HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-28-2008 - 2ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 28, 2008
Action Agenda
Item No. ~_
SUBJECT: Hillsborou h Area Rail Station Task Force
DEPARTMENT: Clerk to the Board PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
Planning
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Resolution
Donna Baker 245-2130
Craig Benedict 245-2592
Karen Lincoln 245-2594
This item was delayed from the Karen Markovics 245-2583
Board's October 21, 2008 regular
meeting due to time constraints.
PURPOSE: To establish ashort-term Rail Station Task Force (creation and appointments)
jointly with the Town of Hillsborough with approval of the attached resolution.
BACKGROUND: Since 2006, a group of Hillsborough and Orange County residents have met
regularly to discuss the potential for passenger train service in Hillsborough. The meetings
grew out of acitizen-sponsored petition begun during the town's review of the Boone/Collins
project and demonstrated significant local support for returning rail service to Hillsborough.
Recently, Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) have
indicated passenger train service is financially feasible in the Hillsborough area. This group of
residents is now asking the elected boards of both Hillsborough and Orange County to establish
a joint Rail Station Task Force to move the planning process forward.
The train stop is of County if not regional value and is noted within the Long Range
Transportation Plan goals.
The citizen group suggests the Task Force be charged to undertake the following work:
• Define best practice criteria for selecting a location for a train station
• Apply these criteria to selected parcels in Hillsborough to recommend to both
government Boards the best location for a Hillsborough station
• Prepare a report; investigate the established funding criteria and procedural steps to
proceed with station development and collect/report those items already prepared or
readily available for submittal to funders. These include but are not limited to:
connectivity to other services and infrastructure, such as buses, roads, and parking
which may not yet be in place; supporting partner organizations; documented or
anticipated benefits to the community (i.e. develop a Rail Station Planning Document)
• Describe a schedule of tasks to be accomplished prior to initiation of service for this train
station
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The citizen group recommends that the Rail Station Task Force have nine representatives
from the following organizations with Orange County Planning and Hillsborough Town
Planning staff made available to assist and consult with technical details:
^ Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Elizabeth Read -committed
with potential for alternates
^ Citizen Representatives (3) one from each of:
o West End Neighborhood Watch (West
Hillsborough)
Vacant
o At-large Hillsborough Rick Brewer -committed
o At-large Orange County Art Mines -committed
^ Hillsborough Town Planning Board Tom Campanella -committed
^ Orange County Economic Development Commission
(OCEDC)
Bryant Colson -suggested
^ Orange County Transportation Services Board
(OCTSB)
Member from the OCTSB
^ Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) Paul Guthrie
^ Walkable Hillsborough Coalition Holly Reid -committed
Recommended Schedule:
October 13 Task Force established and appointed by Hillsborough Town Board
(Approved with Mayor to make Town of Hillsborough appointments)
October 21 Task Force established and appointed by Board of Orange County.
Commissioners
Early November First Task Force meeting
Early-mid November Public Workshop to discuss selection criteria and potential sites
Committee meetings to formalize criteria and apply them to
suggested sites
February Report of selection recommendation to joint Town/County meeting
Public follow-up meeting
March-April Investigation of funding criteria and requirements
Visit to similar community to learn best practices
Public follow-up to release draft Task Force report
May Final Task Force report including implementation steps and
schedule
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Planning Staff (land use/transportation) will provide staff services from
both local governments.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the resolution
creating the Task Force and make appointments from the OCEDC, OCTSB, and OUTBoard.
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RESOLUTION APPOINTING A RAIL STATION DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE
AND CALLING FOR PREPARATION OF
A SITE SELECTION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
WHEREAS, Orange County and the Town of Hillsborough have worked cooperatively on
planning initiatives surrounding the Town of Hillsborough; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak and NCDOT have indicated passenger train service is financially feasible
in the Hillsborough area; and
WHEREAS, The advent of a train stop in Hillsborough is a regional transportation initiative;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Hillsborough Town Board of
Commissioners/Board of Orange County Commissioners that a Rail Station Development Task
Force is hereby appointed to include representatives of the Hillsborough Planning Board, the
Orange County Unified Transportation Board, the Orange County Transportation Services
Board, 3 citizens, the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, the Economic Development
Commission, and the Walkable Hillsborough Coalition.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is charged to undertake the following work:
• Defining best practice criteria for selecting a location for a train station
• Apply the criteria to parcels in the Hillsborough area to select/recommend to both
government Boards a location for a Hillsborough station
• Investigate the established funding criteria and procedural steps to proceed with station
development and collect/report those items already prepared or readily available for
submittal to fenders, including but not limited to: connectivity to other
services/infrastructure, such as buses, roads, parking which may not yet be in place;
supporting partner organizations and documents; documented or anticipated benefits to
the community
• Describing a schedule of tasks to be accomplished prior to initiation of service for this
train station
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is directed to report on the site selection at
the joint meeting of the Hillsborough Town Board of Commissioners and Board of Orange
County Commissioners in February 2009 and the Task Force shall complete its work no later
than May 31, 2009 in the form of a final report document.
This the 28~` day of October 2008.
Barry Jacobs, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
Attest:
Clerk