Planning Commission

Town Hall TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Planning Commission Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Meeting Minutes Jonathan Mitchell, Chair John Rees Elizabeth Losos, Vice Chair Louie Rivers Wesley Mcmahon Erik Valera Chuck Mills Stephen Whitlow Theodore Nollert Tuesday, March 21, 2023 7:00 PM Virtual Meeting Language Access Statement Virtual Meeting Notification Board members will attend and participate in this meeting remotely, through internet access, and will not physically attend. The Town will not provide a physical location for viewing the meeting. The public is invited to attend the Zoom webinar directly online or by phone. Register for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fA_HYSiTSBmGDDrlUtMUkQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar in listen-only mode. Phone: 301-715-8592, Meeting ID: 881-2449-8020 Opening Roll Call Council Liaison: Camille Berry Staff Liaison: Jacob Hunt Present 9 - Chair Jonathan Mitchell, Vice-Chair Elizabeth Losos, Wesley Mcmahon, Chuck Mills, Theodore Nollert, John Rees, Louie Rivers, Erik Valera, and Stephen Whitlow Page 1 of 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes March 21, 2023 Secretary reads procedures into the record Approval of Agenda A motion to approve the agenda, with an amendment to move the Old Business item to the end of New Business, was carried by a unanimous vote. Announcements Petitions Approval of Minutes 1. Meeting Minutes March 7, 2023 [23-0230] A motion was by Wesley Mcmahon, seconded by Theodore Nollert, to approve the March 7, 2023 Meeting Minutes. The motion was carried by a unanimous vote. New Business 2. A resolution amending The Orange County - Chapel Hill - [23-0231] Carrboro Joint Planning Land Use Plan to add 4.66 acres to the rural buffer. A motion was made by Theodore Nollert, seconded by Elizabeth Losos , to recommend that the Council adopt Resolution A. The motion passed 8-0 Aye: 8 - Chair Jonathan Mitchell, Vice-Chair Elizabeth Losos, Wesley Mcmahon, Chuck Mills, Theodore Nollert, John Rees, Louie Rivers, and Stephen Whitlow Excused: 1 - Erik Valera 3. Conditional Zoning Application for South Creek at 4511 S. [23-0232] Columbia Street Resolution A (Resolution of Consistency and Reasonableness) Theodore Nollert moved, and Louie Rivers seconded a motion to recommend that the Council adopt Resolution A (Resolution of Consistency), with the attached comments as supplements to their recommendation. The motion carried 7-1 Related factual observations: To date, the complete community vision has not formally been incorporated in the comprehensive plan. Page 2 of 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes March 21, 2023 The FLUM does not address this property, since it is currently subject to a development agreement. Explanation for "nay" vote (Stephen): Currently the proposal has too many unknowns, particularly whether the NCDOT would approve a pedestrian bridge or tunnel, to permit a meaningful assessment of consistency with the comprehensive plan. Aye: 7 - Chair Jonathan Mitchell, Vice-Chair Elizabeth Losos, Wesley Mcmahon, Chuck Mills, Theodore Nollert, John Rees, and Louie Rivers Nay: 1 - Stephen Whitlow Excused: 1 - Erik Valera Ordinance A (Approving the Application) Elizabeth Losos moved, and Wesley Mcmahon seconded a motion to recommend that the Council deny Ordinance A (Approving the Application). The Planning Commission would like to see: (1) higher overall density on the 43 acres; (2) a clear plan for an inviting pedestrian connection across 15-501; and (3) more attention to transit-oriented development principles, including discouraging car use and encouraging bike and pedestrian activity. The Planning Commission provided the attached (DRAFT) comments as supplements to their recommendation. The motion carried 5-3 Commission Notes to Council Explanation for "yea" votes (Elizabeth, Wes, John, Stephen, Jon): These members generally found much to like about the proposal but believed that the items listed in the motion exceeded in scope and importance typical "conditions" included in motions to recommend a project. Explanation for "nay" votes (Chuck, Theodore, Louie): These members generally agreed that the project is imperfect but, given the urgent need for housing, would prefer to see it built than scrapped, with the hope that a better pedestrian crossing can be arranged later. Aye: 5 - Chair Jonathan Mitchell, Vice-Chair Elizabeth Losos, Wesley Mcmahon, John Rees, and Stephen Whitlow Nay: 3 - Chuck Mills, Theodore Nollert, and Louie Rivers Excused: 1 - Erik Valera Page 3 of 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes March 21, 2023 Old Business Response to Council's request for budget priorities A motion to forward the Planning Commission's budget priorities to Town Council was carried by unanimous vote. Adjournment Next Meeting - April 4, 2023 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 Department at 919-968-2728; 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