What’s Coming up for Fall 2018

Our elected boards are about to break for the holidays. What's become of the items we were watching for the Fall? Find out below.

Carrboro

• Public hearing on Weaver Street Market renovations: Approved unanimously
• Report on NC 54 West Corridor Study: Report received
• Update on the 203 South Greensboro project (Southern Branch Library): In progress
• Public hearing on Lloyd Property conditional rezoning (it’s back!): Approved by a vote of 5-2
• Update on the Old 86 commercial development concept: No update, no plan for discussion before 2019

Chapel Hill

• Commencing a Chapel Hill Land-Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) re-write: the first phase - refining the future land use map - is nearing completion, with a vote to adopt an amended map anticipated this spring 
• Approach to preventing and ending homelessness in our community, including IFC's proposed updates to its Community House model and Good Neighbor Plan: IFC opted against bringing changes before the Council this Fall. A wider community discussion of what services are needed in Orange County will be facilitated by the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness in the new year.
• Planning for use(s) of the American Legion property: this process will likely begin in the new year
• Eastowne redevelopment (UNC Hospitals plan): plan approved 
• Decision-making on coal ash clean-up at Police Department-Bolin Creek Trail: continuing to learn about and gather community input on options for clean-up of the site 
• Exploration of innovative new affordable housing models including master leasing and cooperatives: Council gave comments on the concept plan for development of an affordable, mixed-income residential development on Town-owned property on Homestead Road. The plan is expected to include a mix of housing types, such as townhomes, tiny houses, and cooperatives. 

Hillsborough

• Possible changes to outdoor dining/sidewalk ordinance: Approved changes to ordinance that placed greater restrictions on opacity and height of outdoor dining barriers. No change to the square footage.
• Colonial Inn application (currently before the Planning Board): Special use permit approved, pending resolution of several outstanding issues: 1) board agreed to designate two 15-min parking spaces that can be used for valet parking or any other public use as all Colonial Inn parking will be off-site; 2) Board will allow Inn developers to widen narrow sidewalk in front of Inn to be ADA compliant under NCDOT standards (is in DOT right of way); removed issue of new loading zone on King St from SUP as loading zone not required by ordinance, just thought to be needed as Town need with busier King Street. That issue will be taken up separately at December 10 regular meeting.
• Continued improvements to the reservoir expansion efforts: Construction continues, have had to carefully manage flow during heavy rains so as not to ruin construction underway yet not complete.
• Completion of sidewalk project around Nash Street: Construction continues. New 3-way stop traffic pattern to improve pedestrian safety, wider, ADA accessible sidewalks, pouring curb and gutter on Eno Mountain Road in preparation for adding the sidewalks as part of Riverwalk extension
• Interlocal agreement on Solid Waste (finally!): Approved to sign on November 13
• Continued discussion on water rates and how to restructure to provide relief: This has not yet come back to the town board. Water and Sewer Advisory Board may have taken this up again.
• MOU for joint funding of the Orange County Food Council: Town Board will vote on MOU on Dec 10

Orange County

• Outside Agency funding review: There is currently a policy that states we can fund operations but not capital needs. This remains in place. The BOCC developed a loan program for up to $100,000 for outside agencies. Applications were due November 30th and will be awarded on the budget schedule for all outside funding.
• Discussion of how we elect county commissioners: The board is convening a committee to have community discussions and come back with suggestions. If anything is changed, it will not be until the 2022 election.
• Solid Waste Inter local agreement: Done…waiting on the elected boards to vote on it.
• Orange County Agriculture Economic Development Plan: TBD
• Programming for the Southern Branch Library to be built in Carrboro: These are on-going discussions with Carrboro. There are some concerns about the cost of the project right now to be worked out and also the parking issue keeps coming back as a glitch for shop owners and business downtown.
• Visitors Bureau updates including use of Occupancy Tax, Airbnb regulations, Hotel Performance, Disability Guide, and relocation to Old Town Hall in Chapel Hill: The most concern is with the growing Airbnb locations in Orange County. The hotels are very upset. We have a number of outside folks working with us to decide if there needs to be some policy regulating AirBnBs. We know that the stays are growing because the county does collect taxes on the reservations, but we are not sure if we are collecting all the taxes due. The Old Town Hall issue is still pending.
• Funding for schools given budget restrictions of the NCGA, SAPFO, food distribution in high schools: A new committee will begin meeting in the new year to discuss student numbers and possible new schools. Commissioner Penny Rich will represent the county on the committee. There are food banks in all the high schools now. 

We've received more updates on a few of the Chapel Hill issues:

Commencing a Chapel Hill Land-Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) re-write 

"Charting Our Future” is now the name of the Land Use Management Ordinance Rewrite Project. More Project information may be found at ChartingOurFuture.info. The first phase of the Charting Our Future Project is refinement of the Town’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM). After considerable community engagement during the summer and fall, creating the draft FLUM is underway, and town staff anticipate a draft in the spring. Once the refined Future Land Use Map is adopted, phase two, which is rewriting the Town’s Land Use Management Ordinance, will commence. 

Planning for use(s) of the American Legion property

The status is unchanged since the American Legion Task Force presented their second report and recommendations to the Council in November 2017. At that time, the Council asked the Town Manager to follow up on the Task Force report by developing a recommended process to establish the future use of the property. The Council made a decision to delay receiving that recommendation and has not made a decision on the future use. As a condition of the sale of the property, the Town agreed to let the American Legion Post 6 continue to occupy the space via a three-year lease and they still have over a year left before the end of that lease.

Decision-making on coal ash clean-up at Police Department-Bolin Creek Trail

On October 10, 2018 the Council authorized the Town Manager to take the following steps:

1. Apply for a Letter of Eligibility with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to determine if the Town qualifies for the Brownfields program;
2. Develop a broader set of remediation options for Council consideration;
3. Schedule four additional public meetings, the first two being with the Stormwater Management Utility and Environmental Stewardship advisory boards, the last two being public information meetings; and
4. Once steps 1-3 are complete, return to Council with updates and seek a course of action.

Additionally, the staff are working to identify a Risk Assessor/Toxicologist that can assist the Town in better understanding the level of risk associated with different remediation options.

Regarding completion of the Bolin Creek Trail connection under Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, staff anticipates construction of the last segment to begin in January 2019. This work has been authorized to move forward by NC DEQ with requirements that soils be tested and any contaminants be appropriately managed as construction proceeds. The trail connection will not run through the coal ash deposit, which is located in the more upland portion of the property.

Exploration of innovative new affordable housing models including master leasing and cooperatives

The Town is exploring several innovative affordable housing models and programs, as are outlined in our Affordable Housing Work Plan here. They anticipate receiving an application for Town funding to support the piloting of a master lease program for our Affordable Housing Development Reserve and have been part of ongoing conversations about this program.