Adopted Central West Small Area Plan now available!

Hot off the web! The adopted Central West Small Area Plan is now available online! Visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest to download the Small Area Plan.

On Nov. 26, 2013, the Town Council adopted the Central West Small Area Plan that was developed by the Central West Steering Committee. The committee worked with community members and residents from December 2012 to November 2013 to develop the small area plan.

The Central West Focus Area is located near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive and extends from Carrboro to the west, Franklin Street to the east, Homestead Road to the north, and Maple Drive to the south. For a map, please visit the Central West Small Area Plan webpage.

The Central West Focus Area was identified as a “future focus area” during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process due to the known development pressures in the area. The plan provides a vision for future land use, transportation, environmental, and streetscape decisions.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process and to download the small area plan, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

For questions, contact Megan Wooley, housing and neighborhood services planner, at compplan@townofchapellhill.org or 919-969-5059.

Thank you to the Steering Committee and to all who participated in this planning effort. We appreciate the time, energy, and creativity that you dedicated to this process!

Draft Central West Small Area Plan to be Considered by Council on Nov. 26

On Tuesday, November 26th, the Town Council will be reviewing the draft Central West Small Area Plan and will be considering possible adoption of the draft Small Area Plan. If adopted, the Central West Small Area Plan would become a component of the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan.

During the November 7th Steering Committee meeting, the Central West Steering Committee reviewed the comments received about the draft Small Area Plan. For items that required additional discussion and decisions, the Steering Committee decided how to incorporate these items into the draft Small Area Plan.

At the end of the November 7th meeting, the Steering Committee endorsed the draft Central West Small Area Plan with the proposed revisions. The Steering Committee requested that the draft Small Area Plan be forwarded to the Council for their consideration.

To view the draft Central West Small Area Plan and proposed revisions, see below:

• Draft Central West Small Area Plan (Dated October 11, 2013)
• Proposed Revisions and Amendments to the draft Small Area Plan (Approved by the Steering Committee on November 7th)

The Council meeting will begin at 6:00pm and will be held at the Southern Human Services Complex, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill.

For more information about the Central West process, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

Meet the Draft Central West Small Area Plan!

“Meet the Draft Central West Small Area Plan!” meetings will be held from noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, in Meeting Room B at the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Both meetings will be identical in format.

During the “Meet the Draft Central West Small Area Plan” meetings, Town of Chapel Hill staff will provide an overview of the contents of the draft Central West Small Area Plan. After the overview presentation, there will be time for questions and answers.

The Draft Central West Small Area Plan is an 80-page planning guide that provides a vision for the Central West Area in words, maps, and diagrams for future development of the area. The Small Area Plan is the result of community input received in over 10 community sessions and over 30 Steering Committee meetings that have taken place since the Town Council established a steering committee to create a small area plan for the area.

The draft Central West Small Area Plan includes principles and objectives that are to guide development in the area, recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian amenities, and a Concept Plan that outlines various uses and heights for the area.

The Town Council will have an opportunity to review and receive public comment at a public hearing about the Draft Central West Small Area Plan at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at Southern Human Services Center Complex, 2501 Homestead Road. For more information about the Public Hearing, click here: http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=15&recordid=4715

The Central West Focus Area is located near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive and extends from Carrboro to the west, Franklin Street to the east, Homestead Road to the north, and Maple Drive to the south.

The Central West Focus Area was identified as a “future focus area” during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process due to the known development pressures in the area. The Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan states that this area needs continued community conversation about its future and the appropriate uses (such as residential, commercial, office, mixed-use, etc.) for the area.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process and to view the draft plan, please visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

For questions, please contact Megan Wooley, housing and neighborhood services planner, at compplan@townofchapellhill.org or 919-969-5059.

Interested in the draft Central West Small Area Plan? Join us at the “Meet the Draft Plan” meeting on Monday!

“Meet the Draft Central West Small Area Plan!” meetings will be held from noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, in Meeting Room B at the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Both meetings will be identical in format.

During the “Meet the Draft Central West Small Area Plan” meetings, Town of Chapel Hill staff will provide an overview of the contents of the draft Central West Small Area Plan. After the overview presentation, there will be time for questions and answers.

The Draft Central West Small Area Plan is an 80-page planning guide that provides a vision for the Central West Area in words, maps, and diagrams for future development of the area. The Small Area Plan is the result of community input received in over 10 community sessions and over 30 Steering Committee meetings that have taken place since the Town Council established a steering committee to create a small area plan for the area.

The draft Central West Small Area Plan includes principles and objectives that are to guide development in the area, recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian amenities, and a Concept Plan that outlines various uses and heights for the area.

