Town Council

Town Hall TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Town Council Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Meeting Minutes - Final Mayor Pam Hemminger Council Member Nancy Oates Mayor pro tem Jessica Anderson Council Member Michael Parker Council Member Donna Bell Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Council Member Allen Buansi Council Member Karen Stegman Council Member Hongbin Gu Wednesday, September 25, 2019 7:00 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Roll Call Present: 9 - Mayor Pam Hemminger, Mayor pro tem Jessica Anderson, Council Member Donna Bell, Council Member Allen Buansi, Council Member Hongbin Gu, Council Member Nancy Oates, Council Member Michael Parker, Council Member Karen Stegman, and Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Other Attendees Town Manager Maurice Jones, Deputy Town Manager Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Police Officer Rick Fahrer, Fire Inspector Donnie Morrissey, Communications Specialist Mark Losey, Interim Planning Director Judy Johnson, Principal Planner Corey Liles, Community Resilience Officer John Richardson, Traffic Engineering Manager Kumar Neppalli, Senior Planner Jake Lowman, Business Management Director Amy Oland, Public Works Director Lance Norris, Senior Ombuds Jim Huegerich, Planner II Becky McDonnell, and Deputy Town Clerk Amy Harvey. OPENING 0.01 Celebrating Success Video: Go Chapel Hill! [19-0792] Mayor Hemminger opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and introduced a Celebrating Successes video about Go Chapel Hill, the Town's transportation management program. The video reminded all that carpooling is a way to enjoy the journey and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Mayor pointed out that Go Chapel Hill had recently been named the best transportation demand management program in the nation. She thanked Transportation Demand Community Manager Len Cone for her creativity, hard work and passion. 0.02 Proclamation: Diaper Need Awareness Week. [19-0793] Council Member Buansi read a proclamation for Diaper Need Awareness Week that described the adverse effects on families not being able to afford a sufficient supply of diapers. He read about work the Diaper Bank of North Carolina had done to address that need and proclaimed the week of September 23-29 to be Diaper Need Awareness Week in Town. Council Page 1 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 Member Buansi encouraged citizens to donate to diaper banks, diaper drives, and organizations that distribute diapers to families in need. Kelley Massengale, representing Diaper Bank, provided background on the organization's history and goals. She said that one in three families struggle to afford diapers and that the Diaper Bank had provided 4.3 million diapers statewide last year. 0.03 Proclamation: National Walk to School Day. [19-0794] Mayor Hemminger read a proclamation declaring October 2, 2019 to be Walk to School Day in Chapel Hill and presented the proclamation to teachers Christy Thompson and Emma Scott. The proclamation pointed out that returning to 1959 levels of walking and biking to school would be equal to keeping 250,000 cars off the road for a year. Mayor Hemminger stressed the physical and mental health benefits of exercise and encouraged all to consider the safety and health of children on October 2nd and every day. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON PRINTED AGENDA AND PETITIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AND COUNCIL MEMBERS Petitions and other similar requests submitted by the public, whether written or oral, are heard at the beginning of each regular meeting. Except in the case of urgency and unanimous vote of the Council members present, petitions will not be acted upon at the time presented. After receiving a petition, the Council shall, by simple motion, dispose of it as follows: consideration at a future regular Council meeting; referral to another board or committee for study and report; referral to the Town Manager for investigation and report; receive for information. See the Status of Petitions to Council webpage to track the petition. Receiving or referring of a petition does not constitute approval, agreement, or consent. 1. Glen Heights/Windsor Circle Neighborhood Request to Exclude [19-0772] the Neighborhood from the South Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Future Land Use Area. Gary Baum spoke on behalf of the Windsor Circle/Glen Heights neighborhood regarding a petition to remove them from the South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard focus area in the Town's Future Land Use Map (FLUM). He described the neighborhood and said that preserving it in its current form would conform to FLUM principles. Mayor Hemminger replied that there had been much recent discussion about creating new wording regarding the character of that neighborhood. Staff would work with the petitioners to determine what that would look like, she said. Mr. Baum pointed out that Windsor Circle was asking to have the current Page 2 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 wording removed and replaced with a description that would preserve it along with other Town neighborhoods. A motion was made by Council Member Schaevitz, seconded by Mayor pro tem Anderson, that this Petition be received and referred to the Town Manager and Mayor. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 1.01 Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership Request Regarding [19-0795] Franklin Street Restriping. Matt Gladdeck, executive director at Downtown Partnership, petitioned the Council to conduct a traffic impact analysis of West Franklin Street for the possibility of striping it differently and perhaps adding bike lanes. He said that slower-moving traffic enhances outside dining and shopping and would make it safer to cross the street. The current time would be a good opportunity to make such changes because the NC Department of Transportation was planning to repave that street, so re-striping part of it would not cost anything, Mr. Gladdeck said. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Parker, that this Petition be received and referred to the Town Manager and Mayor. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS 1.02 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Eastowne Meeting. [19-0796] Mayor Hemminger said that representatives from a Council subcommittee and UNC Healthcare would meet on October 4th at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapel Hill Public Library to continue discussions regarding the Eastowne Master Plan. 1.03 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Banned Book Week. [19-0797] Mayor Hemminger noted that book covers designed by local artists for the Banned Books Project had been made into posters and trading cards in order to educate the public on their right to read whatever they wish. 1.04 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Chapel Hill Transit's 45th [19-0798] Birthday. Mayor Hemminger announced a rolling birthday celebration for Chapel Hill Transit over the next several months. The first would be held on October 1st, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, in front of the Carolina Coffee Shop, she said. 1.05 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Special Meeting. [19-0799] Mayor Hemminger noted a closed special meeting of the Town Council at 5:30 p.m. on October 2nd in the first floor conference room at Town Hall. Page 3 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 1.06 Mayor Hemminger Regarding DACA Amicus Brief. [19-0800] Mayor Hemminger said that she had signed onto the DACA Amicus Brief (Dreamers Act) on behalf of the Council. 1.07 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Solar Tax Credit. [19-0801] Mayor Hemminger said that she had signed onto a Solar Tax Credit as part of the Town's Climate Action Plan and would provide more information about that and the DACA item soon. Council Member Stegman pointed out that an NC Pride celebration would take place on Duke University's campus on September 28th, beginning at 10 a.m. The Town would be represented in the parade for the first time in a while, she said. CONSENT Items of a routine nature will be placed on the Consent Agenda to be voted on in a block. Any item may be removed from the Consent Agenda by request of the Mayor or any Council Member. Approval of the Consent Agenda A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Parker, that R-1 be adopted, which approved the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Buansi that R-2 be adopted, which approved the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 2. Approve all Consent Agenda Items. (Requires two motions) [19-0773] This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 3. Approve the Miscellaneous Budget Ordinance Amendments to [19-0774] Adjust Various Fund Budgets for FY 2019-20. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 4. Adopt Resolutions Related to Proposed Refunding of [19-0775] Outstanding Build America Bonds (BABs). This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 5. Adopt Minutes from November 28, 2018 and December 5, 2018 [19-0776] and January 7, 9, 16, and 30, 2019 and February 13 and 20, 2019, and March 4, 2019 Meetings. Page 4 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 Mayor Hemminger pointed out that #4 required two separate actions (R1 and R2). This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. INFORMATION 6. Receive Upcoming Public Hearing Items and Petition Status [19-0777] List. This information Item was received and filed DISCUSSION 7. Presentation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [19-0778] Semi-Annual Campus Development Report. Gordon Merklein, Associate Vice Chancellor for Real Estate Operations at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC) gave an update on the design process for Porthole Alley. He said that UNC 's visitors center was being temporarily relocated there and that the goal was to make that its permanent location along with UNC Admissions. Mr. Merklein described a four-building plan for Porthole Alley, which he said would be similar to Carolina Square. The University had issued a request for proposals and the process would include a series of community workshops prior to a concept plan, he said. The Council confirmed with Mr. Merklein that UNC hoped to begin workshops at the end of the year and was envisioning a four- to six-month process. Mr. Merklein said that any uses other than an admissions office and a visitor’s center would be the type that draw people to Downtown. UNC was committed to maintaining a retail presence along the front of that project, he said. Council members verified that UNC was committed to preserving aspects of buildings if their structural integrity allowed that. The Council would be involved with the workshops, Mr. Merklein said. The Council verified that the buildings were owned by The Endowment, The Foundation, and the state of North Carolina and included different zoning types. