Chapel Hill 2020 Community Meeting Thursday

2020buzz — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:35:16 +0000

The Chapel Hill 2020 team is preparing for the next meeting of the community planning process, set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at Estes Hills Elementary School, 500 Estes Drive.

Download a flyer (English/Spanish)

At the Feb. 23 meeting, the community will be discussing some of the results from a series of Future Focus community visioning sessions. This meeting will be followed by another community meeting on March 20. The public is welcome. Participants will help develop the new comprehensive plan that will guide the town’s future. Those who attend will have a chance to get caught up on the discussions to-date, learn about the overall process, and share their ideas for the plan. Meeting Materials are available on the website www.chapelhill2020.org

Child care for children ages three and older is available, thanks to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA Teen Leaders’ Club. If you don’t speak English contact the Chapel Hill 2020 team (see information below) a week before the meeting you would like to attend. We will do our best to help you to participate!

Si Ud. no habla inglés, favor de comunicarse con nosotros una semana antes de la reunión que Ud. quisiera asistir. ¡Haremos lo posible para ayudarle a participar!

The following draft themes have been developed from the community’s input for the new comprehensive plan.

Good places and new spaces:Downtown & Development (special places, downtown district, housing, development, protecting existing assets, neighborhoods)
Town & Gown:Learning and innovation (a center of medicine and health care, life-long learning, using intellectual/financial capital, re-thinking the status quo)
Getting Around:Transportation: (transportation of all forms, regional assets, partnerships, potential for shared success)
Community prosperity and engagement:Fiscal Sustainability and public safety, (affordability, economic development, tourism, neighborhoods, services delivery)
A Place for Everyone:diversity, cultural vibrancy, & the arts (youth, teens, safe places, a welcoming community, arts, creativity, celebrations, special events, inclusion)
Nurturing our community: environmental sustainability: (our natural environment, open spaces, solid waste, recycling, parks, greenways, rural buffer)

The 2020 Outreach Committee says, “We can come to you!” The public outreach, surveys and other comments will be brought to each meeting along the way. If you can’t join the meetings, please participate online or by hosting a group discussion. As the theme groups work on the elements of the plan, the reporting out sessions are the glue holding the themes together. At the end of the process, using this system of outreach and community meetings through April 2012, Chapel Hill will have one plan.

For more information about Chapel Hill 2020, visit www.chapelhill2020.org or www.chapelhillbuzz.org. Would you like to schedule a speaker to attend your club or group’s next neighborhood meeting or luncheon? Please contact us and help us involve more people who care about our community in planning its future. Contact compplan@townofchapelhill.org or 919-969-5068.

Reporting Out: February 7, 2012

2020buzz — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:32:49 +0000

By Scott Sherrill, UNC MPA Student

A summary of comments from the February 7th reporting out session have been posted to the Meetings and Materials page on www.chapelhill2020.org.

You can also read Rosemary’s recap of the meeting here.

A large crowd gathered for the most recent Chapel Hill 2020 reporting out session at Chapel Hill High School on February 7 from 7-9 PM. The objectives of the evening were to report on Town Council consideration of the 2020 process, share summaries of the most recent theme group work sessions, and get feedback on a draft outline of the Plan, available here. The meeting was facilitated by School of Government faculty members Rick Morse and John Stephens.

Rosemary Waldorf, Chapel Hill 2020 co-chair, discussed briefing the Chapel Hill Town Council on the work conducted to date and highlighted some of the differences between the 2020 process and the process undertaken in 2000, particularly on the grounds of citizen engagement.

The Council responded with some areas where they would like specific direction from the Chapel Hill 2020 participants:

Rezoning (Should there be proactive zoning to achieve the vision?)
Development process (Improvements to the development review process)
Advisory boards and commissions
Financial consideration for goals and funding mechanisms
Housing styles
Downtown
Achieving connectivity
Student housing
The Greene tract
Joint and regional planning (specifically the 15-501 corridor)
Increasing the tax base (thoughts on annexation)
Parcels by scale and use (Where change could happen)

The Town Council also made some requests for the Chapel Hill 2020 participants: they prefer the draft plan in June, on schedule, and if there is no consensus, George and Rosemary should report it to them; they want to continue citizen engagement particularly by connecting with Generation Y and young families with children; they want the group to be clear on areas of disagreement; and they want to be clear on the roles of the council, staff, and community after the plan is completed.

