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 Hongbin Gu Mayor pro tem Michael Parker Council Member Tai Huynh Council Member Jessica Anderson Council Member Amy Ryan Council Member Allen Buansi Council Member Karen Stegman Wednesday, May 6, 2020 7:00 PM Virtual Meeting Virtual Meeting Notification Town Council 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_70w7HrO4RludPjDZiZ-_8A After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar in listen-only mode. Phone: 301-715-8592, Meeting ID: 810-3531-4637 Also view Council meetings at https://chapelhill.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx – and on Chapel Hill Gov-TV (townofchapelhill.org/GovTV). Roll Call Present: 8 - Mayor Pam Hemminger, Mayor pro tem Michael Parker, Council Member Jessica Anderson, Council Member Allen Buansi, Council Member Hongbin Gu, Council Member Karen Stegman, Council Member Tai Huynh, and Council Member Amy Ryan Other Attendees Town Manager Maurice Jones, Deputy Town Manager Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Interim Planning Director Judy Johnson, LUMO Project Manager Alisa Duffey Rogers, Police Chief and Executive Director for Community Safety Chris Blue, Fire Chief Vencelin Harris, Emergency Management Coordinator Kelly Drayton, Communications and Public Affairs Director/Town Clerk Sabrina Oliver, and Deputy Town Clerk Amy Harvey. OPENING 1. Update on Remote Meeting Legislative Changes. (no [20-0290] attachment) Page 1 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 Mayor Hemminger opened the meeting at 7:02 p.m. and gave an update on state legislation regarding virtual meetings. She said that Council Members’ voice responses to roll call were now required. They must raise their hands to vote, and she would announce the names of any who vote nay. Mayor Hemminger then called the roll and pointed out that Council Member Gu was participating by phone due to a faulty internet connection. This item was received as presented. 1.01 Council Members' Thanks to Staff. [20-0303] Mayor Hemminger thanked Town staff for their excellent work during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and Council Members held up hand-made signs to express their appreciation as well. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS 1.02 Mayor Hemminger Regarding PORCH. [20-0304] Mayor Hemminger said that PORCH was celebrating its 10th year and that its founders (Christine Cotton, Debbie Horwitz, Susan Romaine) had worked tirelessly over that time to provide food to those in need in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. PORCH had been working particularly hard during the current health crisis, she said. She declared May 16, 2020 to be PORCH Day in Chapel Hill and urged Town residents to continue supporting PORCH's hunger relief efforts. 1.03 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Air National Guard Flyover. [20-0305] Mayor Hemminger said that the Air National Guard would be flying over UNC-CH Hospital at 11:39 a.m. the next day. "Operation American Resolve" would be a salute to cities, hospitals and food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. She encouraged residents to go outside and watch the spectacular salute. 1.04 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Upcoming Council and Board [20-0306] Meetings. Mayor Hemminger announced that the Council Committee on Economic Sustainability would meet virtually at 8:00 a.m. on May 15 and that the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board would meet on May 12 at 7:00 p.m. A full list of meetings was on the Town's website and was updated frequently, she said. 1.05 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Food Check-in. [20-0307] Mayor Hemminger said that Food for Students had added two sites and had distributed more than 144,000 meals. They would begin distributing weekend meal boxes at all sites on May 14, she said. Mayor Hemminger reported that the Town and PORCH had distributed food to more than 543 families and that Table had distributed 662 bags of Page 2 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 healthy food the prior week. Meals on Wheels had taken meals to more than 1,000 seniors on Thursday and the Inter-Faith Council was continuing to provide lunch and dinner to 70-100 people at its Community Kitchen, she said. She noted that Food Pantry was providing bags of groceries to people, including students on campus. All of those efforts were dependent upon community generosity and would be ongoing as the Town recovered from COVID-19, Mayor Hemminger said. 1.06 Mayor Hemminger Regarding OWASA Care to Share [20-0308] Program. Mayor Hemminger said that Orange Water and Sewer Association (OWASA) had seen a 70 percent increase in past due accounts during the COVID-19 crisis. As a community program, it depended on revenue coming in, she pointed out. She said that OWASA's "Care to Share" program enabled residents to add $10 or so to their monthly water bill payments in order to help others pay their bills during the pandemic. 