The Town Council will have an opportunity to review and receive public comment at a public hearing about the Draft Central West Small Area Plan at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at Southern Human Services Center Complex, 2501 Homestead Road. For more information about the Public Hearing, click here: http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=15&recordid=4715

The Central West Focus Area is located near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive and extends from Carrboro to the west, Franklin Street to the east, Homestead Road to the north, and Maple Drive to the south. For a map, please see below.

The Central West Focus Area was identified as a “future focus area” during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process due to the known development pressures in the area. The Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan states that this area needs continued community conversation about its future and the appropriate uses (such as residential, commercial, office, mixed-use, etc.) for the area.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process and to view the draft plan, please visit http://www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

For questions, please contact Megan Wooley, housing and neighborhood services planner, at compplan@townofchapellhill.org or 919-969-5059.

Central West Steering Committee Develops Draft Recommendations

The Central West Steering Committee was charged by the Town Council to develop a Small Area Plan for the Central West Focus Area. The Steering Committee has been meeting since December of 2012, to address this charge.

The Steering Committee has developed a draft concept plan which provides information about the uses and heights in the Central West Focus Area. The Steering Committee has also developed draft recommendations about the bicycle and pedestrian amenities in the area.

These draft recommendations are being reviewed by the Planning Board during the Planning Board meeting on October 1st. For more information about the meeting, please click here.

For a copy of the draft recommendations, please click here.

The following is the draft concept plan:

Please click on the image above to see a larger version.

The following are the bicycle and pedestrian recommendations:

Please click on the image above to see a larger version.

Please click on the image above to see a larger version.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process, please visit: http://www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

Take the Central West Focus Area Survey by 9/18

The Central West Steering Committee has developed four concepts for the Central West Focus Area, and they would like your feedback!

Please share your thoughts, and take the Central West survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/centralwest9-2013

The survey has seven questions and should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey will be open until noon Wednesday, Sept. 18.

The Central West Steering Committee has been charged with developing a recommended small area plan for the Central West Focus Area which they will present to the Town Council for its possible endorsement on Nov. 25. For more information about the Central West process, please visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

Thank you for your participation!

Central West Community Session Sept. 10

Join the Central West Steering Committee and your fellow community members at the upcoming Central West Community Session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, in the Fellowship Hall at Amity United Methodist Church, 825 N. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill.

The drop-in session will provide residents the opportunity to review the committee’s work to date, and to offer their thoughts and feedback.

The Central West Focus Area is located near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive and extends from Carrboro to the west, Franklin Street to the east, Homestead Road to the north, and Maple Drive to the south. For a map, please see below.

The Central West Focus Area was identified as a “future focus area” during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process due to the known development pressures in the area. The Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan states that this area needs continued community conversation about its future and the appropriate uses (such as residential, commercial, office, mixed-use, etc.); form (what the area and buildings should look like); and intensity (how many new uses and buildings are comfortable for the area).

In October 2012, the Town Council established a steering committee to create a small area plan for the Central West Focus Area. Since that time, the Central West Steering Committee has developed principles and objectives that are to guide the development of the small area plan and ultimately development in the area. The committee has also developed concepts that outline various uses in the area, including mixed use, residential, office and institutional/recreational.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process, please visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

For questions, please contact Megan Wooley, housing and neighborhood services planner, at compplan@townofchapellhill.org or 919-969-5059.

DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020 Newsletter Available

With a dozen meetings associated with DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020 scheduled this month, it may be a bit challenging to keep up with the implementation phase of the Town of Chapel Hill’s new comprehensive plan. A lot is going on!

Catch up on DESIGN projects in the September 2013 DESIGN 2020 Newsletter.

Town Manager Roger Stancil says: “Adoption of Chapel Hill 2020 as the comprehensive plan was not an end point, but a beginning. Adoption was a goal accomplished and the beginning of a journey to our preferred future.”

For more information or to receive email updates on various projects, contact us at info@townofchapelhill.org.

Central West Steering Committee Meeting Summary – August 7, 2013

For more information about the August 7th Central West Steering Comittee meeting, please see below!

Central West Focus Area
August 7, 2013 Steering Committee Meeting
Co-Chair Summary

By: Michael Parker and Amy Ryan, Co-Chairs, Central West Steering Committee

The Central West Steering Committee met on August 7 at the Chapel Hill Public Library from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. Copies of all meeting materials can be found at www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest All formal agreements of the Committee reflect the affirmative vote of at least 2/3 of the members present.

Agenda Items

1. Opening Remarks: Megan Wooley began by noting that Trish D’Arconte, from the town Stormwater Management office, would not attend the evening’s meeting as expected because of illness, but that she would be rescheduled at a later date. Julie McClintock requested that Chris Jensen, the Town stormwater engineer, also be invited and Megan said she would contact him.