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that rezoning would require a public process beyond the workshops. Evan Yaasky, director of University Facilities Planning and Design, gave a six-month update on UNC projects that were in design or under construction. He said that a list had been sent to the Council and that he would address some of the feedback he had received. Page 5 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 Mr. Yaasky said that UNC was committed to a "Three Zeros" mandate, which referred to zero greenhouse gas emissions, zero net waste to landfills, and zero net water use. He said that the University had made progress toward that and its capital program fit into those goals. Sustainability remained a major UNC concern, he said. With regard to Council questions about a new 450-space parking deck that was under design, Mr. Yaasky said that many spaces would be replacing others that were being lost and that the net gain would be approximately 200 spaces. He provided an update on overall campus parking and said that those spaces were part of an approximate 500-space increase toward the allowed cap. Mr. Yaasky also provided information regarding projects that had been completed over the last six months. These included central campus athletics projects and a media communications building. He gave an update on projects in construction: UNC Healthcare's surgical tower, Odum Village clearing and demolition, a Chapel Creek Wetlands and Outdoor Education Center, related retention pond and the aforementioned project to move the Visitors Center to Porthole Alley. Mr. Yaasky also provided updates on projects in design: a residents hall upgrade, a solar and battery storage demonstration project, a new medical education building, and a new journalism and media building. Council members asked about next steps if the solar panel "demonstration project" were to succeed and Mr. Yaasky said that UNC hoped to get funding to expand it in some way that had not yet been clearly defined. The Council also verified with him that a study had projected no loss of student beds with the elimination of three dorms and that UNC was hoping to have a slight bed gain at the end. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that a joint UNC/Town student housing needs assessment would begin the following week. With regard to a question from Council about any potential interaction between Carolina North and bus rapid transit (BRT), Mr. Yaasky said that UNC had been engaged in the BRT planning process and that the lack of activity in Carolina North was being taken into account in conversations regarding that part of the bus route. The Council confirmed that the University had identified Odum Village as a potential area for entrepreneurial/start up uses, but did not have any new projects to describe. Mr. Yaasky said that a mass transit solution was necessary for that area. BRT might be part of that and UNC was still "banking on" some transit solutions for its campus and the Town in general, Mr. Yaasky said. Page 6 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 With regard to questions from the Council about traffic and transportation impacts, Mr. Yaasky said that the surgical tower would add new users and a transportation impact analysis would be required for those site development permits. Traffic was being addressed on a case-by-case basis, since the University was not ready to start on large scale planning without knowing what the overall transit solutions would be, he said. Mayor Hemminger said that there had been extensive collaboration and communication among the Town and UNC on a regular basis. This matter was received as presented. 8. Receive an Update on the UNC Health Care Eastowne [19-0779] Development Agreement Proposal. Interim Planning Director Judy Johnson gave a brief PowerPoint presentation regarding UNC Healthcare's (UNC-HC) 50-acre Eastowne site, located along Highway 15-501. She reminded the Council that it had adopted six design principles for the site that pertained to place making, suitable public infrastructure, sustainable design, walkable design, enhanced natural environment, and support for community prosperity. Work over the summer had included a variety of community, Council and advisory board meetings, she said. Ms. Johnson explained that next steps would include Town consultants reviewing an ecological assessment and working on a traffic impact analysis (TIA) and a community meeting to discuss project scope. She said that staff had been working with a technical review team to develop standards and metrics and would engage a financial analyst to help review the work that UNC-HC had been doing. Ms. Johnson noted that the process was nearing the end of the second of four phases. The item would return to the Council on November 13, 2019 when it moved into Phase 3, and the Council would select a preferred alternative, she said. She provided a list of upcoming meetings and said that the development agreement (DA) would be crafted in early spring 2020. The Council confirmed with Ms. Johnson that its six adopted principles had been the basis for planning. Staff had been developing standards and metrics to support those guidelines and was providing those to UNC-HC, she said. The Council raised questions about the iterative process in which some decisions would be made before related studies were available. Council members confirmed with Ms. Johnson that standards and metrics to support the six principles were being provided to UNC-HC. Page 7 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 Ms. Johnson said that the process was not following a straight linear plan in the way that many other development projects had. Plans might have to be revised along the way, she said, adding that the "preferred" alternative would not necessarily mean the "final" one. She said that a preferred scenario would represent a combination of elements and that consultants would help the Council understand the trade-offs. Council