9. Update on Town Efforts to Respond to the COVID 19 Crisis. (no [20-0298] attachment) Town Manager Maurice Jones gave an update on the Town's COVID-19 response and an overview of the Phase I reopening process. He said that the NC Department of Health and Human Services had been tracking key metrics: testing capacity, supplies of personal protective equipment, contact tracing capability, the number of virus cases by zip code) and Governor Cooper had signed two bills that would change policies and allocate nearly $1.6 billion of funding for health, education, small businesses, and more. Mr. Jones said that North Carolina would move into Phase I of reopening at 5:00 p.m. on May 15 and that phase was expected to remain in place until 5:00 p.m. on May 22, at least. He said that an effort to move people from an Inter-Faith Council shelter into hotels should be completed on May 18. Emergency Management Coordinator Kelly Drayton explained that Phase I would ease some restrictions but retain most, including the stay-at-home order. She discussed the types of enterprises that could reopen and those that must remain closed. State officials were encouraging residents to continue wearing cloth face coverings when physical distancing was not possible, she said. Mr. Jones said that Governor Cooper would consider moving to Phase II if North Carolina continued to meet public health metrics. Phase III would begin at least 4-6 weeks after that, and would allow increased capacity at restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and more, he explained. He said that the Town would move slowly and would continue to rely on guidance Page 3 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 from health professionals and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Several Council Members expressed concern about the delay in moving shelter residents into hotels. Mr. Jones explained that the paperwork had been completed but that the Inter-Faith Council (IFC) had asked for a delay until May 18 due to staffing needs. Ms. Drayton pointed out that the Town had offered staffing support, and Mayor Hemminger said that Mr. Jones had done an incredible job of advocating and staying on the issue. Council Members commented on community apprehension about moving into Phase I, and Mr. Jones pointed out that there would not be much change. The Governor believed that Phase 1 was the right approach, and municipalities were trying to determine how it would work in their own communities, he said. Mr. Jones said that Town messaging would emphasize the importance of being cautious and patient. Chapel Hill was not ready to celebrate, and would need to see significant, broad improvement before starting Phase II, he said. Mayor Hemminger mentioned that regional mayors had been collaborating and monitoring statistics. They had agreed to ratchet back down if they saw an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, she said. In response to a question from the Council about the possibility of increased testing, Mayor Hemminger said that there had been a hold up in testing supplies. Mayor pro tem Parker pointed out that any health consequence from relaxing restrictions would take 2-3 weeks to appear and cautioned against moving too quickly into Phase II. Mayor Hemminger agreed. She said that Orange County would be extending its state of emergency into June, which would allow the region to act quickly, if necessary. That extension would also allow the Council to continue meeting virtually, she said. Council Members confirmed with Mr. Jones that the Town and County would jointly enforce social distancing rules in businesses. They would first ascertain that establishments understand the importance of following the rules. Enforcement would follow if there were repeat offenders, Mr. Jones said. Mayor Hemminger added that the Health Department had the right to shut businesses down if they did not comply. In response to a question from the Council about closing a traffic lane to allow more walking and biking, Mayor Hemminger said she did not think the NC Department of Transportation would allow the Town to close main roads. However, such ideas were being discussed and there might be ways to buffer some of the roads and create bike lanes, she said. She said that conversations with the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Partnership included finding ways to encourage more walking and biking in general. Other possible changes included opening up parking lots for Page 4 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 outside dining, she said. Council Member Ryan said that she had been talking with OWASA about testing for the virus in waste-water streams in order to pinpoint areas where COVID-19 was increasing. OWASA had replied that it did not have the staffing to do that, she said, and she encouraged anyone else who thought that was a good idea to advocate for it. Council Member Anderson mentioned that the Town had begun coordinating connections between those in Town who were making face masks and those who wanted them. This item was received as presented. 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. 1.07 Council Member Huynh Regarding Asian American Event. [20-0309] Council Member Huynh announced that UNC TV was partnering with North Carolina Asian Americans Together to host a screening of the PBS special "Asian Americans", which detailed Asian American accomplishments and struggles throughout American history. The special would air the following week, but a sneak preview would be available on Facebook on May 14, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., he 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 Council Member Anderson, seconded by Mayor pro tem Parker, that R-1 be adopted, which approved the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 2. Approve all Consent Agenda Items. [20-0291] Page 5 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 3. Adopt Recommended 2020-2021 Capital Fund Program Plan for [20-0292] Public Housing Renovations. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 4. Adopt the Recommended 2020-2021 Community Development [20-0293] Block Grant Program and Community Development Block Grant - CV Program Plans. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 5. Approve the Recommended 2020-2021 HOME Investment [20-0294] Partnership Program Annual Plan. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 6. Approve Submittal of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan for [20-0295] Housing and Community Development Programs in Orange County. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 7. Amend Chapter 2, Article IV, 2-72 of the Town Code of [20-0296] Ordinances Regarding Campaign Contribution Limitations. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. INFORMATION 8. Receive Upcoming Public Hearing Items and Petition Status [20-0297] List. This item was received as presented. DISCUSSION 10. Charting Our Future - Informational Update on the Future Land [20-0299] Use Map (FLUM). Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) Project Manager Alisa Duffey Rogers gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). She reviewed the FLUM's components, outlined proposed changes to the Chapel Hill 2020 land-use map, and had reviewed revised engagement and communication plans. The Council praised Ms. Duffey Rogers for her work and for keeping the project moving during a difficult time. They confirmed that a Windsor Circle/Glen Heights area shown on the map would retain its existing character and not be included as a Future Focus Area. They also confirmed that the designation "H" had been removed from two potential Page 6 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 affordable housing sites because the Town wanted to be clear that affordable housing was desired everywhere. Ms. Duffey Rogers explained that community engagement events would be primarily held online for the final phase of the project due to COVID-19 concerns. She said that results of those community meetings would be emailed to Council Members for comments, and those comments would be uploaded to the Charting Our Future website. The FLUM would be emailed to the Town boards and commissions for comments, which would be summarized and posted on the project website, she said. Ms. Duffey Rogers proposed using the Konveio platform for the community engagement process and said that a detailed plan for publicizing that was in the Council's materials. She said that the FLUM would ideally be adopted prior to the Council's summer break. After adoption, a request for proposals (RFP) for the LUMO rewrite could be issued or, alternatively, the RFP could be issued prior to adoption, if the Council felt comfortable with that, she said. Council Members asked Ms. Duffy Rogers about the importance of having another round of public input and she said that the purpose would be to obtain any final comments. Since large public meetings were not currently allowed, she was attempting to give broad public online viewing for about three weeks before bringing the FLUM back to the Council, she said. Council Members stressed the importance of finishing the project in June. Ms. Duffey Rogers replied that getting comments back from the Council, getting the FLUM before all Town boards, and having a three-week period of online input would all need to happen before then. Something rising to the surface could delay it, she said, and she pointed out that the schedule allowed a week for Council comments. Mayor pro tem Parker asked why everything was being done in parallel rather than in a more linear manner with Council comments at the end. Ms. Duffey Rogers replied that she was presenting the Council with the current draft because, in the past, Council Members had wanted to feel comfortable with that before it went out to others. Mayor pro tem Parker confirmed with her that the Council would also have another opportunity to make comments and changes after all others had seen the draft. He hoped to get it done by the end of June, he said, and he encouraged staff to move forward with the RFP and engage a consultant for the next phase. Council Member Ryan listed aspects that she found helpful and/or meaningful, and Council Member Buansi suggested including a statement about the legally binding distinction between the FLUM and a zoning map. Council Member Anderson proposed working with the school system regarding families that do not have the bandwidth to engage online. Page 7 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 Council Member Huynh suggested that Ms. Duffey Rogers work closely with Housing and Community staff regarding community connections. He also recommended inserting clear labels that would simplify and explain how Konveio is used. Mayor Hemminger said that Gary Baum, a Chapel Hill resident, was asking why Windsor Circle/Glen Heights was appearing as a Future Focus discussion area after having been removed. Ms. Duffey Rogers explained that the Chapel Hill 2020 land-use map had shown that as a future focus area. It would be removed when the new map was adopted, she said. Mayor Hemminger recommended that Ms. Duffey Rogers add a statement up front that would make it very clear that the new FLUM would replace the entire Chapel Hill 2020 map. Julie McClintock, a Chapel Hill resident, questioned the value of spending Town resources on a virtual community engagement process. Ms. Duffey Rogers replied that Konvieo had offered the Town a discounted rate (less than $1,000) during the COVID-19 crisis. However, the Town could hold virtual drop-ins through ZOOM or Hang Out, which would be free, she said. Mayor Hemminger commented that the low rate from Konveio added perspective. The Town wanted to get as much community engagement as possible and that was an acceptable expense for the project, she said. This item was received as presented. 