After Rosemary affirmed that she and George agree with the council’s preference for the plan to be completed in June, Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Assistant Planning Director for the Town of Chapel Hill, presented the draft outline of the Chapel Hill 2020 plan. The draft takes into account information from the theme groups thus far, but is open for citizen comment and feedback.

Faith Thompson, the Outreach Coordinator for the Town of Chapel Hill, discussed some of the outreach efforts to date. She noted that her and the Outreach Committee’s job has been made easier due to community mapping efforts prior to the Chapel Hill 2020 process which served to identify local organizational actors and interest groups that could be targeted for involvement and information about the process.

The theme group reports reflected a lot of goal consolidation:

Nurturing Our Community:
- Reduce and dispose of community’s solid waste
- Maintain and improve water quality strategies
- Maintain a review process that is fair, transparent, and encourages a sustainable outcome
- Local food production
- Preserve and protect the rural buffer
- Conserve and enhance special character of neighborhoods
Getting Around:
- Provide a high quality, holistic transportation system that encourages all modes of transportation
- Connect neighborhoods with greenways and sidewalks
- Connect to comprehensive regional network that supports all types of development
- Provide everyone access
Community Prosperity and Engagement:
- Balance and sustain financial health of community
- Foster success of current local businesses and attract new businesses
- Promote a safe, vibrant, and connected community
A Place for Everyone:
- Public spaces (indoor and outdoor)
- Arts
- Affordable Housing
- Diversity
Places and Spaces:
- Support Rural Buffer
- Downtown—vibrant, diverse, pedestrian-friendly
- Development code with more certainty that development gotten was what was worked in plan
- Promote UNC’s entrepreneurship effort
- Affordable housing
- Existing neighborhoods (Maintain character)
- Actively plan recruit, nurture, and retain creativity
- Recognize outdoor space as valuable community space
- Land use, form, density, and sustainability—district codes.
Town, Gown, and Collaboration:
- Reach out to university for brain power to encourage entrepreneurship
- Increase access for Chapel Hill citizens to university resources
- Collaboration and cooperation on development and redevelopment
- Take advantage of existing frameworks.

Audience questions and comments focused on the process and involvement after the conclusion of the process and the format of the report. The more detailed work products will depend on recommendations that come out of the plan, and the mechanism for citizen engagement will depend on what those work products wind up being. The implementation matrix should help to show the community’s priorities in terms of what short term, mid-term, and long term goals will be. The plan involves implementation that will include multiple actors, many of whom have been involved in the 2020 process, but collaboration will be necessary if the goals are to come to fruition. The tension in the format of the document seems to from the tension between theme groups and big rocks, which work across themes. The schedule will also begin to include more theme group working sessions and fewer reporting out sessions.

Upcoming Meetings:

February 23, 4:30-6:30, Future Focus working meeting, Estes Hills Elementary
March 7—8:30 PM, Tavern Talks
March 20, 7-9 PM, working session: goals and strategies

February 15: Future Focus

2020buzz — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:25:34 +0000

By Scott Sherrill, UNC MPA Student

February 15 marked the beginning of a two-day Future Focus event for Chapel Hill. The goal of the sessions was to get a better idea for how the citizens of Chapel Hill want the town to grow and what they want the growth to look like. (link to scenario maps is at the bottom of this post)

Introductory presentations by David Parker, Associate Vice Chancellor and Deputy General Counsel of the University, and Dwight Bassett, Town of Chapel Hill Economic Development Director, painted a picture of UNC’s growth and development on the 4,000 acres it owns outside of central campus and some ideas from the Downtown Framework and Action Plan.

David Parker’s presentation not only focused on the potential growth and development opportunities for the campus, but also the forces that help to guide, direct, and limit the nature of that growth. David pointed particularly to the University as an agency of the State of North Carolina, its nature as a constituent of the 17-school University of North Carolina System, its status as a nonprofit, educational institution, its constraints under the regulations that accompany the 804 million dollars of federal investment, its role as a partner of the community, and its function as an engine of economic development. The essence was that the obligations that come along with each of these positions make the school very slow to move, and limit its ability to develop in one way or another.

The University is still a major player in the area with 29,000 students, 11,909 full time employees, and an annual budget in FY11 of in excess of a billion dollars, less than 20% of which came from the state, and just over 20% came from the federal government. Meanwhile the vast majority of funds is expended on instruction, research, and supporting students. And the University is accompanied by UNC Healthcare with 7,215 employees, 37,124 discharges, and 918,524 clinic visits. The end message was that the University is not a typical developer, but its fortunes are closely tied with the Town of Chapel Hill, and it is dedicated to being a community partner.

Dwight Bassett’s presentation focused on the Downtown framework, which he talked about at length in an earlier presentation. The elements focused on for the purposes of this event were the four key ideas of a Compact, Connected, Anchored, and Green downtown. The presentation also focused on some still viable ideas from the draft framework including a downtown gathering space, areas of potential future investment, where the land values were higher than the building values, and the idea of additional cross streets to make the blocks more pedestrian friendly.

The evening concluded with a visioning exercise where participants were shown 50 images and surveyed on whether or not the images depicted were appropriate or not appropriate visions for Chapel Hill. The presentations continued on February 16 on five areas outside the downtown: MLK South, MLK North, 15-501 South, 15-501 North, and NC 54.

About 180 people participated in the Thursday sessions. The used three scenarios as a starting point for discussion and input:

Existing conditions + business as usual
Moderate investments in transportation connections and growth
Transit-focused investments in connections and growth

The maps from the session are availble here: https://picasaweb.google.com/105827290421826126685/FutureFocusWorkshopScenarios

If you’re interested in the results and the analysis of indicators, please join us on February 23rd at Estes Hills Elementary for an open house and further discussion from 4:30-6:30 pm.

Chapel Hill 2020 Special Topic: Tourism as a Community-Based Economic Development Strategy

2020buzz — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:15:39 +0000

Chapel Hill 2020 will offer the special topic presentation “Tourism as a Community-Based Economic Development Strategy” by Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitors Bureau.

The public is invited to the presentation to be held at noon Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall. The public event will be aired live on Chapel Hill Government TV-18 and streamed on the Town of Chapel Hill website at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1850

According to the NC Department of Commerce, visitors traveling to and within the state of North Carolina spent a record $17 billion in 2010, supporting more than 40,000 North Carolina businesses and directly supporting 183,900 jobs all across the state. State and local tax revenues generated as a result of visitor spending total more than $1.5 billion annually.

North Carolina ranks as the 6th most visited state in the United States. How does Chapel Hill build upon the state’s status as a top destination for visitors? What challenges does the local hospitality industry face in light of the current economy? What new developments are taking place? These topics and more will be discussed.

Future Focus Today and Tomorrow!

2020buzz — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:56:44 +0000

Future Focus Agenda February 15 & 16 – at the Friday Center, Trillium A

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Welcome & Introductions
Overview of 2020 to date (Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Town of Chapel Hill)
UNC Growth & Development (David Parker, UNC Chapel Hill)
Downtown Growth & Development (Dwight Bassett, Town of Chapel Hill)
“Downtown Compass” (Stan Harvey, Urban Collage) Interactive Session
Overview of Upcoming Charrette (Stan Harvey, Urban Collage)
Wrap Up

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM and 6:00 – 8:00 PM (repeats from 11:30)

Welcome & Introductions (Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Town of Chapel Hill)
Chapel Hill Today- existing conditions (Garrett Davis, Town of Chapel Hill & Matt Noonkester, Seven Hills Group)
Building a Transit-Supportive Community (David Bonk, Town of Chapel Hill)
Focus Area Exercises (Stan Harvey, Urban Collage) Interactive Session

Information and Results from the sessions will be shared here, so check back if you miss it.

Future Focus Planning Workshops: Less than a week away

garrettplanner — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:05:32 +0000

Check out our new promo video for the Future Focus Workshops. Send it around to friends. Lets get a big turnout at the Future Focus Planning Workshops next week. See you there.

Chapel Hill 2020 Special Topic: “Can We Heal Our Local Waterways?”

2020buzz — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000

Chapel Hill 2020 will offer the special topic presentation “Can We Heal Our Local Waterways?” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. This program brings to Chapel Hill 2020 the first event focused on current water quality problems and the actions needed to restore our urban streams. A series of expert speakers from the State of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro will share their knowledge, culminating in a community discussion about what to do about these problems.

View the agenda at http://bolincreek.org/blog/symposium-2/agenda/.

Following the discussion, local photographer Mary Sonis will take us on a photo journey along Bolin Creek to discover some amazing wildlife.

From noon to 1 p.m., at a “Community Exchange” local groups interested in water quality will share what they are doing and give practical steps homeowners can take to ensure healthy creeks.

A free children’s program, “Exploring the World of Streams”, is offered concurrently for children of adults attending the symposium; registration details are on the Friends of Bolin Creek website www.bolincreek.org.

Water quality is critical for life, both for the natural ecosystem and for the growth and sustainability of our towns. Our streams in Chapel Hill and Carrboro are currently impaired. To protect our downstream water supplies and to make our creeks healthy again we must understand the problems so we know how to repair them. In addition to state and local government investment, we can through our individual actions all play a part in the solution.

Join us for this healthy waterways event!

This event is planned by Friends of Bolin Creek and the UNC Institute for the Environment and co-sponsored by Chapel Hill 2020 and the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Snacks will be provided.

Chapel Hill’s Future Transit Network

2020buzz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:06:12 +0000

Chapel Hill 2020 will offer the special topic presentation “Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit: Chapel Hill’s Future Transit Network” by David Bonk, transportation planner for the Town of Chapel Hill, at noon on Friday, Feb. 10, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall.

The public is invited to attend or may view the presentation on Chapel Hill Government TV-18 or by streaming video on the Town of Chapel Hill website at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1850

Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit: Chapel Hill’s Future Transit Network

By David Bonk

As Chapel Hill plans for the next 10 to 15 years, expansion of the Chapel Hill transit network will be an important consideration. While fixed-route bus service will continue to be the centerpiece of the Chapel Hill transit system the introduction of new transit technologies will impact not only transit service levels but also land use patterns within the Town.

The current proposal for implementing a light rail corridor between Chapel Hill and Durham is part of a larger regional plan to provide both light rail and commuter rail systems linking Chapel Hill, Durham, RTP, Cary and Raleigh. Light rail vehicles, similar to those used along the Charlotte light rail line, are anticipated to operate in three car trains carrying 228 riders. The train would operate on dedicated tracks with electric power provided through overhead lines.

The proposed 17.1 mile corridor between Durham and Chapel Hill would include about 17 stations. In Chapel Hill the light rail corridor would begin on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and connect stations at the Ambulatory Care and Smith Center with a station at Hamilton Road and the Friday Center. From the Friday Center there are two alternative corridor alignments, one serving a station in Meadowmont, while the other alignment includes a station along NC54 just east of Barbee Chapel Road. Both alternative alignments would serve a proposed station at Leigh Village in Durham and then to continue to a Chapel Hill station just east of Blue Cross Blue Shield at the intersection of I-40 and US 15-501. From that point the light rail corridor is proposed to extend east along US 15-501 to Duke University and downtown Durham before ending at Alston Avenue. A final decision on the alternative corridor alignments near Meadowmont is expected within the next 18 months.

2035 daily ridership between Chapel Hill and Durham is estimated between 12,000 and 14,000, with an anticipated construction cost of about $1.4 billion. Funding for the light rail line is expected to be a combination of federal, State and local funds. Local funding is proposed to be provided from both vehicle registration fees and a possible half-cent increase in the Orange County sales tax.

It is expected that development around the proposed light rail stations will include a mix of housing, retail and office uses. This development will be designed to create compact neighborhoods and work centers all within walking distance of the light rail station. More information about the proposed light rail corridors can be found at http://ourtransitfuture.com/.

In addition to the proposed light rail corridor Chapel Hill has already begun planning for higher capacity transit along several key transportation corridors. Bus rapid transit is designed to upgrade fixed route bus transit in areas of high ridership and between activity centers. The Town has identified Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, US 15-501/Fordham Blvd and NC54 as critical transportation corridors and could support bus rapid transit. Bus rapid transit technology includes a range of enhancements along specific corridors designed to improve operating efficiency, ranging from coordination of signal timing with buses to exclusive bus lanes. Bus rapid transit systems typically include the use of higher capacity vehicles, such as articulated buses, real time information systems for transit riders and fewer stop locations. These bus rapid transit corridors identified by Chapel Hill include opportunities for redevelopment designed to reduce impacts on the transportation network by encouraging greater use of public transit, bicycling and walking.

The integration of both light rail and bus rapid transit with changes in the intensity and design of future development could provide Chapel Hill with the ability to accommodate future growth and improve its tax base while improving mobility with the Town and expanding connections to the Triangle Region.

David Bonk began work with Chapel Hill in 1985 as the Town’s transportation planner. He represented the Town in the development of regional transportation plans, provided planning for the Chapel Hill Transit system and participated with other Town staff in the preparation of the Chapel Hill 1988 and 2000 Comprehensive Plans and subsequent small area planning. In 2005 he was appointed long range and transportation planning manager, responsible for coordinating long range land use planning with ongoing regional and local transportation planning. Recent projects have included the 2008 Northern Area Task Force and 2009 Rogers Road Small Area Plans and the 2009 Long Range Transit Plan. Bonk has undergraduate degrees in political science and history and a master’s of public administration from Western Illinois University.

Rosemary’s Recap of the Feb. 7 Report-out

2020buzz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:30:41 +0000

We had a full house again last night with over 100 people checking in on the 2020 Plan. As the boy’s basketball game dunked their way to a final win, we heard from our theme group leaders and answered questions about the project.

Our Theme Group Co-Chairs of Chapel Hill 2020 summarized the goals their groups have developed for the draft 2020 Plan . The goals for each group and the draft outline are with the meeting materials. We also talked about the Council’s conversation at their annual planning retreat this past Friday and Saturday (Feb. 3 and 4).

For those following the 2020 process but unable to attend last night, I wanted to pass along key points about schedule and the conversation George and I had with the Mayor and Council.

On the schedule:

Stakeholders last night asked that we make both the March 20 and April 12 meetings into theme group working sessions. Consider that done. Times and locations remain as published.

After speaking with the Mayor and Council, George and I have decided that we will try to get a draft visioning plan to the Council in June, as originally planned; however, if more time is needed, we will take more time and schedule more working sessions.

If you haven’t looked at the schedule and timeline for community involvement and participation in the 2020 process, please do so now. You will note that our current period of “Sustained Community Engagement” extends through June. After June, there is ample opportunity for 2020 stakeholders and other citizens to help with more detailed components of the Comprehensive Plan. Don’t consider the list of topics under “Maintain Public Engagement” as final; some may disappear and others may be added, depending on priorities established by the Theme Groups.

