The Chapel Town Council has a big meeting tonight. I meant to blog about it in advance, but since I didn't I will start this thread and hope to post live comments as it goes along.
Here's the agenda. I'll stick with this at least through the Public Forum on the Downtown Development Initiative.
- Ceremonies:
- None.
- Public Forums and Hearings:
- Public Forum: Draft Chapel Hill 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan Socio-Economic Projections. (Staff Presenter: David Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Coordinator) [Estimated Time: 15 minutes]
- Public Forum: To Consider a Potential Change in Cablevision Public Access Fees Paid by Cable Television Customers. (Staff Presenter: Catherine Lazorko, Town Information Officer) [Estimated Time: 10 minutes]
- Public Forum: Downtown Development Initiative.(Presenter: Mayor pro tem Bill Strom, Negotiating Team Chair) [Estimated Time: 30 minutes]
- Petitions by citizens and announcements by Council members. [Estimated Time: 10 Minutes]
- Petitions by citizens on items not on the agenda.
- Petitions by citizens on items on the agenda.
- Announcements by Council members.
- Consent agenda: action items (R-1). (Any item may be removed for separate discussion at the end of the Council meeting.) [Estimated Time: 5 minutes]
- Nominations to various boards and committees (R-2).
- Resolution Amending Council Calendar (R-3).
- Telephone Franchise for BellSouth – First Reading (O-1).
- Resolution to Accept SAFER Grant Award and Amendment to 2006-2007 Budget (R-4) (O-2).
- Adoption of Composite Countywide Plan for Parks and Trails (R-5).
- Report on Developing Public Information Sign Program and Improving Street Name and Directional/Information Signs (R-6) (O-3).
- Clarification to the 2006-2007 Community Development Program (R-7).
- Request for Expedited Processing of a Concept Plan Proposal and a Special Use Permit Application for the Bradley Ridge Development (R-8).
- *Process to Appoint Members to the Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property Park Planning Advisory Committee (R-8.1).
- Information items. (Any item may be removed for separate discussion at the end of the Council meeting.) [Estimated Time: 5 minutes]
- Quarterly Report.
- Report on Budget Process.
- The Peoples Channel 2006-06 Annual Report.
- Response to Petition requesting Bicycle and Parking Overlay Zones on Several Streets in Meadowmont Area.
- Report on the Operations of the Street Scene Teen Center.
- Orange Water and Sewer Authority Quarterly Report. (Continued from November 6, 2006 Meeting)
- Follow-up Report on Merritt’s Pasture Maintenance. (Continued from November 6, 2006 Meeting).
- *Update on Wireless Initiative.
Main Discussion
- Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. (Staff Presenter: Kay Johnson, Finance Department Director) [Estimated Time: 20 minutes]
- Fairway Hill Subdivision: Application for Preliminary Plat Approval (Staff Presenter: Gene Poveromo, Development Coordinator) [Estimated Time: 30 minutes]
- Continuation of a Public Hearing for a Preliminary Plat Approval at Fairway Hill Subdivision
- Swearing of persons wishing to present evidence
- Introduction of recommendation by the Manager
- Presentation of evidence by the applicant
- Presentation of evidence by citizens
- Comments and questions from the Mayor and Town Council
- Applicant statement regarding proposed conditions
- Motion to adjourn hearing.
- Consideration of resolution to approve a Preliminary Plat Application for Fairway Hill Subdivision (R-9a, b, c; d, e, R-9f would deny).
- Acceptance of Bid for Homestead Park Aquatics
Center (R-10). (Staff Presenter: Bruce Heflin, Assistant Town Manager) [Estimated Time: 15 minutes]- Southeast Chapel Hill/Southwest Durham Collector Plan (R-11). (Staff Presenter: David Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Coordinator) [Estimated Time: 20 minutes]
- Process for Revision of the Comprehensive Plan
(R-12). (Staff Presenter: Gordon Sutherland, Principal Long Range Planner) [Estimated Time: 20 minutes]- Appointments: [Estimated Time: 5 minutes]
- Petitions:
- By the Mayor and Council Members.
- By the Manager and Attorney.
- Reserved for discussion of consent agenda items if necessary.
- Request for closed session to discuss property acquisition, personnel, and litigation
matters.
Issues:
Comments
It is actually extremely crowded Ruby. Must just be the tv angle.
Haha we can tag team it. You can give the play by play and I'll be the sideline reporter.