11. Establish a Council Committee to Recommend Community [20-0300] Members to Participate in the Town Attorney Assessment Center. Mayor Hemminger said that Council Members Anderson, Buansi, and Huynh had volunteered to be on a Council committee that would select 3-5 community members to serve in an Assessment Center that would help find a new town attorney. Unfortunately, everything would need to be done virtually, she pointed out. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Parker, seconded by Council Member Stegman, that R-6 be adopted as amended. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW(S) Page 8 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 Concept Plans: Presentations for Concept Plans will be limited to 15 minutes. Concept Plan review affords Council members the opportunity to provide individual reactions to the overall concept of the development which is being contemplated for future application. Nothing stated by individual Council members this evening can be construed as an official position or commitment on the part of a Council member with respect to the position they may take when and if a formal application for development is subsequently submitted and comes before the Council for formal consideration. As a courtesy to others, people speaking on an agenda item are normally limited to three minutes. Persons who are organizing a group presentation and who wish to speak beyond the three minute limit are requested to make prior arrangements through the Mayor’s Office by calling 968-2714. 12. Concept Plan Review: Aura Chapel Hill, 1000 Martin Luther [20-0301] King, Jr. Blvd. Planner Michael Sudol gave a brief PowerPoint presentation on a concept plan for a 505,000 square-foot, mixed-use development with up to 395 dwelling units and approximately 637 parking spaces at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (MLK) and North Estes Drive. He said that the applicant was proposing to rezone the property from Residential-1 to Office/Institutional-3-Conditional in order to meet its density and use requirements. Mr. Sudol showed the Aura Chapel Hill site plan, which included an intermittent stream and an Airport Hazard Zone that would prohibit new buildings at its western end. He pointed out that the Town had been communicating with UNC about the nearby airport closure. Mr. Sudol noted that the area had recently been cleared and that the Town could refuse development for three years following the issuance of that forestry clearing permit. Mr. Sudol said that both the Community Design Commission and the Housing Advisory Board had reviewed the concept plan and had provided comments. He pointed out that the Council was only being asked to provide feedback and adopt Resolution 7, which would transmit their comments to the applicant. Applicant Ryan Stewart, of Trinsic Residential Group (TRG), discussed the project's proximity to Shadowood Apartments and the Carolina North campus. He highlighted the differences between TRG's concept plan and previous plans that had been presented to the Town for that site. He described partial underground parking, buildings that would be no taller than four stories, and the inclusion of 50 affordable apartments that would be indistinguishable from the market rate units. Page 9 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 Dan Jewell, of Coulter Jewell Thames, discussed the site's proximity to other properties (Shadowood, Coker Woods, Rummel property, YMCA) and showed its location on the Central West Small Area Plan (SAP). He discussed proposed access points, a possible traffic roundabout at the exit, building heights, street pattern, significant retail anchor at the corner, and live/work units. Mr. Jewell described a potential pedestrian, bike and car connection through the site to a bus rapid transit (BRT) station on MLK. He said that a proposed community gathering place would tie nearby neighborhoods together. Mr. Jewell compared a previous concept plan for Aura that the Community Design Commission (CDC) had seen to the one being presented and noted changes based on CDC feedback. He showed a bird’s-eye view of the revised layout and its connections with surrounding areas. The plan included 355 apartments, 39 townhomes, 20-21,000 square feet of live/work space, about 12,000 square feet of amenity space, and roughly 10,000 square feet of commercial space, he said. Mr. Jewell pointed out that more land use would be going toward residential than the Central West SAP had allotted, but there would be fewer vehicle trips as well. He said that he had not yet had a chance to see the traffic impact analysis (TIA) that had recently been completed. With regard to affordable housing (AH), the applicant would offer 15 percent of the apartments as affordable units at 80 percent of area median income (AMI) for 15 years, he said. Council Member Ryan, a former Central West Taskforce member, confirmed that the applicant's goal was 40 percent canopy coverage. She asked why the applicant had decided not to include a greenway across the northern edge of the property, and Mr. Jewell replied that they thought it would be a better experience to come into the community along a main street corridor than to have another greenway on the north side. Mayor pro tem Parker, a former Central West Taskforce member, confirmed with Mr. Stewart that the live/work units would include flexible space on the ground level with a one-car garage in the back, a living area above that, and a two-bed area on the third floor. He also confirmed that the plan, as drawn, would be viable whether the Airport Hazard Zone remained or not. He proposed that the applicant look into stipulating age as a way to avoid having Aura becoming student housing. Mayor pro tem Parker suggested that the 40-foot BRT stop be lengthened to 60 feet. He confirmed with Mr. Jewell that the applicant had requested that the TIA consider a signalized intersection or some other way to get in and out if a roundabout was not feasible. The Council confirmed that there was a potential connection to the apartment complex next door. They verified that the applicant would look Page 10 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 at putting more parking underground even though the cost of doing so was a concern. They also confirmed that the total number of proposed parking spaces had been reduced from 637 to the 575-600 range and that the NC Department of Transportation had refused to allow a roundabout at that location in the past. Council Member Stegman asked why there was less retail than the Central West SAP had proposed. Mr. Jewell replied that not having full access onto MLK probably was a fatal flaw for having something such as a grocery store there. As a result, the applicant had been looking at smaller community businesses, entrepreneurs, and retailers, he said. Council Member Anderson confirmed with Mr. Sudol that staff did not typically have TIAs prepared prior to concept plan reviews. That was a perfect example of why the concept plan process needed a little rethinking, she said. In response to emailed questions from Chapel Hill residents Juanjuan Chang and Marsha Vaughn, Mr. Jewell explained that street parking would be contained within the neighborhood, not on surrounding streets. He said that building 13 would be less than 35 feet tall, and he explained that the project would build a connection to the Rummel property that could eventually run from that property to Somerset Drive. Mayor Hemminger asked if there would be any advantages, such as rooftop gatherings, if the commercial properties were connected rather than broken into three separate buildings. Mr. Jewell replied that building one structure would be less expensive but having three smaller ones allowed more outdoor spaces, such as plazas and courtyards. Chris Berndt, CDC vice chair, said that CDC members had agreed on the need for a significant landscape buffer and thought that traffic was a central consideration. She conveyed the CDC's concerns about a lack of significant rental space and said that members would like to see more underground parking, if possible. She suggested having the live/work units run along MLK rather than perpendicular to it. The CDC remained concerned about the number of units and the overall scale of project, she said. Scott Buck, a Huntington Drive resident, expressed concern about the overall scale and size of plan, the egress/entrance plan, and the traffic burden on Estes Drive. The TIA would not account for a new influx of drivers at nearby Azalea Estates, he pointed out. He asked to see a true streetscape view that showed how buildings along Estes Drive would appear. Mr. Buck characterized the proposed location of dumpsters and a compactor as "not good neighborly development" and said that plantings which lead to a buffer "over time" seemed vague and unenforceable. Page 11 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 Fred Lampe, a Coker Hills resident, shared some results from a TIA that the Central West Taskforce had done. He said that the proposed concept might lead to total fewer trips but that traffic would be more concentrated with lots of residences going and coming from work. Mr. Lampe suggested that the Council ask the Town Manager to evaluate Aura's density based on projected traffic from the TIA. Tom Henkel, a Mount Bolus Road resident, said that the current concept plan for commercial space was 163 percent of what the Central West SAP had envisioned for the site. He said that the SAP plans had expected a total of 620 residences in the Central West area and pointed out that 394 residential units in Parcel A alone would be 64 percent of that. This would not leave much room for the adjacent properties to develop, he said. Mr. Henkel recommended that the Town not plan any development at the site before knowing whether or not Estes Drive would be widened. Tim O’Shea, a Huntington Drive resident, characterized the plan as out of step with what residents had said in recent community surveys about the Town's traffic flow problems. He expressed concerns about traffic safety, and said that the concept plan did not offer meaningful benefits. There was very little retail being shown as a proportion of overall development and the affordable housing provisions seemed meager, said