TITLE: Title
Public Hearing on Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is for the Town Council to hold a public hearing and receive public comment on a draft comprehensive plan, Carrboro Connects 2022-2042.
body
DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Patricia McGuire, Planning Director, 919-918-7327; pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org>, Ben Berolzheimer, Associate Planner, 919-918-7330; bberolzheimer@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:bberolzheimer@townofcarrboro.org>
INFORMATION: Carrboro Connects, the Town’s Comprehensive Planning process underway since June 2020, continues to move forward with community engagement and plan development.
A public hearing draft plan, Carrboro Connects 2022-2042, is ready for review and is attached (Attachment B) and available at the project’s interactive project website, CarrboroConnects.org <https://www.carrboroconnects.org/>.
Carrboro Connects 2022-2042 includes the following chapters: Introduction, Engagement, Affordable Housing, Economic Sustainability, Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Resources, Environment and Climate Action, Land Use, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Water, and Energy, Transportation and Mobility.
The draft also includes a new Implementation chapter, with recommendations and more detailed timelines for projects identified as priorities for actions in the first five years. These priorities were selected for the potential to have the greatest impact on advancing racial equity, climate action implementation, and overall community benefit.
A summary of the changes from the preliminary draft reviewed in September and October, to the public hearing draft, is included as Attachment C.
What is a comprehensive plan? Comprehensive plans seek to describe current conditions, evaluate trends, issues, and opportunities and engage with community members on their expectations, hopes, and vision for the future. What will be needed to bring those interests to reality? How, when, why, and for whom will the Town commit its resources of time to actualize a new community vision? What will be the cost of such actions and what choices and priorities will be involved to invest in the community’s future?
The Town Council developed a Request for Proposals in 2019, with advancing racial equity and climate action as foundational organizing principles. The Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into a professional services contract with Teska Associates, Inc., assisted by Lockamy Consulting and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, on March 10, 2020. The Town Council established the Comprehensive Plan Task Force on June 23, 2020 to guide and inform the process of comprehensive plan development. The 29-member Task Force is made up of representatives of thirteen Town advisory boards, the Carrboro Business Alliance, and eight at-large members.
Task Force members participated in interviews, meetings, community visioning and engagement sessions from June 2020 through November 2021. Over 1,700 community members have participated in the plan development to date. Town Advisory Boards and Commissions have participated in plan development during reviews of goals and strategies in the spring and of the Preliminary Draft Plan in the fall of 2021. The newly formed Racial Equity Commission received a presentation in August. The Environmental Advisory Board during its review included two individuals who have since been appointed to the new Climate Action Team. The first meeting of the Climate Action Team is planned for November 18th. A consensus recommendation from the Task Force is included as Attachment D.
A timeline of the project to date is included as Attachment E.
Adoption of a comprehensive plan follows a legislative process; review by the Planning Board is required. A resolution referring the draft plan to the Planning Board is attached (Attachment A). The resolution also provides an opportunity for the Town Council to refer the public hearing draft back to all advisory boards for further review.
Per North Carolina State Law, 2019-111, Section 2.9(c), action on a reasonably maintained comprehensive plan or land-use plan that accords with North Carolina General Statutes 160D 501 is needed before July 1, 2022 in order for the Town to continue to exercise its zoning authority
Community engagement with previously engaged stakeholder groups continues. Adoption of Carrboro Connects 2022-2042 by spring 2022 is currently anticipated; meeting dates on the 22nd of February and March have been identified for continued review of the plan, with adoption possible on the latter date. Incorporation of other recently adopted plans, by resolution, into the comprehensive plan is expected at that time.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: None noted with the receipt of public comments at this hearing.
RECOMMENDATION:r The staff recommends that the Town Council receive public comment during this hearing and consider action on the resolution referring the draft plan to the Planning Board and other advisory boards for review (Attachment A).