There are a ton of people standing in the back. This is about as crowded as I've seen the chambers before- it was more crowded when the gay haters from out of town came but other than that I think this might be the densest crowd I've seen (other than the front rows which people perpetually avoid for whatever reason.)
Lots of people who aren't the usual suspects too. It'll be interesting to see what they're here for.
Well I guess I'm wondering what everyone who is here or watching this is wondering: what's on the People's Channel after 11 PM!?!?!
The growth is definitely asymmetrical along the corridors. I'm sure my neighbors would be surprised to find out that the Town considers the area abutting their backyards is a high-density development area.
We had a citizen come befre Council asking that the cable fee increase not go forward because of the filth she viewed the other night on Channel 8.
Bill Thorpe gave the woman a hard time because she called MLK Airport Rd. Very awkward. Noticeable grimaces among many in the room.
Mayor Foy seems somewhat resigned to the fact that 2C, downtown development, is going to take a lot of comment.
Bill is also building the case for a thorough review of the development process, I'm guessing partly to rebuff some of the coming criticism and also to defuse the $7.3 million shocker.
The first speaker, Bernadette Keefe, is a strong supporter. She lives near Lot 5 and was on the Streetscape Master Plan Review Committee with me (and GeorgeC.)
Hey, it doesn't work out financially or align with the goals of the downtown plan.
Next speaker:
....Concern for creating a precedent of large buildings downtown. Tall buildings will destroy the spirit of Chapel Hill....We destroy the spirit and we're like everyother town in NC....
Chad Johnston, Executive Director of the People's Channel, has educated Chapel Hill citizens and council immensely about the complexities of media law going thru State and National legislature. In these dark years with a FCC hell bent on allowing fewer owners of media we're lucky to have a humble expert who works hard to understand what's going on and can explain it to us.
The mission of the People's Channel helps fulfill a community value of Chapel Hill - rich resources for all citizens. 78 cents a month is a small price for us to pay to have a place that not only broadcasts community made media but will teach you how to-do it with their equipment!
Ruby, the cost jumped 15-fold. The Town said we weren't going to use TIFs to fund but the funding is essentially TIFs in all but name (removes property taxes from the fund). RAM repudiated their own PROMISE to eat construction costs. Wallace Deck, a major benefit of doing this project, is off the table.
Come on, this project is off the track... With the number and scale of changes in the financial underpinnings alone we should take our time to digest the consequences...
The business folks are lining up to support this project even though the "business" justifications are shaky at best. Liz claims we need a plaza for the public to meet on - great, can we build a park instead of blowing what will start as $7.3 million but you know will grow...
The 137 new units (21 affordable) is a minor increase compared to the private developments already being discussed..
Tom want to live in this project... But can he justify the monetary outlays for one floor of a parking deck... He wants to buy milk downtown - doesn't want to walk up MLK - yet there's no grocery store component to Lot #5.
But you can get a gallon of milk at Kerr Drug.
And Will, certainly the chances of us getting a grocery store downtown would be increased by having a critical mass of people living there.
It's funny that Tom, Liz, Anita are all skipping over the increase in cost and the loss of the Wallace deck component.... Anita: "Is RAM a development a good partner?" RAM's Cumming's PROMISED to eat the escalating construction costs - but that didn't last... Anita talks of the taxes brought in by this project but the taxes for the foreseeable future will be redirected to paying off the debt....
Come on Tom, there's private developments on the table that far exceed the contribution of this project.
I guess it's a grow at any cost world.
45 minutes :)
Whoops, especially when those costs are passed on to the community at large.
A 15-fold increase in costs is a minor change in the finances? Youch.
I think it's 6 in favor and 3 opposed so far.
Radway: "it's time that Chapel Hill gets on with the task being a small city..."
Laurie Paolicelli? She's the head of the Visitors Bureau.
Gack! "Multi-use center"...that's not the Lot #5 development sketched out this evening. A bunch of boutique "shoppes" is not going to attract folks from the lure of Southpoint. Now, if Council would just put back in the "affordable" local business component.
"Is this the kind of place you and your families would live..." "I think most of these quarters would end up student housing" (students like Tom? Hmmmm).
I'm not a student Will.
It's funny but as this guy is covering the possible outcomes of having students housed here my mind started wandering towards the newest kind of NCD - a condo-development split in two ;-)
Alan is up with the wayback machine....
Tom, sorry, wrong demographic? Single (at least you didn't mention a room-mate) professional more appropriate?
I just logged on to start a thread live blogging the forum- guess you beat me by five minutes Ruby!