Member Gu expressed frustration over the lack of specifics from UNC-HC regarding elements such as types of uses, building height, and environmental protection. She said that the Council needed to see an ecological assessment, TIA, and financial analysis before the end of Phase 2 in order to make an intelligent decision. Simon George, Vice President of Real Estate and Development at UNC, gave a PowerPoint update on the project's current status and said that UNC-HC had been reviewing three different scenarios. It had received much feedback from the Council, the Council Committee, the public and Town advisory boards, he said, noting that UNC-HC had led or participated in 22 events over the prior seven months. Mr. George reviewed an environmental assessment and noted that there had been discussion about what to do with a natural heritage area containing old growth that was unusual. There had been a disagreement regarding other areas and UNC-HC hoped to bring related information to the Council Committee at the end of the week, he said. John Martin, representing Elkus Manfredi Architects, reviewed the project's goals and aspirations, showed photos of similar places, and said that scenarios currently being developed would be more visual. He commented on the site's difficulties, but said there could be no better location than at the intersection of Highway 15-501 and Interstate 40. He stressed the importance of developing the project at a level of density that would support anticipated growth over 20-30, and said he would provide specific numbers when working through the scenarios. Mr. Martin listed the project's key components: providing clinical health and research, include more administrative office space, allow living within walking distance of work, and providing a variety of market rate and affordable housing options. All of that would need to be supported by service/convenience/amenity retail and a hotel, which would be a logical use of that land, he said. Mr. Martin discussed three options, which would increase density by 1.5 million, 1.8 million and 2.8 million square feet, respectively. He said that UNC-HC had no intention of building 2.8 million square feet over the next three years but was thinking about it as a ceiling 30 years out. He pointed out, though, that such a floor/area ratio would allow UNC-HC to Page 8 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 meet the Town's six principles even better. Mr. Martin said that next steps would include taking Council feedback and refining the concept scenario plans and looking at options for street networks. They would provide more information regarding block sizes, building mass/height, street networks, and so forth through October and November, he said. The amount of affordable housing, community benefits, and transit support would be determined over the next few months, said Mr. Martin. Once the Council had selected a preferred alternative, UNC-CH would develop a more detailed financial model, he said. The Council determined that a comparable project had not been found because the idea of using clinical out-patient healthcare as an economic driver to create a place such as Eastowne was a new and emerging concept. They discussed the benefits of having commercial space and confirmed that UNC-HC would not need to use all of it. They asked about the percentage of affordable housing, and Mr. Martin said that the Town's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance required 15 percent. However, there was an opportunity for more affordable housing with more housing in general, he pointed out. Mr. Martin said that the Town's Housing Advisory Board had been a strong voice since the start of the process. The Sustainability Advisory Board had seen the wisdom of co-locating housing and workplace together, and literally every Town board had mentioned housing as a desired component, he said. The project was being envisioned as an all multi-family, dense semi-urban housing development that would discourage cars and encourage people to use mass transit, he said. In response to Council questions regarding parking, Mr. Martin said that surface parking would be the default option if land for it were available. He said that having all structured parking would not be the highest and best use of the land and that the Council Committee had said loud and clear that the number of cars and the physical presence of garages should be minimized with the lowest possible parking ratios. The Council verified with Mr. Martin that UNC-CH understood that the built space absolutely needed to be complemented by a variety of open space, a preserved stand of hardwoods, parks and green areas, places to sit, places to shop, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, tree canopy, crosswalks, and more. Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board Chair Pamela Schultz read from a memo to Council regarding significant natural community occurrences and important linkages between natural areas in Duke Forest and Jordan Lake. Board members felt that UNC-HC would demonstrate Page 9 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 good environmental stewardship, promote public health and safety, and model fiscal responsibility by preserving the site, she said. Ramon Fernandez, a Chapel Hill resident, said that quality of life issues had not really been addressed and that developers had been redefining the family unit. High density was more like "public storage", absent of yards, gardens, and places for privacy, he said. A Town surrounded by educational institutions should be able to define the best environment for cultivating people, Mr. Ramirez said. This matter was received as presented. 