Title
Downtown Area Plan Work Session
PURPOSE: To present a working draft of the Downtown Area Plan and discuss completed community engagement, providing Town Council members with an opportunity to discuss and familiarize themselves with the plan.
end
Department
DEPARTMENT: Planning
end
Council Direction
COUNCIL DIRECTION:
_X__ Race/Equity __X__ Climate _X__ Comprehensive Plan ___Other
Council Direction Statement
Encompassing 2 of the 35 priority projects of Carrboro Connects (Land Use Project 2.1A and Economic Sustainability Strategy 2.1), the Downtown Area Plan seeks to refine the twenty-year vision for the downtown area of Carrboro, through equitable community engagement and detailed analyses. Policies and strategies to manage growth and climate impacts in the downtown area (which includes the commercial core, the Jones Ferry Road corridor, and surrounding neighborhoods) will have implications to the affordability, accessibility, and experience of residents and visitors to Carrboro. This plan will also inform the ongoing new Carrboro Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) project. An abbreviated version of the Race & Equity Analysis Lens (REAL) on the Small Area Planning Process has been provided (Attachment F). Pocket Questions discussing impacts will be included with materials for the public hearing for adoption.
end
Information
INFORMATION: Freese & Nichols, Inc. (FNI) has been developing a Downtown Area Plan as directed by the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan. The scope of the project is to refine goals of the comprehensive plan specifically related to the downtown area, direct future implementation, and inform other work such as the development of the new Carrboro UDO. This work session will allow Council Members to review community input received thus far, become familiar with the current draft of the plan, and offer feedback to the project team in preparation for upcoming community engagement efforts and the subsequent public hearing for adoption.
Outreach activities incorporated a variety of strategies to collect feedback from the community. The draft plan includes an overview of outreach (pp. 83-98 of Attachment A). The detailed summary includes tables of qualitative responses (Attachment C) to be included as an appendix to the plan. Additional outreach efforts not referenced in the attached materials include multiple mailings to all residents and property owners in the study area, 300 hand-delivered door hangers to residents in Historically Black and African American neighborhoods (Lloyd-Broad, Tin-Top, Glosson Circle, Alabama Avenue, Lincoln Park, Rogers Road), two Carrboro in Motion events, and a Northside Neighborhood community meeting.
Section drafts have been reviewed periodically by department heads, community stakeholders-including business owners, residents, community service organizations, and developers-and advisory boards. Joint advisory board review invitations were extended to boards that do not traditionally participate in development review. Feedback was collected directly at meetings of the Racial Equity Commission and the Housing and Human Services Advisory Commission.
Attachments to this item include the draft plan (Attachment A), a memorandum from FNI (Attachment B), the consultant’s detailed summary of engagement and tabular feedback collected (Attachment C), staff tabulation of the demographic questions (dot exercise) from engagement events at large community events (Attachment D), connections to comprehensive plan projects identified by FNI (Attachment E), the consultant presentation (Attachment F) and the Small Area Planning Process REAL (Attachment G).
The draft of the plan (Attachment A) is as a preliminary compilation of the following elements:
• Introduction (pp. 1-8)
• Master Plan (pp. 9-50)
o Identification and discussion of character areas (sub-areas that are distinct within the overall downtown area) (pp.11-20)
o Representative renderings providing guidance and direction for infill developments, redevelopments, and growth over the next 20 years (pp. 21-32)
o Identification and considerations for various streetscapes (pp. 33-50)
• Background Analysis completed by the consultant (pp. 51-80)
• Vision and Goals driven by the comprehensive plan and refined by community engagement in Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 (pp. 81-98)
• Strategies and Considerations that will inform Implementation (pp. 99-130)
The implementation section of the plan is currently being drafted by FNI and is therefore not included in the agenda materials. Information relating to the Reimagining East Weaver Street project will be included in the public hearing version of the plan-anticipated for early fall.
Considerations
• Does the draft plan align with Carrboro Connects and does it provide the necessary detail to inform the new development regulations in the new Carrboro UDO?
• Are the outreach efforts to date and planned for the spring/summer sufficient for Carrboro’s commitment to equitable engagement?
• Does the draft plan align with and respond to the community input?
• Is there anything council members expected to see in the draft plan that has not been included?
end
Fiscal and Staff Impact
FISCAL IMPACT: There are no fiscal impacts associated with discussing this item during the work session. However, implementation of strategies and projects identified in the adopted plan may result in future fiscal and staffing impacts.
end
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Council consider the information presented for discussion and provide feedback.
end