Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-26-2003-10B2ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 26, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~~' SUBJECT• Joint Planning Area Amendments to Town of Chapel Hill's Comprehensive Plan DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) NO ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 6/26/02 Greene Tract Work Group Craig Benedict, Planning Director, ext 2592 Resolution Gene Bell, ext 2589 Map of Amendment Area TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider adoption of amendments to the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan resulting from the Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Town in May 2000. BACKGROUND: At the Joint Planning Area Public Hearing on April 11, 2001 a series of amendments in Chapel Hill's Northwest Transition Area were presented. The purpose of the amendments was to promote consistency with the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan and Chapel Hill's new Comprehensive Plan adopted on May 8, 2000. The amendments were: 1. Changing the designation of the Greene Tract from "Landfill Pending Further Study" to "Housing/Open Space" (See proposed changes to this item at end of abstract). 2. Changing the designation of land south of Eubanks Road from "Open Space" to "Low Residential." 3. Changing the designation of land north of Eubanks Road, between the existing landfill and Millhouse Road, from "Mixed Use, Office Emphasis" to "Open Space." 4. Changing the designation of parcels between Millhouse Road and Interstate 40 from "Mixed Use, Office Emphasis" to "Rural Residential." 5. Changing the designation of the parcel northwest of the Greene Tract and southeast of the existing landfill (parcel known as the "Neville Tract") from "Open Space" to "Landfill Activities." (See proposed changes to this item at end of abstract). Item 1 Comment Adoption of the amendments by Orange County was delayed pending completion of discussions on the final disposition of the Greene Tract, which is also located in the Northwest Transition Area. Chapel Hill and Carrboro adopted the plan amendments on May 7 and June 12, 2001 respectively, although their resolutions on the Greene Tract differed: • Chapel Hill adopted the Greene Tract as "Housing/Open Space"; and • Carrboro specified that it be designated for "Public Use." A Town/County Greene Tract Work Group formed to make recommendations on the jointly owned portions of the Greene Tract completed its task via the attached June 2002 resolution. The Work Group recommendations were accepted by Orange County on December 10, 2002 and by Chapel Hill and Carrboro on November 11 and 17, 2002, respectively. However, since Chapel Hill and Carrboro adopted different uses and the Greene Tract Work Group made some similar, but slightly different recommendations, amendment #1 is suggested to be returned to a planners work group to create a consistent set of land use designations for all parties to take action upon. The other amendments can be addressed concurrent with the discussion of the Greene Tract land use amendment. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this decision. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Administration recommends that the BOCC receive the report and forward a letter to Chapel Hill and Carrboro to create a planners work group to bring forward a consistent set of land use amendments. 3 APPROVEQ GREENE TRACT WORK GROUP A RESOLUTION REPORTING THE RECOMMENDED CONCEPT PLAN FOR THE PORTION OF THE GREENE TRACT THAT REMAINS IN JOINT OWNERSHIP WHEREAS, Orange County and the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill acquired the property known as the Greene Tract in 1984 as an asset of the joint solid waste management system; and WHEREAS, title to 60 acres of this property was deeded exclusively to Orange County in 2000 under provisions of the 1999 interlocal "Agreement for Solid Waste Management"; and WHEREAS, under the same interlocal agreement the County and Towns agreed to bargain in good faith during the two year period following the effective date of the agreement to determine the ultimate use or disposition of the balance of the acreage on the Greene Tract; and WHEREAS, the end date of the "bargaining period" as defined in the agreement was April 17, 2002, the second anniversary of the date upon which the County assumed overall responsibility for solid waste management in Orange County; and WHEREAS, the Greene Tract Work Group considered direction from the respective governing boards, comments from interested citizens and organizations, and information developed by staff in response to Work Group inquiries in developing a recommended concept plan for the balance of the Greene Tract; and WHEREAS, the Work Group reported to all three governing boards in a resolution dated March 21, 2002 that it had reached substantial agreement on a concept plan providing for approximately 78 acres to be earmarked for open space protected by conservation easements and approximately 15 acres to be earmarked for affordable housing but had not yet reached agreement regarding what designation should be placed on the remaining 11 acres; and WHEREAS, the Work Group had recommended in that March 21, 2002 resolution that the following additional steps be taken: • The area shown on the concept plan as open space should be protected by executing a conservation easement between appropriate parties • The Board of County Commissioners should consider protecting its 60 acre portion of the Greene Tract by executing a conservation easement with an appropriate party • The Chapel Hill Town Council should consider initiating a small area planning process to examine desirable land uses for the Purefoy Road area • The property should be renamed in a manner that recognizes the significance of this area as the headwaters for three important streams (Bolin Creek, Old Field Creek, and Booker Creek) • The governing boards should take note of the public investment already made in the general vicinity of the Greene Tract, as cataloged in an accompanying table; and WHEREAS, the governing boards of all three jurisdictions approved resolutions extending the bargaining period beyond April17, 2002 in order to allow the Greene Tract Work Group additional time to try to reach consensus on the basic uses to be established for the approximately 11 acres at that time unresolved; and APPROVED WHEREAS, the Work Group received a technical report from the County Engineer outlining the basic alternatives available and approximate costs for providing sewer service to a portion of the Greene Tract, which service would be necessary for the economical and practical provision of affordable housing; and WHEREAS, the Work Group concluded by consensus that "the carrying capacity of the land" should be the determining factor in establishing how much of the unresolved 11 acres should be earmarked for specific purposes, and that the ridge line reflected on the accompanying concept map determines the portion (approximately one-third) of the 11 acres that can practically be used for affordable housing served by a sewer line that would access the Greene Tract via Purefoy Road: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Greene Tract Work Group does hereby recommend that the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, the Chapel Hill Town Council, and the Orange County Board of Commissioners accept the accompanying map as the Work Group's consensus recommendation for a concept plan for that portion of the Greene Tract not deeded exclusively to Orange County, with the acreage to be set aside for open space protected by conservation easements approximating 85.90 acres and the acreage for affordable housing approximating 18.10 acres; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Greene Tract Work Group does hereby recommend to the three governing boards that the acreage for affordable housing be placed in the Land Trust; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Greene Tract Work Group does hereby recommend to the three governing boards that the Managers investigate options for reimbursement of the Solid Waste/Landfill Enterprise Fund for the portions of the site designated for affordable housing and open space; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Greene Tract Work Group does hereby recommend to the three governing boards that the triggering mechanism for reimbursement to the Solid Waste/Landfill Enterprise Fund should be formal action taken by all three boards to approve conservation easements protecting the designated open space, with such approvals taking effect no sooner than July 1, 2003, and no later than July 1, 2005. This, the 26'h day of June, 2002. Moses Carey, Jr. Chair Greene Tract Work Group 0 ATTACHMENT 1 Map 1 Joint Planning Transition Area Chapel Hill Northwest Area Existing and Proposed Land Use Designations Revised May 7, 2001 (Resolution # 2001-05-07/R-b) Legend Land Use Categories Special Areas Rural Residential,l unit /2 to 5 ac. ®Floodplain with RCD Low Residential, l-4 units lac. ©Potential School Site Medium Residential, 4$ units lac. Potential Public Works ili Si ® Mixed Use, OfficelCom. Emphasis ty te Fac Boundaries ® Magid Use, Office Emphasis l i N Urban Service Boundary tutiona - Inst N Chapel Hill City Limits ~ Open Space ® t.andtiu Activities N GIS Maps Prepared by Chapel Hill Planning