Community Design Commission

Town Hall TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Community Design Commission Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Meeting Minutes Volker Mueller Edward Hoskins Susana Dancy Susan Lyons Christine Berndt Megan Patnaik Lucy Davis Polly Van de Velde Tuesday, October 23, 2018 6:30 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Roll Call Present 7 - Chair Volker Mueller, Susana Dancy, Christine Berndt, Lucy Davis, Edward Hoskins, Susan Lyons, and Megan Patnaik Absent 1 - Polly Van de Velde Approval of Agenda Commission Chair Volker Mueller proposed adding a Chair Report after Petitions, and proposed a reordering of agenda items, moving Tarheel Lodging to follow Verizon at 140 West. A motion was made by Berndt, seconded by Dancy, that the agenda be approved with the proposed addition and reordering. The motion carried unanimously. Announcements Petitions 1. Solar Energy Petition [18-0845] Tom Henkel from the Town's Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board presented a petition to Council that proposes new requirements for buildings to have roof-mounted solar energy systems. Commission members asked clarifying questions and also asked about the status of a petition on Architecture 2030 standards. A motion was made by Dancy, seconded by Davis, that this Petition be received for review and comment. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. Chair Report Chair Mueller shared a report on the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for design, in the context of the Commission's interest in creating design awards for Chapel Hill. As next steps, the design awards proposal needs to be shared with the new Town Manager and with the new Commission members. Page 1 of 4 Community Design Commission Meeting Minutes October 23, 2018 Approval of Minutes 2. CDC Minutes - August 28, 2018 and October 8, 2018 [18-0846] Commissioner Dancy asked for an amendment to clarify her Nay vote on agenda item #4 of the August 28 minutes. Commissioner Berndt proposed amended wording to clarify the standing of Design Alternative votes for the October 8 minutes. A motion was made by Berndt, seconded by Dancy, that the August 28 Minutes be approved with the proposed amendment. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. A motion was made by Berndt, seconded by Lyons, that the October 8 Minutes be approved with the proposed amendment. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. New Business 3. Concept Plan: Habitat/Carol Woods [18-0848] Commission member comments: General support for the site plan, which is designed to create a sense of community. Density proposed is appropriate, given the density of Carol Woods and the fact that few sites remain as opportunities for affordable housing. Connectivity between neighborhoods would be beneficial, whether via Amesbury Drive or through pedestrian and bicycle connections; the power line easement provides a connection opportunity. The Greenways Master Plan shows a trail along I-40, and that should be included at the northeast corner of the site; the proposed stormwater pond may need adjusting to accommodate the trail; consider other opportunities to connect to the trail systems for the town and for Carol Woods. Consider how to interconnect the main Carol Woods site with this one, so that residents can safely cross Sunrise Road on foot and access amenities on either side. Consider the treatment of Sunrise Road. The proposed sidewalk should be shown; a landscape buffer and/or lower density development would be more appropriate for the road’s context. The access points on Sunrise Road should be farther apart. Interest in seeing the Habitat and Carol Woods homes more intermingled. Concern about locating assisted living units near the front of the site, where there would be more traffic which could be a negative impact on residents. Concern about impacts of the assisted living units on the adjacent lot to the north on Sunrise Road. Consider opportunities to reduce the number of parking spaces and the amount of impervious surface on the site. Homes with a street in front and parking in the rear would be disconnected from the landscape; create more community green areas to the rear of homes, for example along the southern edge of the site. Interest in traffic calming solutions and low design speeds for streets in the project, particularly on the main entry street. Consider how to design streets around pedestrians first and cars second. De-emphasize vehicular traffic around the main Page 2 of 4 Community Design Commission Meeting Minutes October 23, 2018 community open space; slow cars down with measures such as different paving. Given limited land availability, it may be appropriate to reduce buffer width, but it should be actively enhanced with more vegetation. Several nearby residents were in attendance and expressed concerns about increased traffic on Sunrise Rd, environmental impacts on areas downstream, compatibility of the project with the adjacent neighborhood, safety issues on Amesbury Drive if it were connected to the project, and conflicts of interest for decision-makers who have been involved with Habitat for Humanity and/or Carol Woods. Commission comments forwarded to the Town Council. 4. Modified Building Elevations: Carraway Village [18-0849] A motion was made by Dancy, seconded by Davis, that the modifications to Building Elevations be approved, except that the following elements from the previous elevations be maintained: the horizontal band near ground level on the western elevation of Building 5, and the column treatment for the entryway on the eastern elevation of Buildings 1 and 4. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 5. Wireless Facility Elevations: Verizon at 140 West [18-0850] A motion was made by Dancy, seconded by Hoskins, that the Wireless Facilities be approved as modifications to the Building Elevations. Commissioner Lyons recused herself due to being a resident of the building. Commissioner Berndt dissented, stating as reasons for her "Nay" vote: locating facilities at the Rosemary corner of the building and/or having concealed facilities as encouraged by the Ordinance would be more appropriate for this prominent corner in Downtown. Also would like to know the staff recommendation first. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5 - Chair Mueller, Dancy, Davis, Hoskins, and Patnaik Nay: 1 - Berndt Recused: 1 - Lyons Old Business 6. COA: Tarheel Lodging [18-0847] The applicant asked to defer the item, seeking time to prepare additional materials. Commission members discussed procedure for completing review of the Page 3 of 4 Community Design Commission Meeting Minutes October 23, 2018 project, including an approach to working through the Design Guidelines checklist. A motion was made by Dancy, seconded by Davis, that this Discussion Item be tabled for further discussion until the November 27, 2018 meeting. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. Adjournment Next Meeting - November 27, 2018 Order of Consideration of Agenda Items: 1. Staff Presentation 2. Applicant’s Presentation 3. Public Comment 4. Board Discussion 5. Motion 6. Restatement of Motion by Chair 7. Vote 8. Announcement of Vote by Chair Public Charge: The Advisory Body pledges its respect to the public. The Body asks the public to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner, both with the Body and with fellow members of the public. Should any member of the Body or any member of the public fail to observe this charge at any time, the Chair will ask the offending person to leave the meeting until that individual regains personal control. Should decorum fail to be restored, the Chair will recess the meeting until a genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. Unless otherwise noted, please contact the Planning and Development Services Department at 919-969-5066; planning@townofchapelhill.org for more information on the above referenced applications. See the Advisory Boards page http://www.townofchapelhill.org/boards for background information on this Board. Page 4 of 4