On our conversation with the Mayor and Council:

George and I were impressed by the Mayor and Council’s level of interest in 2020 and their questions. They are expecting this process to give them guidance in their decision making. In fact, they developed a specific list of areas they want guidance on from the 2020 Plan:

Rezoning (proactive zoning to achieve the vision)
Improvements to the current development review process, specifically the Special Use Permit process
Roles of advisory boards
Funding strategies for proposed goals from 2020
Downtown
Connectivity — how to achieve
Student housing and transit relationships; preferred locations for student housing
Mix of housing styles — how to achieve
Designate areas to capture increased tax base
15-501 corridor — what should be encouraged there
Greene tract
Regional planning
Annexation as a tool to increase tax base and workforce housing
Identify potential development parcels and desired uses and scale

Mary Jane and I talked this morning about how to make sure 2020 responds to this request for guidance. We believe we can work many of these topics into the Future Focus workshops on Feb. 15 and 16. In addition, we will consult with the co-chairs and make sure we get these questions to the theme groups as they continue working.

Hope to see you Feb. 9 at noon to learn about fire and police services, Feb. 10 at noon to learn about light rail and bus rapid transit, Feb. 11 to learn about water quality and next week at the Future Focus workshops.

Thanks so much for everyone’s participation.

Rosemary Waldorf

Chapel Hill 2020 Special Topic: Police and Fire Departments — An Overview

2020buzz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:13:15 +0000

Chapel Hill 2020 will offer the special topic presentation “Chapel Hill’s Police and Fire Departments – An Overview ” by Police Chief Chris Blue and Fire Chief Dan at noon on Thursday, Feb. 9, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall.

By Police Chief Chris Blue and Fire Chief Dan Jones

There are challenges and opportunities for the future for both the Chapel Hill Police Department and the Fire Department.

Current budget limitations jeopardize key programming areas. The Town’s public safety budget continues to be strained by an increasing number of special events, including NCAA celebrations and Halloween. Budget cuts over the last three years have delayed replacement of critical equipment and routine maintenance.

There are new demands on fire and emergency service protection, evidenced by increased emergency call volume. State fire protection funds intended to reimburse the Town for coverage of UNC properties has been cut 10 by the NC Legislature, while at the same time, service demands from the campus and supporting properties continue to increase.

Our community is becoming denser, more urban. Vertical developments above four stories create different fire protection issues and the need for new equipment. For example, the Town currently has one aerial ladder truck and no reserve. The addition of more multi-story buildings above five creates the need for a second ladder truck and the 15 firefighters needed to staff the same 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Chapel Hill growth projections for the next 20-30 years will likely intensify the need for more space for police and fire operations. Both the current police and fire headquarters buildings are crowded with a number of shared workspaces. Fire headquarters for example was designed for housing on Fire Company (4 personnel) and about 3 offices. It currently houses 6 personnel and offices for 10. The Town Emergency Operations center (EOC) is also housed there and has both space and technology limitations.

Staying competitive is key. A review of compensation and retention issues within public safety departments is a priority. The Police Department has eight police officer vacancies out of its 120 authorized sworn positions. This correlates to about 2.2 authorized officer positions per 1,000 residents. Using 2035 population projections, the department would need an increase of nearly 48 officers to maintain current staffing ratios.

Using the same population projections for the fire department shows a staffing level of 1.8 firefighters per 1,000 population now indicating a need to add 45 firefighters by 2035. Opening of a sixth station for Carolina North will necessitate adding 25 to 30 of that total.

How do we police today – and in the future? Chapel Hill officers devote a significant percentage of their time to outreach, problem solving, community relations, and other proactive activities. Growing density will likely make this level of service even more important to residents. Crimes against persons continue their downward trend, yet property crimes are increasing.

Faster response times generally call for greater staffing, but there is an opportunity to find efficiencies. Call prioritization can help achieve desired response times. The Police Department also is experimenting with staffing “desk officers” or light-duty personnel who can handle calls over the telephone or on a walk-in basis.
Technology will help. An enhanced web presence can offset the increasing demand for police services. Many agencies have begun offering online reporting for non-emergency calls. A website with interactive capability could offer crime statistics and mapping and could assist with crime analysis and public information. Use of these alternatives can help reduce field staffing and reduce fuel consumption.

The evolution of our community creates new challenges for public safety. We, as your public safety chiefs, are hopeful that the Chapel Hill 2020 Visioning process will shed light on our growing public safety needs for a vibrant, thriving community.