TITLE: Title
Joint Planning Agreement Amendment to Modify Language Regarding Transition Area Resident Representation on the Chapel Hill Planning Commission and Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment
PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is to consider an amendment to the Joint Planning Agreement to modify resident representation on Chapel Hill’s Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Patricia McGuire - 919-918-7327; pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org>;
INFORMATION: The Town of Carrboro has been a party, with the Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County, to a Joint Planning Agreement since 1987. The agreement was established to create a method for coordinated and comprehensive planning in the southeastern portion of Orange County, described for this purpose as the Orange County- Chapel Hill-Carrboro Joint Planning Area. A Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan was prepared and adopted; the Joint Planning Agreement specifies the method for implementing and revising the plan. Definitions, effective dates, and linkages with other adopted plans are spelled out in the Agreement (<http://www.townofcarrboro.org/PZI/commplanning.htm>).
A joint public hearing on the proposed amendment was held on October 15, 2015. A description of the two options proposed for modifying the Transition Area representation on the Chapel Hill Planning Commission and Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment is provided in the agenda materials from the public hearing (Attachment B). Draft minutes from the public hearing are provided as Attachment C. The Chapel Hill Town Council adopted a resolution selecting Option B on November 9th (Attachment D); this option modifies the requirement for representation on the Chapel Hill Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment to allow the Transition Area seat on each board to be filled by either an ETJ or Transition Area resident, unless 90 days elapses, after which time the Chapel Hill Town Council would be able to appoint a Town resident to fill the seats. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board of Aldermen referred the proposed amendment to the Planning Board, which reviewed and recommended approval of Option B on November 19th (Attachment E). Amendments to the Plan and Agreement require unanimous approval of all three parties. A resolution consistent with Chapel Hill’s action has been prepared for the Board’s consideration.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: None identified in association with consideration or approval of the proposed amendment.
RECOMMENDATION:r The Administration recommends that the Board of Aldermen consider adoption of the resolution (Attachment A).