9. Authorize the Town Manager to Enter into an Agreement with [19-0780] Duke Energy to Convert All Chapel Hill Street Lights to Energy-Saving LED Fixtures. Community Resilience Officer John Richardson presented the staff's recommendation to authorize the Town Manager to execute an agreement with Duke Energy to convert Town street lights to LED. He outlined three options which had different payment terms and installation schedules and recommended Option 1. This option would mean signing an agreement with Duke Energy, ordering lights, and beginning implementation of both standard and decorative lights in January 2020, he said. Mr. Richardson described how LED lights look and feel in comparison to the Town's current lights. He discussed the 5.5 percent decrease in carbon emissions that they would yield and mentioned safety and visibility benefits as well. The Town had sufficient funding to cover standard light conversion costs and to make monthly payments toward the transition costs for the decorative lights but did not have enough to pay the decorative light transition costs up front, he said. Mayor Hemminger proposed a third option (Option C) which would mean changing to standard LED lights in Town parks rather than changing the decorative neighborhood lights at the current time. She proposed that staff evaluate the cost of doing that, park by park, and compare it to the cost of changing decorative lights. Council Member Parker commented on how Duke Energy's fees were increasing even though conversion to LED saves energy. Mayor Hemminger agreed that Duke would be saving money. She hoped the conversation would change as more municipalities convert to LED and light bulb prices decline, she said. Council members discussed the pros and cons of the three options and confirmed that Mr. Richardson thought paying the decorative lights off all at once would be the better financial decision. Duke Energy had said that adding the fee into the bill would mean having it there in perpetuity, Mr. Richardson said. Page 10 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 The Council confirmed that Duke Energy would work with the Town on shielding and angling lights. They verified with staff that whatever payment method the Town chose would not determine when the switch to LED would begin and that information regarding parks would come back in late October/early November. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that Duke Energy was replacing burned out lights with LED lights whether they were decorative or not, and the Council voted unanimously for Option C. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Parker, that R-10 be adopted as amended. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 10. Update on Climate Action and Response Plan. [19-0781] Mr. Richardson gave a PowerPoint overview of a proposed Climate Action and Response Plan. He said that staff would also share a community engagement strategy in November and return in the spring with the 10 most meaningful actions the Town could take by 2025. He reviewed a four-step preliminary schedule that included community engagement and ended with bringing a draft plan to Council in May or June 2020. Mr. Richardson listed several desired outcomes and said that next steps would include placing a consultant under contract, beginning data gathering, continuing to engage partners, and sharing information through sustainchapelhill.org. Council members stressed the importance of integrating the Town's climate action plan into the LUMO and working with partners, such as the Town of Carrboro and Orange County, to find commonalities and leverage work that had already been done. They confirmed with Mr. Richardson that the top 10 options would look at transportation and waste in Town operations and community-wide. The Council verified that the greenhouse gas inventory would look at different models and include variables. Council members suggested shortening the timeline, if possible, and they confirmed that staff would let the Council know if some Town action did not align with the Climate Action Plan. Council Member Stegman asked if the Orange County Climate Tax would be for the County only or shared, and Mayor Hemminger offered to find that out at an upcoming Leadership meeting. Mayor Hemminger described a Town focus on reducing single use plastics in October. The Town would be asking places of business to switch and would highlight those that do, she said. Council Member Schaevitz said that she had been partnering, on behalf of the Town, with a Capstone Course at UNC. That work was still in progress Page 11 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 but it looked as though it would be about community action and perhaps focus on commercial and business, she said. That final report would be presented on December 3rd and the full Council was invited, said Council Member Schaevitz. This matter was received as presented. 