Julie McClintock requested that the time scheduled for Trish be used instead for a status update on the work plan.  After discussion, it was decided that the extra time would be used for our land use discussions and that a work plan update would be scheduled for a later meeting.

Megan noted that the September community event had been rescheduled to September 3 because of the Jewish holidays (this date has since been changed to September 10) and gave an update for plans for the area walking tour on August 25.

2. Community Participation: Several individuals from the community than shared comments/opinions with the Committee.

3. Land Planning Charrette: The Committee resumed discussion of land use issues in the area along the Estes corridor (areas A—F) and agreed on the following:

– Parcels B and C should      have a mix of uses, including: incubator (create relationship with      Carolina North), significant residential along northern section,      non-residential uses along Estes (intensities that are lower than Parcel      A), and institutional uses (such as a parks and recreation center). An      alternative scenario for this area should also be tested that would call      for residential uses only on these parcels.

– Consider a road connecting Somerset and the proposed road running along the south part of the YMCA property to MLK and have it tested for transportation impacts.

– For area E, to apply environmental language from earlier discussions of areas G and H, and test two options: one that is residential, and one that is primarily residential with institutional/office uses along Estes Drive frontage.

– Area J should be residential.

– Because of meeting time constraints, the group was not able to make specific building height recommendations for areas A–F.  It was agreed that we would test on the range of heights suggested by a majority of committee members in the July 1st “homework” activity, with area C changed from 2-4 stories, with any decision that the Committee has already made to supersede the July 1st activity heights.

– The group decided to test continuation of the area A retail strip south of MLK onto D and F. For testing purposes, we would assume that D would be a synthesis of uses and heights for areas A and B, and that F would assume an expansion of its current institutional use. A low-end use for Parcel D — institutional with a small area of retail — would also be tested.

4. Community Comment: The meeting concluded with comments from five community members.

Thanks to everyone who attended for your continued hard work and interest in the Central West process.

 

The next Central West Steering Committee meeting will be held tonight, Thursday, August 29th from 6:00-9:00pm at the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive.

Central West: Principles and Objectives

During the August 19th Central West Steering Committee meeting, the Steering Committee finalized their list of principles and objectives for the Central West Focus Area. These principles and objectives will help to guide the development of the small area plan for the Central West Focus Area and will guide future development in the area.

For a list of the approved principles and objectives, please click here.

Central West Focus Area Principles

PRINCIPLE 1: Create a Strong Sense of Place

The Central West Focus Area plan will promote the creation of a vibrant sense of place, respecting its character as a comfortable, tree‐lined residential community, home to important Chapel Hill institutions, and a major gateway to Carolina North.

PRINCIPLE 2: Ensure Community Compatibility

Development will provide a graceful transition between the existing residential and institutional uses and the new uses evolving around the Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd./Estes Drive intersection near the Carolina North campus.

PRINCIPLE 3: Create Social Connections

Development should create places that foster a strong sense of community and allow people to meet, both formally and informally.

PRINCIPLE 4: Improve Physical Connections

Multiple means of moving within and through the planning area should be incorporated into new development; explore improving physical connections between the impact area and the Town as whole.

PRINCIPLE 5: Minimize Vehicular Traffic Impacts                                                                                                               

Recognize the limited capacity of the existing road network and favor developments that minimize negative impacts on vehicular traffic and quality of life in the area.

PRINCIPLE 6:  Enhance the Pedestrian/Bicycle Experience

Build a high quality bicycle, pedestrian, and greenway system that ensures safe, comfortable, and convenient access to school, residences, and other destinations for those of all ages and abilities.

PRINCIPLE 7: Improve the Transit System

Encourage uses and densities that will support improvements in transit service such as increased frequency, duration, and access.

PRINCIPLE 8: Encourage a Diverse Mix of Uses

Create a new mix of land uses that encourages walkable destinations.

PRINCIPLE 9: A Diverse Population

The area shall serve a broad socio-demographic range of Chapel Hill residents, students, workers, and visitors.

PRINCIPLE 10: Respect Existing Neighborhoods

Development patterns will respect the integrity of the well-established neighborhoods and enhance their character and quality of life.

PRINCIPLE 11: Employ Environmentally Sound Practices

Development will emphasize environmentally conscious design, maintenance, and operation of buildings and sites.

PRINCIPLE 12: Feature, Repair, and Enhance Natural Resources

Development will protect and relate to the area’s significant and character-contributing natural features.

PRINCIPLE 13: Consider Economic Impacts in Development Decisions

As part of the planning process, consider the fiscal impact and economic viability of proposed development in the area.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest