidewalks across jurisdictions*; bikeshare program; Mountains to Sea Trail connections*) The town's connectivity plan addresses bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements in town, along with other amenities in the public right of way. The document is a component of our comprehensive plan and is regularly updated. The bulk of this year's updates reflect the recent investments by the towns and others to improve walkability and connectivity in town. The recommended improvements focus on high traffic areas where safety is a concern for mixed modal travel. The town's development code refers to this plan in requiring developers to construct sidewalks. The updated plan is approximately 100 pages long. The document begins on page 34 of this linked plan set (the first 33 pages are pans for Collins Ridge) https://www.hillsboroughnc.gov/media/plans/planning-board-plans-1-19-2017.pdf Commissioner McKee said part of the expanded GoTriangle plan efforts have included the Orange-Durham/Mebane-Durham route and 35,000 additional bus use hours. He said he has seen recently that 25,000 hours of that plan had already been implemented or committed. He asked Craig Benedict if that number is valid. He said he is concerned that many total hours have already been used or committed, because it leaves little for the County. He said he does not know from where funding would come. Craig Benedict said the Orange County Bus Rail Investment Plan (BRIP), which was adopted in 2012, had a series of allocations for different modes of transit: the Amtrak station; bus rapid transit (BRT) in the MLK corridor; light rail (LRT) between Chapel Hill and Durham; and 35,000 hours of bus service to be divided between Chapel Hill Transit, GoTriangle and Orange Public Transportation (OPT). He said of the 34,000 hours, some was to support existing service while roughly 28,000 hours were to support new service. He said GoTriangle has been the first to implement all of their allotted hours. He said Chapel Hill is in the process of implementing their hours, as are OPT with their roughly 6,000 hours. He said the question has pertinence now because those were the hours to be used until 2035. He said the BRIP is being updated currently, and GoTriangle is asking the County if it needs additional bus hours up to 2045. He said all staffs are meeting to discuss potential new needs. He said the new Orange County Transportation Administrator is involved in all these discussions. He said the County is trying to have complementary service to the GoTriangle ODX route, which runs from Mebane to Hillsborough to Durham. He said if there is interest in additional service to support central Orange, he encouraged people to speak to their Commissioners. He said there will be some sort of intergovernmental transit meeting in the next month or so. 12 Commissioner McKee said he has raised this at this meeting as some are advocating for a reverse circulator route. He asked if this would qualify as new service under this plan. Craig Benedict said yes, and this is not currently in the plan, but now is the opportunity to ask for additional service. He said this would be supported in part by the transit tax and the tag fees. He said other monies could be leveraged through state and federal funds. Commissioner Weaver said she thought the reverse circulator was already in the works. Commissioner McKee said it has been advocated for, but has yet to occur. He said trying to allocate sufficient service out of the allotted hours is next to impossible, and additional service would have to be paid for. Craig Benedict said the original plan did not include this route, but the 2012 plan is being updated. He said the local match dollars for the public transportation would be part of the transit tax. He said this is the time to add things to the plan, including mid-day service and rural routes. Commissioner McKee said he is against LRT due to the impact on local services. He said Hillsborough needs another reverse route, and this is not possible unless the plan is radically changed. Commissioner Price said she agrees with Commissioner McKee, and with the increase in population and business, public transportation will be even more important. Commissioner Price asked if there is a status update on the railroad crossings in West Hillsborough. Margaret Hauth said the redevelopment of the Dimmocks Mill Road trestle was submitted in the SPOT 4.0 prioritization, and it did not score well. She said it will be resubmitted. She said if the trestle is not reworked; none of the crossings will close. Commissioner Weaver asked if a sign could be posted at Waterstone to indicate the Southern Bypass Route, in an effort to re-route traffic from Churton Street. Craig Benedict said that would be a DOT matter, and it can be brought up at the next quarterly meeting with them. Chair Dorosin asked if the bike share flier at their places could be explained. Max Bushell, Orange County Transportation, said a bike share program is being proposed. He said Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the University of North Carolina (UNC) are also considering it. He said it would be a 2-year pilot program involving 10-15 "smart" bikes, with all the technology on the bike. He said there would be three stations in downtown Hillsborough, and one in West Hillsborough. He said users could check out and return the bikes in some predetermined time limit. He said this would involve sponsorship opportunities for local businesses. He said nothing will proceed without the support of the County and the Town. He said Carrboro cannot come up with the funds, but UNC plans to proceed, and it would be wise to use the same vendor to allow for integration across the County. Commissioner Price asked if the estimated rental cost is known. Max Bushell said if the County sponsored it, there could potentially be no cost. He said the cost structure can be changed. Max Bushell explained the concept of a smart bike versus a smart docking station to the Boards. He said these bikes would be lighter than the typical bike share bike. Commissioner Rich said the bikes should not be free due to maintenance costs, etc., and at least a minimal fee could be charged. She said she loves bike shares, and thinks this is a great idea. 4. Intergovernmental Relations & Collaboration 13 a) Other opportunities/issues between Orange County and Hillsborough (Fiber Cable Infrastructure*) b) Engagement with other towns c) Engagement with Orange County Schools Mayor Stevens said many of these items have already been covered, with the exception of the fiber cable infrastructure. Mayor Stevens said Hillsborough has received a report and is interested in pooling resources and sharing any costs where possible. Chair Dorosin said this is an area where there can be collaboration with the schools. Commissioner Jacobs said the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is looking to improve the line with Hillsborough so that it can be more readily available than the Durham line. Eric Peterson said he and Ed Kerwin, OWASA Director, have had some conversations about the 7-mile water line between the two, and he said some improvements are being made to cut it down to 3 or 4 miles. He said the delay is from the bacteria tests, and there is the same challenge with Durham. He said ways to cut that reaction time down are being researched. He said Hillsborough is very isolated, and that is why water and sewer are expensive. He said water gets stagnant, and to flush it all the time would be wasteful, but there are some ideas on how to cut that down. Commissioner McKee said a few years ago there was a discussion of Jordan Lake allocation, and asked if the process, through which Hillsborough would have to go to accomplish this, could be identified. Eric Peterson said if Jordan Lake water were to be used, it would be fed through OWASA or Durham's system through interconnections. He said there is also an interconnection with Orange-Alamance, which may be much faster in case of an emergency. Commissioner McKee said he was more interested in water for economic development, not emergencies. Mayor Stevens said Hillsborough uses the water from Lake Orange for the Town's drinking water, and this is a valued relationship. Commissioner McKee said that use is driving the conversation on the hydrilla, which is an increasing problem. Commissioner Price said Compton's Pond has hydrilla too. She said the State will not give funding for moving water. Commissioner McKee said that pond was treated last year. Commissioner Jacobs said prior to the recession, the Town generously provided $5,000.00 annually towards the Orange County Library, but has not done so since. He asked if the Town would consider doing this again. Eric Peterson said it is not in the Town's budget, and that would be a board decision. Commissioner Jacobs asked if Eric Peterson would talk to the County Manager, if the Town decides it does want to contribute again. Mayor Stevens said the Town can discuss this topic at its upcoming retreat. Bonnie Hammersley said a tax equity study is being conducted in the jurisdictions and the County. She said one of the areas is the library and the services provided. She said she and Eric Peterson have not talked about this, as the study was not yet completed. The meeting adjourned at 9:09 p.m. Mark Dorosin, Chair 14 Donna Baker Clerk to the Board