11. Adopt a Resolution Committing to Plan for Chapel Hill to [19-0782] Transition to 100% Clean, Renewable Energy Community-wide by 2050. Mr. Richardson noted that the Council had received petitions from the Orange-Chatham Sierra Club and the Climate Realty Group, asking the Town to make a long-term commitment toward transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy. The resolution before the Council committed the Town to 80 percent clean, renewable energy by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050, he said. Mr. Richardson said that the near-term costs would be outlined in the Climate Action and Response Plan that he had described in Item 10. The Council confirmed that the transition would be a community-wide effort and that staff had not yet done a local analysis. They noted that climate change was an existential crisis and praised staff for taking the lead and developing aspirational goals. Council members discussed the importance of determining realistic steps and addressing the issue comprehensively. Council Member Gu pointed out that the Town produced only 2 percent of carbon emissions and asked what tools it had to require the other 98 percent to pledge. She loved aspirational goals but did not see change happening without encouragable pathways, she said. She argued that the plan's scope was too small and said that the Town needed a broader approach. Town Manager Maurice Jones pointed out that the Town did not know what all the pathways would be on the way to 2050. Staff understood that it did not control decisions being made at other levels, and an understanding of that had been built into the resolution, he said. Council Member Parker commented that if the Town could get to 80 percent in 10 years then it ought to be able to reach 100 percent sooner than 2050. He agreed that the lobbying aspect would mean joining forces with other municipalities and entities to get authority from the state legislature and break down some of the barriers. Mr. Jones replied that this was something the Town had been doing. He acknowledged that it should be articulated in the Action Plan. Kim Piracci, a local climate activist, expressed support for the resolution. "We do this or we're dead," she said. Page 12 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 Ed Harrison, a Chapel Hill resident, said that he strongly supported the "very well written" resolution. He stressed that there was a current climate emergency. Mr. Fernadez said that people had created the climate problem and people would have to solve it. Citizens would respond to being told the truth, he said, and he encouraged the Council to turn public fear into action. Megan Clark, a Chapel Hill resident, asked the Council to work with homeowners associations toward allowing residents to add solar panels. Her community had not allowed her to install them, she said. Ms. Schultz said that the other 98 percent would follow if the Council set the tone and led by example. Mayor Hemminger shared that Chapel Hill had been cooperating with MetroMayors on finding ways for everyone to go solar. She encouraged people to go to the annual North Carolina Energy Conference and see the innovative ideas and projects that would be presented there. Some companies had complete renewable energy and zero waste, she said. She wanted the entire Town to be aspirational and engaged and to make real progress, said the Mayor. Council Member Schaevitz left the meeting at 10:51 pm. A motion was made by Council Member Oates, seconded by Council Member Parker, that R-11 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 12. Blue Hill Semiannual Report #10. [19-0783] Planner Corey Liles gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Blue Hill District (BHD) semi-annual report and provided updates on the Elliott Road Flood Storage and Elliott Road Extension projects as well as code updates related to incentivizing enhanced stormwater treatment. He also reported on projects being developed: Tarheel Lodging and Park Apartments, Phase 1. Projects in construction: Hillstone Apartments and Fordham Boulevard Apartments and the recent completion of Greenfield Commons. Mr. Liles said that the Town had more than 1,400 units that were new or in the pipeline. He pointed out that property tax revenue was expected to increase in about two years by an estimated $800,000 annually and had already exceeded debt service payments. The cost of service was difficult to estimate and staff members were interested in discussing that with Council, he said. Mr. Liles discussed associated community benefits, such as a payment in lieu for affordable housing, payments toward bus stop improvements, less Page 13 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final September 25, 2019 post-construction impervious surface, several miles of new sidewalks/trails/bike lanes, 1.7 acres of outdoor amenity space currently under construction, and a new greenspace associated with the flood storage facility. He said that staff would report on affordable housing strategies in early 2020 and asked the Council to adopt Resolution A, calling for an October hearing on massing and permeability standards in the BHD. The Council asked Mr. Liles to bring back at least a conservative estimate of the potential cost of services, and from a holistic perspective. They stressed the need to look at integrated parking solutions in the BHD and mentioned the Town's desire for more commercial development there. Mr. Liles said that staff hoped to address parking issues in the massing standards and would think about reevaluating the current minimums and maximums if the Council were interested in doing so. He pointed out that the option of shared parking would involve encouraging partnerships among different owners and developers. He said that Tarheel Lodging was making use of shared parking and that multiple-use projects of that scale would present opportunities. Mr. Liles said that it would be interesting to see what happens when commercial properties redevelop as residential or mixed-use projects. He pointed out that the tax value of a new hotel was at least three times that of the commercial space it was replacing. However, staff had not seen any project that proposed to follow the 10 percent commercial requirement that the Town had recently added, he said. A motion was made by Council Member Parker, seconded by Mayor pro tem Anderson, that R-12 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:16 p.m. Page 14 of 14