Mr. O'Shea. Chapel Hill residents Juanjuan Chang, Hong Zhan, and Jennifer Thomason expressed concerns about traffic congestion. Ms. Thomason said that getting onto Estes Drive from her home on Somerset Drive at rush hour was extremely challenging and very dangerous. She felt disheartened to hear a traffic circle being considered for Aura when one proposed for Somerset Drive had been rejected, she said. Jason Klaitman, a Hidden Hills resident, and Jon Mitchell, a Somerset Drive resident, both criticized the process for considering a concept plan before having the TIA. Mr. Klaitman said that Estes Drive was already over capacity and Mr. Mitchell described having to wait on Estes Drive through 3-5 traffic light cycles to reach MLK. Mr. Mitchell proposed that the apparent un-resolvable traffic problem be seen as a constraint on the level of density possible for that parcel. Mr. Klaitman said that the potential risk to children in an area with two schools should be a non-starter until there were better answers regarding how traffic would be mitigated. Julie McClintock, a former Central West Taskforce member, urged the Council to encourage the applicant to resubmit a plan that would meet the density requirements that the SAP recommended. She said that any plan would have to meet the limited mobility conditions on Estes Drive and that the physical constraints of the parcel might be insurmountable. Ms. McClintock recommended that the Council reevaluate the project after Page 12 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 seeing the TIA. Mayor Hemminger read a request from Amy Witsil, a Coker Woods resident, for more details about a pedestrian access in her neighborhood. Mr. Jewell replied that those connections were in keeping with the SAP's desire for good neighborhood connectivity. Certainly, such connections would not be built if the surrounding neighborhoods did not want them, he said. Timothy Carr, a senior vice president with the YMCA, affirmed that the roundabout on Estes Drive aligned with the YMCA's future secondary drive. It was consistent with the YMCA's master plan and would improve access to its facility, he said. Council Members said the plan was improved but they expressed concern about traffic congestion with the proposed level of development. They said that they hoped for significant commercial presence at that location. Council Members all felt that the AMI for affordable housing should be lower and that it should be extended to at least 30 years. Council Member Anderson expressed interest in seeing affordable housing integrated into the ownership options as well. Council Members thought that buildings should be taller along MLK, and they commented on the issue of how density would be allocated throughout the neighborhood. They said they preferred more retail, if possible, and they pointed out that more retail could be key to keeping people from using cars. Council Member Huynh wondered why the developer thought a roundabout would be approved, since it had been rejected in the past. Mayor pro tem Parker said that the project needed to be more human-oriented and less car-oriented. Council Member Buansi asked if there would be any way to buffer the community gathering space along MLK from the noise of traffic on MLK. Council Member Gu stressed the importance of considering an east-west grid system in the long-term development of the Town. Council Member Ryan suggested that a north-south Timberlyne Trail be made an explicit part of plans for the area. Mayor pro tem Parker pointed out that the Central West Taskforce had wanted the area to be a destination for people in surrounding areas and an asset for the entire area. The current concept plan was not really a destination since nothing would draw people to it, he said. He urged the developer to consider larger apartments that would allow families and to look into ways to make sure that those would not be overtaken by students. Page 13 of 14 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 6, 2020 Mayor Hemminger said she was pleased with how the project had moved along. The applicant had listened to comments, worked hard, and returned with a much better design, she said. She agreed with Mayor pro tem Parker regarding larger apartments and wondered if there was a way to add more townhomes. She pointed out that the proximity to schools, the BRT, and the greenway would reduce the need for parking spaces in the future and urged the applicant to consider that while planning the design. Mayor Hemminger said she wondered if a partnership with Shadowood to the north might help reduce traffic concerns. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Parker, seconded by Council Member Anderson, that R-7 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. APPOINTMENTS 13. Designate a Voting Delegate to the NC League of Municipalities [20-0302] Annual Conference. Council Member Buansi volunteered to be the NC League of Municipalities voting delegate and the Council voted unanimously to appoint him. Mayor Hemminger noted that a ground-breaking ceremony for Booker Creek Basin Park would take place the next day at noon. She described some of the improvements there and said that a video about the area would soon be released. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Parker, seconded by Council Member Huynh, that R-8 be adopted as amended. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:31 p.m. Page 14 of 14